Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the additional cost to ferry travellers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a result of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Maritime Activities) Order 2026.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Impact Assessment does not identify significant consumer price impacts and finds that compliance costs for domestic maritime operators are modest relative to their overall operating costs, with fuel and carbon costs forming only one part of total running costs. These findings are consistent with international evidence showing changes to ferry ticket prices in the low single digit range under equivalent carbon pricing.
The Government will review the maritime element of the United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme in 2028 to ensure that its impacts remain accurate, proportionate and fully assessed as the sector continues to decarbonise.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide an exemption to passenger ferry operators between Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the provisions of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) (Extension to Maritime Activities) Order 2026 which is similar to the exemption for operators to the Scottish Islands.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is a high bar for any exemptions from the UK ETS. We are exempting ferries serving Scotland’s islands and peninsula communities given the unique and pressing challenges they face and the legal duties to consider island populations under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.
We will be evaluating the impacts of the scheme, as well as the existing exemptions, in a review of the maritime regime in 2028. We will not be extending this exemption to other UK islands at this time.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what aspects of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper (CP 1021), published on 31 January 2024, have been (1) fully implemented, (2) partially implemented, and (3) not implemented.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to continuing to take forward the Safeguarding the Union command paper, and to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK Internal Market.
We continue to make progress on the implementation of the commitments made in the command paper. For instance, the digitisation of the News Letter was completed last year and there remains no Border Control Post at Cairnryan. In January, the East-West Council met for the third time where the Government announced there would be a pilot for the UK school twinning programme, which is being developed between the UK Government’s Department for Education and the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Education.
Other recent steps include the allocation of £2.25 million for Intertrade UK over the next three years and the opening of round two of the Connect Fund to support community and voluntary groups. In line with commitments made in the command paper, in December the Government published our response to Lord Murphy’s Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, and is now taking action on all of its recommendations.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have inserted any conditions to their financial commitment to Casement Park to ensure that terrorist organisations cannot use the facility.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government is supporting the Northern Ireland Executive with its plans for building world class infrastructure in Northern Ireland, across all sporting codes. That is why we have provided up to £50 million of capital funding over four years to support the redevelopment of Casement Park.
Under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, it is a criminal offence to invite support for a proscribed organisation or to arrange, manage, or assist in addressing a meeting known to support its activities.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have carried out an investigation or assessment of whether the Gaelic Athletic Association has links to terrorist organisations.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Northern Ireland Office has not carried out any such assessment or investigation.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to manage the memorial tablet to the fallen soldiers of the 2nd battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers attached to the wall in St Lucia Barracks in Omagh to ensure that it is effectively maintained and protected.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The memorial tablet to the fallen soldiers of the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at St Lucia Barracks is attached to a wall with listed status. It is itself considered to be part of that listed structure and is therefore also protected.
Any new owners of St Lucia Barracks will be legally required to seek consent from the local planning authority if they wish to alter or move the tablet and may face criminal prosecution if they fail to do so.
Discussions will be held with any potential purchasers of the St Lucia Barracks site to ensure that they are aware of their legal responsibilities to protect and maintain the memorial tablet, and this will be stipulated at the point of sale or transfer.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner's Office is able to operate independently of Government.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner's Office (NIVCO) is an independent entity, a status essential to its ability to operate effectively. To firmly establish this independence, a formal Management Statement was agreed between NIVCO and its sponsoring department, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their current assessment of whether the (1) Provisional Irish Republican Army, (2) Ulster Defence Association, or (3) Ulster Volunteer Force are active.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The PSNI and UK security agencies continually assess the threat, risk and harm posed by paramilitary, terrorist and organised crime groups to inform the most appropriate operational response.
Rightly, any criminality or threats – by individuals or groups, loyalist or republican - will be investigated by the PSNI and those responsible will be brought before the courts.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what security advice they received on the planning application for a new Chinese embassy.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Full reasons for the decision in this case are set out in a detailed decision letter and Inspector’s report published on gov.uk.
The decision letter was also deposited in the Library of both Houses.
Inquiry documents are available on the Tower Hamlets website, and post-inquiry representations are listed in the decision letter.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to secure and protect communications cables in the Atlantic Ocean which either (1) go directly from the UK, or (2) go from the UK through the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government works closely with international partners and industry to ensure the security and resilience of trans-Atlantic subsea telecoms cables. At the UK-Ireland Summit in March 2025, both countries committed to collaborating on maritime security with an emphasis on safeguarding critical undersea infrastructure. For example, the Government is already working with Irish counterparts to improve our emergency response procedures. The Government also recently unveiled Atlantic Bastion, the Royal Navy's plan to secure the North Atlantic for the UK and NATO. It will exploit advances in autonomy and artificial intelligence to deter the growing underwater threat in light of a modernising Russian submarine force.