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Written Question
Waste Disposal: Northern Ireland
Thursday 4th May 2023

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has sought legal advice on (a) the extent to which Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No.1013/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 on Shipments of Waste will be binding on movements of waste from Great Britain for processing by companies based in Northern Ireland under the Protocol as amended by the Windsor Framework, (b) the date on which those requirements would come into effect, (c) the extent to which obligations will fall on those sending waste from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Regulation and (d) the extent to which obligations will fall on waste processing companies in Northern Ireland receiving the waste from Great Britain under the Regulation.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra officials are working with colleagues across Government on the implementation of the Windsor Framework, including with regard to movements of waste. We will update businesses on the implications as soon as possible.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the scope of costs recoverable under the Movement Assistance Scheme have been constrained by state aid provisions applicable to Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Movement Assistance Scheme only supports trade in agri-food goods within the UK internal market; this is the main factor determining whether costs can be included in scope of the scheme. The scheme therefore avoids constraints arising from the state aid provisions in the Northern Ireland Protocol.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse has been of developing the Digital Assistance Scheme to support the movement of agri-food goods and live animals from Great Britain to Northern Ireland as of 21 November 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A total of £27.66m, as detailed in the table below, has been spent to date on development of the Digital Assistance Scheme.

Type of Spend

FY 2020-21
£m

FY 2021-22
£m

FY 2022-23*
£m

Total

DAS Programme and Staff Costs

0.25

5.94

7.36

13.55

DAS Capital Costs

3.20

7.79

3.12

14.11

Total

3.45

13.73

10.48

27.66

*Spend to October 2022. A number of actuals remain outstanding.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether certification under the proposed Digital Assistance Scheme will include (a) customs and (b) sanitary and phytosanitary declarations.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are currently in the process of phased testing for the first stage of the delivery of the Digital Assistance Scheme (DAS). It will include sanitary and phytosanitary declarations. We expect the first phase of DAS involving Export Health Certificates for Products of Animal Origin to be delivered next year. Additional development phases of DAS are planned to include the movement of live animals, phytosanitary certifications and interfaces with customs systems in order to achieve a simplified process for generating documentation. The DAS is a Government-funded programme that aims to simplify the process for movement of goods to Northern Ireland or onward to the Republic of Ireland that require certification.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on developing the Digital Assistance Scheme to support the movement of agri-food goods and live animals from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in line with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are currently in the process of phased testing for the first stage of the delivery of the Digital Assistance Scheme (DAS). It will include sanitary and phytosanitary declarations. We expect the first phase of DAS involving Export Health Certificates for Products of Animal Origin to be delivered next year. Additional development phases of DAS are planned to include the movement of live animals, phytosanitary certifications and interfaces with customs systems in order to achieve a simplified process for generating documentation. The DAS is a Government-funded programme that aims to simplify the process for movement of goods to Northern Ireland or onward to the Republic of Ireland that require certification.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse was of developing points of entry for agri-food goods in Northern Ireland (a) between 1 January 2020 and 1 January 2021 and (b) between 1 January 2021 and 21 November 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

DAERA reported in August 2022 that a total of £15.3 million capital, £16.4 million resource and £1.7 million depreciation has been expended on the provision of the infrastructure, IT systems and personnel for the work necessary to carry out the required SPS checks at Northern Ireland's Points of Entry as a result of the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.


Written Question
Veterinary Services: Recruitment and Training
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse has been of recruiting and training veterinarians to fulfil the requirements of the Northern Ireland Protocol since 1 January 2020.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

DAERA reported in August 2022 that a total of £15.3 million capital, £16.4 million resource and £1.7 million depreciation has been expended on the provision of the infrastructure, IT systems and personnel for the work necessary to carry out the required SPS checks at Northern Ireland's Points of Entry as a result of the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
Monday 28th November 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse has been of establishing and administering the Scheme for Temporary Agri-Food Movements to Northern Ireland (STAMNI) as of 21 November 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.


Written Question
Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
Thursday 24th November 2022

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the public purse has been of the establishment and operation of the Movement Assistance Scheme (a) between 1 January 2021 and 21 November 2022, (b) prior to 1 January 2021 and (c) in each six-month period between 1 January 2021 and 21 November 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Movement Assistance Scheme has cost £18.08m up to 30 September 2022. This comprises of £3.53m in the 2020/2021 Financial Year, £9.78m in 2021/2022 Financial Year and £4.77m in the 2022/2023 Financial Year. These are the most up to date figures currently available.


Written Question
Animal Products and Food: Northern Ireland
Tuesday 2nd June 2020

Asked by: Jeffrey M Donaldson (Democratic Unionist Party - Lagan Valley)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the arrangements for checks on the shipment of food or animal products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Protocol of the EU Withdrawal Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

As part of usual Government business, the Environment Secretary has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues and members of the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) on the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, including the elements relating to the movements of agri-food and animal products.

On 20th May, we published the Command Paper, The UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol (CP226).

We have always been clear that checks on live animals and agri-food will be needed for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, building on what already happens at ports like Larne and Belfast. The Government is taking this forward with the NIE. We want to ensure new administrative procedures are streamlined and do not affect the flow of trade. The engagement forum announced in the Command Paper will enable business to put forward proposals in this regard.

There will be no new regulatory checks or export declarations as goods leave Northern Ireland for Great Britain. The UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol reaffirms the Government’s commitment, first set out in New Decade, New Approach, to legislate to guarantee unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the whole of the UK internal market and will ensure that this legislation is in force for 1 January 2021.