Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the negative financial impact on businesses in Northern Ireland of the new tariffs on steel products produced in Great Britain from 1 July.

Answered by Lord Stockwood

The Government has set out that specific arrangements will be in place to facilitate the movement of steel to Northern Ireland. We will continue to provide guidance on these arrangements and support traders moving goods through the Trader Support Service. This approach is consistent with the Government’s commitment in the Steel Strategy to tackling steel over capacity, and working with our international partners to do so.

The legislation implementing the new measure includes explanatory memoranda which set out how this measure will impact different types of businesses.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow individuals who claim Attendance Allowance to qualify for the Motability Scheme.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Qualifying benefits for the Motability Scheme are the enhanced rate mobility component Personal Independence Payment (enhanced rate mobility component Adult Disability Payment in Scotland), higher rate mobility component Disability Living Allowance (higher rate mobility component Child Disability Payment in Scotland), Armed Forces Independence Payment and War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement.

Attendance Allowance is intended to help those with a severe disability who have long term care or supervision needs which arise after reaching State Pension age. It has never included a mobility component, and so cannot be used in payment for a leased Motability Scheme vehicle. Government mobility support is focused on people who are disabled earlier in life; developing mobility needs in older life is a normal consequence of ageing, which non-disabled younger people have had opportunity to plan and save for.

There is no constraint on what an award of Attendance Allowance can be spent on, and a recipient may choose to use this benefit to fund mobility aids. Disabled people over the age of 65 can apply to their local authority for assessment under the Blue Badge Scheme, which helps people with severe mobility problems to park close to where they need to go. Assistance from other sources may be available and details can be found on the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC) website.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the income or savings to be derived from the new criteria for Motability vehicles limiting the mileage a lessee can drive before incurring a charge.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We do not have an estimate of the income or savings to be derived from the new mileage criteria. A series of measures were announced in the November 2025 Budget to strike the right balance between delivering a key service for disabled people and fairness to the taxpayer, saving over £1 billion by financial year 2030/31.

Motability Operations is an independent commercial company under contract to Motability to deliver the Motability Scheme. Motability Operations is owned by the four major banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS). No ordinary dividends are paid, and all profits are reinvested in the company to benefit Scheme customers or donated to Motability the charity.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what difficulties they are aware of businesses or consumers encountering that arise from the new arrangements for the movement of parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland implemented on 1 May 2025.

Answered by Lord Livermore

The Government introduced important new arrangements for freight and parcels movements on 1 May 2025 ensuring goods continue to move smoothly from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The arrangements were successfully implemented without significant impact on flow of goods into Northern Ireland, the new arrangements protect the vast majority of consumer parcels from customs declarations and duty.

HMRC were aware of a small number of cases where express operators charged duty incorrectly on business-to-business parcels. HMRC have worked with express operators and wider industry to minimise these instances.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the negative impact of wildfires on natural habitats and protected species.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government recognises that wildfires can cause significant damage to natural habitats and protected species, across a wide range of habitats. To address this, this Government is strengthening its approach to wildfire resilience. Defra is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the lead department on wildfire, to improve cross-Government coordination across the full wildfire cycle, from risk assessment and prevention through to response and recovery. This Government is also investing in peatland restoration, landscape-scale habitat recovery and stronger protections for upland peat. These measures are designed to improve resilience and support biodiversity recovery.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Northern Ireland Executive have the option not to implement the new criteria for Motability vehicles limiting the mileage a lessee can drive before incurring a charge.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

From 1 July, new leases will include a mileage allowance of 10,000 miles a year – e.g. 30,000 over a three-year lease or 50,000 over a five-year lease. Three out of four Scheme customers drive 10,000 miles or fewer per year. However, Motability recognise that a small number of customers will be unable to change driving behaviour or absorb the mileage charges. On 8 July, Motability announced an exceptions process for those who exceed this new limit for some journeys made for healthcare, education and employment. The customer will need to evidence this extra mileage.

The Motability Scheme is operated independently of Government. Decisions about eligibility, lease terms, mileage allowances and support arrangements are matters for Motability. The Government's role is to provide qualifying disability benefits that customers may choose to use to access the Scheme.

Found: Wednesday, 8 July 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn; Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard

Found: Wednesday, 1 July 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn; Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard

Found: Wednesday, 24 June 2026 Present: Lord Carlile of Berriew Lord Dodds of Duncairn Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn; Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Carlile of Berriew (The Chair); Lord Dodds of Duncairn; Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard