Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what, if any, discussions they are holding with the EU regarding amending the terms of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Windsor Framework fundamentally amends the old Northern Ireland Protocol and is the best possible deal for Northern Ireland. The UK Government is now working with businesses and stakeholders, focussed on the successful implementation of the Framework.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for security in Europe of the use by the Russian Federation of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The nuclear rhetoric and signalling we continue to see from Russia and President Putin is designed to distract and deter us from supporting Ukraine. Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine continues to be a very serious situation but it is not, and should not become, a nuclear crisis. No other country is talking about nuclear use.
As the G7 has repeatedly made clear, any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in this conflict would be met with severe consequences. We continue to call on Russia to de-escalate, starting by ceasing its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what legislative proposals they intend to introduce to ensure that businesses in Northern Ireland have free access to the market in Great Britain.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is unequivocal in its commitment for unfettered access for Northern Ireland goods to the whole UK market. That means a permanent guarantee of being able to place goods on the UK market in all scenarios - meaning no new forms, checks, controls, tariffs, or any barriers to the market whatsoever, whatever the future form of regulations in Northern Ireland. Those are protections that are enshrined in law in the UK Internal Market Act 2020 and which we will build on further following the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of barriers to trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain that would remain following implementation of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is unequivocal in its commitment for unfettered access for Northern Ireland goods to the whole UK market. That means a permanent guarantee of being able to place goods on the UK market in all scenarios - meaning no forms, checks, controls, tariffs, or any barriers to the market whatsoever, whatever the future form of regulations in Northern Ireland. Those are protections that are enshrined in law and which we will build on further following the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the European Court of Justice will remain the final arbiter of EU law as it applies in Northern Ireland in the event that the Windsor Framework is implemented.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has acknowledged, as the Prime Minister did in his statement of 27 February, that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) is the final arbiter on matters of EU law. But by the EU's own calculations, less than 3 percent of EU rules with ECJ oversight apply under the Windsor Framework, with those that remain only applying to maintain maximum free trade and market access for NI firms. And the Windsor Framework narrows the application of EU rules in Northern Ireland, removing 1,700 pages of EU law, and takes with it any European Court of Justice interpretation and oversight in those areas. The agreement also introduces the Stormont Brake, which would enable a sovereign UK Government decision to veto the application of new EU laws and accompanying ECJ oversight within Northern Ireland. This safeguard in the treaty itself is not subject to ECJ oversight, and any dispute on this issue would be resolved through subsequent independent arbitration according to international, not EU law.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government where they propose to erect border inspection posts in Northern Ireland; when will they be implemented; and what will be the cost of implementation.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Work is ongoing regarding the next steps following the passage of the Official Controls (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2023. We will set out further updates on those next in due course.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether Northern Ireland will remain part of the EU Single Market and subject to the rules thereof in the event that the Windsor Framework is implemented.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Northern Ireland is not part of the EU Single Market, it is part of the United Kingdom and its internal market. An absolute minimum (less than 3 percent) of EU law continues to apply in Northern Ireland, to avoid a hard border and maintain Northern Ireland's unique access to the EU market. But alongside this Northern Ireland has full unfettered access to the UK internal market. And under the Windsor Framework, more than 1,700 pages of EU law will be disapplied for UK internal trade. The rules that are disapplied are set out in the legal instruments giving effect to the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which UK officials held meetings with representatives of the Libyan Money Recovery Office; what was the purpose of such meetings; and what agreements or understandings were entered into as an outcome of those meetings.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Libyan Asset Recovery and Management Office (LARMO) is working to repossesses Libyan assets that were stolen by the Qadhafi regime before and during the 2011 revolution. A LARMO representative met with officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 26 October to discuss potential options for the future of any recovered assets, with reference to the ongoing assets freeze. FCDO officials reminded LARMO that UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) makes clear that the aim of the Libya asset freeze is to ensure that the frozen funds are preserved until such a time as they can be made available to, and for the benefit of, the people of Libya. Any amendments to the asset freeze will require consensus at the UN Security Council and will be judged against this goal.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the future of frozen Libyan assets held in London was discussed by UK officials and representatives from the Libyan Money Recovery Office at any recent meetings.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Libyan Asset Recovery and Management Office (LARMO) is working to repossesses Libyan assets that were stolen by the Qadhafi regime before and during the 2011 revolution. A LARMO representative met with officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 26 October to discuss potential options for the future of any recovered assets, with reference to the ongoing assets freeze. FCDO officials reminded LARMO that UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) makes clear that the aim of the Libya asset freeze is to ensure that the frozen funds are preserved until such a time as they can be made available to, and for the benefit of, the people of Libya. Any amendments to the asset freeze will require consensus at the UN Security Council and will be judged against this goal.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the visit of representatives of the Libyan Money Recovery Office to (1) the UK, and (2) other countries.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Libyan Asset Recovery and Management Office (LARMO) is working to repossesses Libyan assets that were stolen by the Qadhafi regime before and during the 2011 revolution. A LARMO representative met with officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 26 October to discuss potential options for the future of any recovered assets, with reference to the ongoing assets freeze. FCDO officials reminded LARMO that UN Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011) makes clear that the aim of the Libya asset freeze is to ensure that the frozen funds are preserved until such a time as they can be made available to, and for the benefit of, the people of Libya. Any amendments to the asset freeze will require consensus at the UN Security Council and will be judged against this goal.