Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) Romanians and (b) Roma are resident in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) North Antrim constituency.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across various departments and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that EU citizens do not move from the Republic of Ireland to become resident in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Journeys from Ireland to the UK are within the Common Travel Area (CTA). As part of the CTA arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls of individuals arriving in the UK by air or sea from within the CTA, and no immigration checks are undertaken at the land border with Ireland.
The UK does however operate intelligence-led operational activity on CTA routes – away from the land border. This is to detect those who intend to abuse CTA arrangements. Operational activity must be targeted and supported by specific intelligence of CTA abuse.
There is a high level of cooperation on migration and border security between all members of the CTA (UK, Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies) to identify and tackle migration trends as they emerge.
Everyone entering the UK, regardless of where they enter from, is required to meet UK’s immigration requirements. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be detained and, if they are not lawfully present within the UK, removed.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure access to omaveloxolone for adults with Friedreich’s ataxia.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon Member for East Antrim on 21 May 2025, to Question 52613.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 53437 on Republic of Ireland: Omagh Bombing Inquiry, on what date the Memorandum of Understanding was cleared by his Department.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the Answer of 23 May 2025 to Question 53437.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effect of the SPS agreement with the EU of 19 May 2025 on the requirement for (a) customs declarations and (b) inspections for the trade of sanitary and phytosanitary goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The new Windsor Framework customs arrangements introduced on 1 May will remain in place, in addition to the arrangements agreed in the SPS deal. The arrangements introduced on May 1 ensure that goods sent to or from consumers will not be subject to customs declarations or duty. The Government has also introduced a range of schemes to support businesses by removing unnecessary checks and paperwork; over 10,000 businesses are already signed up to the UK Internal Market Scheme.
The new UK-EU Common Understanding agrees to remove a broad and wide-ranging set of requirements for sanitary and phytosanitary goods and plants moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
When implemented, there will be no need for SPS paperwork such as health certificates to move agrifood or plant products to Northern Ireland, no mandatory identity or physical checks on those goods, no need for Plant Health Labels when moving plants for planting, seed potatoes, and used agricultural machinery, and no bans on ‘high risk’ plants.
The continued application of the Windsor Framework would provide for Northern Ireland maintaining its privileged unique dual access to both the European Union Single Market and the United Kingdom internal market.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU deal on the (a) applicability and (b) operation of the Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The Government has agreed in its new Common Understanding with the EU a new SPS agreement which makes it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by reducing the red tape that placed burdens on businesses and led to lengthy lorry queues at the border. This agreement will have no time limit, giving vital certainty to businesses.
The SPS Agreement will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses and improving consumer choice by applying a consistent regulatory framework for official controls across the United Kingdom.
There will be no need for SPS paperwork such as health certificates to move agrifood or plant products to Northern Ireland, no mandatory identity and physical checks on those goods, no need for Plant Health Labels when moving plants for planting, seed potatoes, and used agricultural machinery, and no bans on ‘high risk’ plants.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what function will the border posts being built at Northern Ireland’s ports now perform in light of the UK-EU deal.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
This will depend on the final shape of a deal, however, the Government is clear that its priority is to reduce barriers to trade and red tape at the border.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Memorandum of Understanding between Omagh Bombing Inquiry and the Government of Ireland relating to the Disclosure of Materials, published on 15 April 2025, was cleared by his Department.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Irish Government and the Omagh Bombing Inquiry is a very positive step. The arrangements underpinning this cooperation are ultimately a matter for the Government of Ireland and the Inquiry, which rightly is independent of Government.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which Irish language groups he has met; when those meetings took place; which Irish language centres he has visited; and when he visited them.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Since my appointment, I have met with a number of Irish language groups in Northern Ireland, including Foras na Gaeilge.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which Ulster-Scots groups he has met; when those meetings took place; which Ulster-Scots groups he has visited; and when he visited them.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Since my appointment, I have met with a range of language groups in Northern Ireland, including the Ulster-Scots Agency.