Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have allocated to the Northern Ireland Troubles-related incident victims payments scheme.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The UK Government made legislation establishing a victims’ payments scheme in January. It did so both to fulfil its legal obligation and because it is committed to doing what it can to progress a scheme that has been delayed by political disagreements for too long.
The Regulations provide for the Executive Office to be able to provide funding to the Department responsible for supporting the Victims’ Payments Board. The devolved funding settlement means that the Executive is funded through the Block Grant together with its own revenue raising capabilities to fund its statutory responsibilities, including this scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the UK’s approach to implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol contained UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Minister of State both engage regularly with representatives from across the Northern Ireland Executive, as do ministers from across Government.
This includes via meetings of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint and Specialised Committees, as committed to in the New Decade, New Approach deal, as well as meetings of the Business Engagement Forum which was committed to in the Command Paper of 20 May.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the infrastructure that will be required at ports in Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol contained in the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
There will be no new customs infrastructure in Northern Ireland. These rules will be administered by the UK authorities, who can exercise their discretion on when goods need to be checked.
We have always been clear that some process will be required on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Our proposals reduce this to the absolute minimum so that the integrity and smooth functioning of the UK internal market is protected. This includes, in order to respect the pre-existing status of the island of Ireland as a single epidemiological unit, some checks to help movements of live animals and agrifood from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.
Processes such as these already happen at existing facilities at ports like Belfast and Larne. And we are continuing to work with NI businesses and the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure new administrative procedures at all points of entry are streamlined and do not affect the flow of trade.
The Protocol obliges both the UK and EU to seek to streamline trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and to avoid controls at Northern Ireland ports as far as possible. In line with that obligation, discussions with the EU are ongoing about the process by which controls are conducted, and their frequency, in line with the approach we set out in our May Command Paper.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, and with whom, about the lack of recommendations in the report by Public Health England’s Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19, published in June, on how to tackle racial and health inequalities that have been amplified by COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The Government commissioned Public Health England to conduct an epidemiological review to analyse how different factors can impact on people’s health outcomes from COVID-19. This was published on 2 June 2020. This review is an important piece of work which sets out firm conclusions, and the Minister for Equalities is working with the Race Disparity Unit, Department for Health and Social Care and other departments to take forward work to build on PHE’s review, and work across government to take appropriate steps to mitigate disparities identified.
In parallel, Professor Kevin Fenton separately engaged with a significant number of individuals and organisations within the BAME community to hear their views, concerns and ideas about the impact of COVID-19 on their communities. This separate report, ‘COVID-19:understanding the impact on BAME communities’, was published on GOV.UK on 16 June 2020.
The recommendations from the second report will also be taken forward through the terms of reference for Government’s next steps to address the disparities identified in the PHE report, announced on 4 June.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to tackle disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on BAME communities.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
On 4 June Minister for Equalities, Kemi Badenoch MP, announced the Government’s next steps to address the disparities identified in the Public Health England (PHE) Report. The Minister will be working with the Race Disparity Unit (RDU) and the Department for Health and Social Care with support from officials across other departments and their agencies to carry forward this vital work. This includes reviewing the effectiveness and impact of current actions being undertaken by relevant government departments and their agencies to directly lessen disparities in infection and death rates of COVID-19.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) financial, and (2) other, support they intend to provide to businesses to assist with (a) customs, (b) animal, and (c) public health, requirements relating to the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
We are considering the best way to implement the Protocol and will be discussing this with the EU in the Joint Committee and Specialised Committee created under the Withdrawal Agreement.
We want to work with Northern Ireland businesses and the Executive to ensure any procedures are streamlined and do not affect the flow of trade.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the benefits of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland are protected, and in particular the movement of goods in the island of Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The Protocol ensures that there will be no hard border with Ireland and that Northern Ireland will continue to have full access to the EU Single Market for goods.
On 30 April, the first meeting of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Specialised Committee was held via video conference, co-chaired by officials from the UK Government and European Commission.
A representative from the Northern Ireland Executive attended as part of the UK delegation in line with the commitment made in the New Decade, New Approach deal. The UK was clear that our approach at all times will be focused on protecting the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and gains of the peace process, and on preserving Northern Ireland’s place in the UK consistent with the principle of consent.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the operation of ports during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The Government has been working closely with the NI Executive to maintain vital supply chains between GB and NI during the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have agreed a generous package (worth up to £17m) to support the five key ferry routes which will secure the supply of food, medicines and other essentials for the next two months and help keep Northern Ireland moving. These routes will continue to operate from Larne, Belfast and Warrenpoint ports. The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed it will meet 40% of the costs.
The Government will continue to work with the Executive to make sure supply lines between NI and GB remain open.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the Chancellor of Exchequer’s COVID-19 support package to businesses in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and cabinet colleagues hold regular discussions with Executive Ministers regarding how the UK Government can best support people, businesses and the economy in Northern Ireland through these challenging circumstances.
The UK Government is supporting businesses in Northern Ireland through a combination of UK-wide support measures and an additional £1.2 billion in Barnett consequentials for the Northern Ireland Executive. This additional funding is enabling the Executive to deliver support to businesses in Northern Ireland.
Businesses in Northern Ireland can access the following UK Government schemes:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/covid-19-guidance-information-for-ni-businesses-employers
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why they did not accept the EU’s initial request for an office in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
Article 12 of the Northern Ireland Protocol does not necessitate or place any requirement on the UK to facilitate an EU Delegation office in Belfast, or indeed any other permanent EU presence in Northern Ireland.