Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether there has been a Government response to the 'Common charger for electrical devices: call for evidence', launched on 9 October 2024; and what his policy is on chargers for electrical devices.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Call for Evidence sought views on whether standardised charger requirements, similar to those adopted by the EU under Directive (EU) 2022/2380 and applying in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, would benefit businesses, consumers, and the environment. Many manufacturers already use common chargers to meet the EU rules and have indicated they will extend this approach across the UK to avoid supply chain complexity.
The Government will publish its response in the new year, setting out policy direction. Meanwhile, businesses may continue using either UKCA or CE marking to sell common charger radio equipment in Great Britain.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with respect to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal published on 18 September 2025, what assessment has the Government made of the role that Northern Ireland companies and universities can play in delivering the eight component parts of its Accelerating AI Innovation Strategy, and what steps has it taken to secure full Ireland engagement in this aspect of the Technology Prosperity Deal.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Technology Prosperity Deal supports businesses, universities and research organisations across the whole of the UK, including in Northern Ireland, to unlock growth for our most strategically important tech companies and harness R&D to tackle some of the most pressing problems we face. The Deal was informed by experts from across the United Kingdom.
Northern Ireland’s universities and companies are recognised as key partners in delivering the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan. Recent government investment of £2 billion from the AI Opportunities Action Plan aims to target and benefit all regions of the UK and highlights Northern Ireland’s growing strengths in artificial intelligence and next-generation networks. We are also working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive on the delivery of our flagship TechFirst programme.
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to several NI tech firms and universities in Belfast, to make sure the business ecosystem is meeting the needs of NI AI and tech companies to international markets, including the United States. We continue to engage with the Northern Ireland Executive on matters relating to growth to ensure we are working collaboratively to achieve the best results for the people of Northern Ireland.
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, what assessment has she made of the potential implications of the simplifications made by the EU to the EU Deforestation Regulation in terms of (a) its impact on the UK economy in Northern Ireland, (b) the timetable for the Northern Ireland Assembly to consider the legislation and (c) the timetable for the application of the legislation to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are currently reviewing the latest EU proposals. We will take them into account as part of our ongoing considerations.
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 can machinery be taken to secure full Phytosanitary checks and the requisite paperwork so it can then be sold into the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Where used agricultural and forestry machinery moves from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and is to be sold into the Republic of Ireland or other EU countries in the future, full Official Controls Regulations apply, and a phytosanitary certificate is required for the movement. It is not possible to retrospectively conduct phytosanitary checks in Northern Ireland.
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, what steps she is taking to ensure that pet owners in Northern Ireland do not have (a) increased costs and (b) reduced access to medicines after 31 December 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government appreciates that affordability and accessibility to obtain veterinary medicines for pet owners is of great importance. The Government also understand that online retailers may offer more affordable options. Through our extensive engagement across the supply chain, Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has heard positive news from several pharmaceutical companies on their commitments not to raise prices.
Also, through extensive engagement, VMD is aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up as online retailers in Northern Ireland. This is expected to ensure medicines remain available through these online channels. VMD is also working to ensure that the Veterinary Medicine Internal Market Scheme operates in a way that reflects how consumers obtain medicines at present.
In addition, the Government remains confident in its assessment that the vast majority of veterinary medicines will continue to be supplied and that the schemes can address supply gaps if they emerge.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether businesses moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be required to meet additional requirements as a result of the introduction of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on 1 January 2026.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) does not apply in Northern Ireland.
Business in Northern Ireland, like all businesses in the UK, may need to provide information to their EU-based importers to help them meet their requirements under the EU CBAM.
To support business readiness for the EU CBAM, the Department for Business and Trade offers a comprehensive support package, including the Export Support Service, webinars, and an upcoming digital explainer on business.gov.uk, signposting to relevant European Commission resources.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of goods movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024 were made under the UK Internal Market Scheme.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC published trade statistics for goods moving into Northern Ireland from Great Britain for the period from January 2024 to 31 December 2024 on gov.uk. They can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/summary-of-movements-of-goods-into-northern-ireland-from-great-britain-2024/summary-of-movements-of-goods-into-northern-ireland-from-great-britain-2024-commentary. This information does not include a breakdown of movements made under the UK Internal Market Scheme as these movements can include mixed consignments, with goods either being 'not at risk' or 'at risk' of entering the EU. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a direct split.
The government remains committed to the smooth flow of goods within the UK internal market, including the guarantee that 80% of freight movements will move within the UK internal market system. The Independent Monitoring Panel reported that for the period 1 January-30 June 2025, this guarantee was met and published the basis for its assessment accordingly.
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, what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of market concentration in the veterinary medicines supply chain in Northern Ireland, including the establishment of online or centralised distributors, following the end of the grace period.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has engaged intensively with all stakeholders involved in the vet med supply chain to understand impacts on availability in Northern Ireland. Continued access to veterinary medicines for Northern Ireland is a Government priority. The Department continues to engage extensively with stakeholders across the supply chain to support them with veterinary medicines supply beyond 2025.
From 1 January, the Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme (VMIMS) and the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme will help to plug any supply gaps. Our current assessment shows a low number of discontinuations. Through our supply chain assessment, the Department is aware of multiple companies who are either already established in Northern Ireland or are planning to set up as online retailers. This is expected to ensure medicines remain available through these online channels. The Department is also working to ensure that the VMIMS operates in a way that reflects how consumers obtain medicines at present.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the UK Internal Market System, how many unclosed supplementary declarations were there on 1 October 2025.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
There are several facilitations available to businesses moving goods within the UK Internal Market System. Businesses can choose to make use of Simplified Customs Declaration Processes (SCDP), such as the Entry in Declarants Records (EIDR) process when moving goods into Northern Ireland. This allows businesses to have up until the 10th calendar day of the month following the goods entering Northern Ireland to submit a supplementary declaration. HMRC cannot provide the number of unclosed supplementary declarations as HMRC does not have direct access to all traders’ records that make use of EIDR. HMRC continues to support businesses to comply with their legal obligations.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the impact of Physical Infrastructure Access costs on the deployment of fibre optic broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.
My officials are regularly engaging with Ofcom to ensure that we have the right regulatory environment in place to promote competition and investment in the fibre roll-out across the UK, including in rural areas.
In July, we published our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.