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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to whom staff in the Department for Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland are accountable following the implementation of the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulation; and whether steps have been taken to ensure effective operation of lines of accountability to the (a) local Northern Ireland Executive minister and (b) Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

In line with the Statutory Guidance that accompanied the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024, officials in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs are currently accountable to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a targeted subset of agri-food matters focused on the movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.