Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 65431, what proportion of overall costs the contracts for the construction of the border control posts allocate to payment on completion of the project.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As stated in the answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 65431, the Government has committed to a maximum funding allocation of £192.3 million for all the facilities at the 4 ports. Of this allocation, Defra has spent £111.3 million up to the 30 June 2025. Contractors invoice on a monthly basis for works completed within the period. Forecasts indicate that spend will be within budget.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37521 on Import Controls: Northern Ireland, whether EU officials have assessed the completed border control posts.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
EU officials have assessed the SPS facilities at Foyle and Warrenpoint, we await their formal report.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37521 on Import controls, on what date the border control posts will become operational.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, SPS inspection facilities are already operational in Northern Ireland at the ports of Foyle (18 April 25) and Warrenpoint (20 June 25). Construction and preparation of the new facilities are well underway at Belfast and Larne, and they are scheduled to be operationally ready at the end of July 2025.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37521 on Import Controls, when was construction of the border control posts completed; and what was the total construction costs of those posts.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, SPS inspection facilities are already operational in Northern Ireland at the ports of Foyle (18 April 25) and Warrenpoint (20 June 25). Construction and preparation of the new facilities are well underway at Belfast and Larne, and they are scheduled to be operationally ready at the end of July 2025.
The Government has committed to a maximum funding envelope of £192.3 million for all the facilities at each of the 4 ports. Of this envelope, Defra has spent £111.3 million up to the 30 June 2025.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on introducing Not for EU labelling in Great Britain.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will introduce legislation shortly to provide a contingent power to introduce a ‘Not for EU’ labelling requirement across Great Britain, should it be needed to protect the UK Internal Market and consumer choice in Northern Ireland. This legislation will give the Government the power to introduce a labelling requirement in Great Britain in a targeted way, product by product and we will take action if necessary. Officials are working closely with businesses across the United Kingdom to support them with readiness for 1 July, when the next phase of labelling will be introduced.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people in his Department are working on the implementation of the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are approximately 20 Full Time Equivalents working closely with DAERA officials to implement obligations under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 11 March 2024 to Question HL2323 on Import Controls: Northern Ireland, how much and what proportion of the funding allocated to the construction of those posts has been disbursed as of 11 March 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, SPS inspection facilities are under construction in Northern Ireland at the ports of Belfast, Larne, Foyle and Warrenpoint. Preparations are well underway, and they will be operationally ready by July 2025.
The Government has committed to a maximum funding envelope of £192.3 million. Of this envelope, Defra has spent £70.7 million up to the 28 February 2025, the latest data currently available.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 11 March 2024 to Question HL2323 on Import Controls: Northern Ireland, what recent progress he has made on the construction of those border control posts; and what recent estimate he has made of when the construction of those posts will be completed.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, SPS inspection facilities are under construction in Northern Ireland at the ports of Belfast, Larne, Foyle and Warrenpoint. Preparations are well underway, and they will be operationally ready by July 2025.
The Government has committed to a maximum funding envelope of £192.3 million. Of this envelope, Defra has spent £70.7 million up to the 28 February 2025, the latest data currently available.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where in Northern Ireland border control posts have (a) been and (b) are being constructed for the purpose of complying with the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, SPS inspection facilities are under construction in Northern Ireland at the ports of Belfast, Larne, Foyle and Warrenpoint. Preparations are well underway, and they will be operationally ready by July 2025.
The Government has committed to a maximum funding envelope of £192.3 million. Of this envelope, Defra has spent £70.7 million up to the 28 February 2025, the latest data currently available.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much (a) his Department has and (b) his Department's arms length bodies have spent on hospitality in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within Defra have a responsibility to carefully manage official hospitality costs and demonstrate good value for money.
Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK.