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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason businesses in Northern Ireland are being charged (a) £127.60 per GB inspection of GB potatoes they wish to buy and move to Northern Ireland and (b) different rates for each SPS certificate depending on the GB farm from which the potatoes are bought.

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

This is a devolved matter and the costs provided relate to England and Wales only.

Phytosanitary certificates are required for the movement of ware potatoes from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to confirm freedom from pests and diseases. Each consignment must be inspected before certification. The inspection carries a minimum charge of £127.60 for the first 30 minutes, with an additional fee of £63.80 for every subsequent 15 minutes. A certificate is issued for each consignment at a cost of £25.52. Where multiple consignments are presented for inspection at the same time, this allows for more efficient use of inspector time and can reduce the cost per consignment.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Movement Assistance Scheme operating until 30 June 2025 had a statutory foundation beyond that set out by the Plant Health etc. (Miscellaneous Fees) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/623).

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

At its inception, Defra relied on the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act 2020 as legal authority for spending on the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS). Under the Act, Defra is permitted to spend public money on matters such as “deliver[ing] social, environmental and economic programmes”; “Promotion and support for sustainable development, consumption and production”; and “Support[ing] a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply”. On 1 September 2022, legal authority for spending on MAS moved to s.50 of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. The Plant Health etc. (Miscellaneous Fees) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1391) extended the exemption from payment of fees in connection with applications for phytosanitary certificates only.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure that the decision not to extend the Movement Assistance Scheme a third time was compliant with his obligations under Section 46 of the Internal Market Act 2020.

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

The Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS) was always intended to be time limited. It was originally set up for a period of three months, and on review it was renewed for a further three months before being extended until December 2023. The decision to extend MAS until June 2025, to align with implementation of the Windsor Framework, was made public on 10th October 2023. There was never a suggestion it would extend beyond this date. MAS was created and extended to provide transitional support to businesses following the end of the transition period and during implementation of the Windsor Framework.

Defra remains committed to the ongoing support for Great Britain-Northern Ireland trade delivered through the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme and the Northern Ireland Plant Health Labelling Scheme, plus the ongoing work to reach an SPS agreement with the EU.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his decision not to extend the Movement Assistance Scheme beyond 30 June 2025 on Northern Ireland buyers of impacted Great Britain products moving those products into Northern Ireland.

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

Defra, like other Government departments, must prioritise its spending as part of the work to tackle the financial situation this Government inherited. The Department considered evidence on scheme closure from supermarkets and other retailers, producers and trade bodies. There was no evidence that the cessation of MAS would have anything beyond a marginal impact on Northern Ireland consumers. For context, MAS reimbursed £7 million of certification and testing costs but the total value of GB-NI agri-food movements last year was £3 billion.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which parties were offered an advance briefing on the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Rt Hon Lord Murphy engaged widely across the political spectrum during the Independent Review.

The Northern Ireland Office speaks to parties regularly and does not give a running commentary on those discussions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether moving live coral from Great Britain to Northern Ireland requires (a) an export number, (b) an Export Health Certificate, (c) a Common Health Entry Document and (d) using TRACES.

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

Live coral is not eligible for movement under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (the “Green Lane”), as the scheme applies only to retail goods intended for final consumption in Northern Ireland. Movements of live animals and live aquatic invertebrates, such as coral, must therefore follow the standard procedures via Official Controls Regulations, including the standard SPS Requirements. Where a species of coral is protected under CITES, it will require a CITES permit for movement from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, which are issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department provides on whether live coral should be moved between Great Britain and Northern Ireland through the Green or Red Lane.

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

Live coral is not eligible for movement under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (the “Green Lane”), as the scheme applies only to retail goods intended for final consumption in Northern Ireland. Movements of live animals and live aquatic invertebrates, such as coral, must therefore follow the standard procedures via Official Controls Regulations, including the standard SPS Requirements. Where a species of coral is protected under CITES, it will require a CITES permit for movement from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, which are issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a CITES permit is required to move live coral from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

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

Live coral is not eligible for movement under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (the “Green Lane”), as the scheme applies only to retail goods intended for final consumption in Northern Ireland. Movements of live animals and live aquatic invertebrates, such as coral, must therefore follow the standard procedures via Official Controls Regulations, including the standard SPS Requirements. Where a species of coral is protected under CITES, it will require a CITES permit for movement from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, which are issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

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Found: For example, some MPs including Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice MP for North Antrim) and Rachael