Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 19620 on Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland, what the value of the Barnett consequential for 2025-26 to (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland is for the purpose of providing funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy; and when that payment will be made.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy.
The devolved governments will receive funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way in 2025-26, including on this support. This is the normal operation of the funding arrangements as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. The outcome of the Barnett formula will be confirmed, and funding provided for all devolved governments at Main Estimates 2025-26.
The devolved governments’ Phase 1 Spending Review 2025 settlements are growing in real terms in 2025-26 and are the largest spending review settlements in real terms of any settlements since devolution. The devolved governments are each receiving at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK. That translates into over £16 billion more in 2025-26.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 10214 on Crafts: Northern Ireland, whether the Government has made a decision on the vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly on the applicability motion in relation to EU Regulation 2023/2411 on 19 March 2024.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As set out in my response to your question of October 2024, the Government continues to evaluate the implications of Regulation 2023/2411, reflecting the applicability motion vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the conditions set out in Schedule 6B of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will initiate a judicial review against the findings of the Clonoe inquest.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence has carefully considered the findings of the Clonoe inquest. I can confirm that we have written to the Coroner outlining our intent to initiate judicial review proceedings.
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 Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 22 February 2023 to Question 146816 on Northern Ireland Protocol and Trader Support Service: Costs, what the cost to the public purse was of (a) Trader Support Services operations, (b) Movement Assistance Scheme operations and (c) the Digital Assistance Scheme between August 2020 and February 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government is committed to supporting industry in moving goods smoothly between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including through the use of schemes such as the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS) and the Trader Support Service (TSS). The costs of the MAS, TSS, and Digital Assistance Scheme (DAS) are set out below:
| FY 2020/21 | FY2021/22 | FY2022/23 | FY2023/24 | FY2024/25 |
MAS | £3.53 million | £9.78 million | £8.75 million | £9.64 million | £8.30 million (up to 30/01/2025) |
TSS | £100.62 million | £148.80 million | £114.68 million | £105.19 million | £73.18 million (up to 30/01/2025) |
DAS | £3.45 million | £13.73 million | £16.6 million | £18.4 million | £15.2 million (up to 28/02/2025) |
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to paragraph 159 of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, CP 1021, how often the Independent Monitoring Panel will report on the delivery of the Windsor Framework against the four tests.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel consists of independent experts who have been appointed in accordance with the Safeguarding the Union command paper.
The Panel will report to the UK Government bi-yearly and on the basis set out in the command paper. As part of this, I refer the Hon Gentleman to my Written Ministerial Statement (UIN HCWS463) of 24 February 2025.
Panellists are not employees of the UK Government and do not receive remuneration for this role. A Secretariat is provided by the UK Government to the Panel in accordance with paragraph 160 of the command paper.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to paragraph 158 of his Department's publication entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, if he will make an assessment of how the membership of the Independent Monitoring Panel reflects the (a) political and (b) economic criteria set out in that paragraph.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel consists of independent experts who have been appointed in accordance with the Safeguarding the Union command paper.
The Panel will report to the UK Government bi-yearly and on the basis set out in the command paper. As part of this, I refer the Hon Gentleman to my Written Ministerial Statement (UIN HCWS463) of 24 February 2025.
Panellists are not employees of the UK Government and do not receive remuneration for this role. A Secretariat is provided by the UK Government to the Panel in accordance with paragraph 160 of the command paper.