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Written Question
UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland
Thursday 14th September 2023

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what arrangements his Department is planning for the handling of groupage for the operation of the proposed red and green lanes covering goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Windsor Framework delivers significant benefits for operators who move groupage consignments and mixed loads, including the removal of burdensome paperwork and a reduction in checks.

The green and red lanes under customs arrangements are entirely virtual lanes with separate underlying electronic processes. Green and red lane goods can therefore be moved in the same vehicle without requiring physical segregation, meaning hauliers will not have to alter their logistical arrangements

Mixed loads containing agri-food goods moving through the red and green lane will also be permitted. Whilst the lorry as a whole would not benefit from the full facilitations of the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme, the subsection of goods moving under the scheme will still benefit from the advantages it offers, including removing the need for veterinary signed certificates for individual products. Guidance for traders on how these movements will operate is available on Gov.uk.

It will be a commercial decision for traders and hauliers as to how they move goods. This will be no different in principle to how hauliers make decisions on whether to operate groupage loads at present.


Written Question
Birth Certificates
Wednesday 25th January 2023

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the circumstances in which people are required by law to produce or show their birth certificate.

Answered by Jeremy Quin

The requested information is not centrally held by the Cabinet Office.


Written Question
EU Law
Wednesday 8th June 2022

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the monitoring of regulatory divergence from the EU, how many full-time equivalent staff undertake that work; how external stakeholders input into that work; which Department coordinates and/or shares that work across Government; and if he will publish assessments made of the impact of any regulatory divergence.

Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg

This government is making the most of our new found freedom to reform, repeal and replace outdated retained EU law that does not serve the interests of the UK. We are creating a regulatory environment which will promote growth, innovation and prosperity, cutting at least £1 billion of red tape for businesses, while maintaining the high standards the British people rightly expect.

Cabinet Office is leading and coordinating the programme of work being undertaken by Secretaries of State across government, to identify and deliver the regulatory and economic opportunities that Brexit has provided. No staff within the Brexit Opportunities Unit in the Cabinet Office monitor how the EU chooses to diverge from the UK.

The Government monitors significant EU policy developments that are likely to affect UK interests, to ensure compliance with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and support business readiness as necessary. My officials and I undertake regular engagement with the Devolved Administrations on the opportunities arising from leaving the EU, using Common Frameworks and other existing intergovernmental structures.




Written Question
EU Law
Wednesday 8th June 2022

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department (a) reviews EU developments and new regulations, (b) assesses the potential effect of UK divergence from those regulations on (i) UK industry, (ii) trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, (iii) devolved administrations, (iv) level playing field provisions in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and EU adequacy and equivalence decisions and (v) levels of protection for the environment, labour and human health and (c) makes assessments as to which regulations the UK should align with and where there may be potential opportunities from divergence.

Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg

This government is making the most of our new found freedom to reform, repeal and replace outdated retained EU law that does not serve the interests of the UK. We are creating a regulatory environment which will promote growth, innovation and prosperity, cutting at least £1 billion of red tape for businesses, while maintaining the high standards the British people rightly expect.

Cabinet Office is leading and coordinating the programme of work being undertaken by Secretaries of State across government, to identify and deliver the regulatory and economic opportunities that Brexit has provided. No staff within the Brexit Opportunities Unit in the Cabinet Office monitor how the EU chooses to diverge from the UK.

The Government monitors significant EU policy developments that are likely to affect UK interests, to ensure compliance with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and support business readiness as necessary. My officials and I undertake regular engagement with the Devolved Administrations on the opportunities arising from leaving the EU, using Common Frameworks and other existing intergovernmental structures.




Written Question
EU Law
Wednesday 8th June 2022

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how the Government manages UK regulatory divergence from the EU.

Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg

This government is making the most of our new found freedom to reform, repeal and replace outdated retained EU law that does not serve the interests of the UK. We are creating a regulatory environment which will promote growth, innovation and prosperity, cutting at least £1 billion of red tape for businesses, while maintaining the high standards the British people rightly expect.

Cabinet Office is leading and coordinating the programme of work being undertaken by Secretaries of State across government, to identify and deliver the regulatory and economic opportunities that Brexit has provided. No staff within the Brexit Opportunities Unit in the Cabinet Office monitor how the EU chooses to diverge from the UK.

The Government monitors significant EU policy developments that are likely to affect UK interests, to ensure compliance with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and support business readiness as necessary. My officials and I undertake regular engagement with the Devolved Administrations on the opportunities arising from leaving the EU, using Common Frameworks and other existing intergovernmental structures.




Written Question
EU Law
Thursday 31st March 2022

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many members of the public have contacted his Department to request the abolition of any EU regulations to date.

Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg

As I stated on 24 February at Oral Answers to Questions (Hansard Volume 709, Column 440), I have received over 1,800 recommendations from members of the public in response to my requests to readers of The Sun and The Sunday Express.


Written Question
10 Downing Street: Facilities
Tuesday 20th April 2021

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the names of the companies contracted to work on the new press briefing room at 10 Downing Street.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has established facilities within 9 Downing Street, rather than 10 Downing Street, which are being used for daily broadcasting by a number of news organisations, therefore I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 169917 on 22 March 2021.


Written Question
UK-EU Partnership Council and UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement
Thursday 11th March 2021

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Minister will answer in the House on matters relating to the operation of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the EU-UK Partnership Council.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

Further to the answer given to PQ138410 on 20 January, there have been no meetings of the Trade Partnership Council to date. It has however agreed by committee procedure, the extension of the provisional application of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.


From 1 March Lord Frost, as Cabinet Office minister, is the UK co-chair of the Partnership Council as of 1 March 2021, and is accountable for its overall operation. Departments will lead on the Trade and Cooperation Specialised Committees in their areas.


Written Question
Members: Correspondence
Wednesday 10th March 2021

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Prime Minister, when he plans to reply to the letter from the Rt. hon. Member for Leeds Central of 15 January 2021 on his appearance before the Liaison Committee.

Answered by Boris Johnson

I sent a letter to the Chair of the Liaison Committee relating to my appearance before the Committee on 13 January 2021, including follow-up letters from members, on 1 February 2021. A copy is available on the Committee’s website.


Written Question
UK-EU Partnership Council
Thursday 4th February 2021

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, who will represent the UK as Co-Chair on the UK-EU Partnership Council.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ138410 on 20 January 2021.