Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his statement on the economic update on the 26 May 2022 and his commitment to legislate to deliver support on the same terms in every part of the UK, whether it is his policy that people with the same circumstances will receive the same level of support regardless of where they live.
Answered by Simon Clarke
Most of the support announced by the Chancellor on 26 May is being provided directly to households in all parts of the UK by the UK Government.
The one-off Cost of Living payments will be paid directly to households across the UK. In the absence of a functioning Executive in Northern Ireland, the UK Government is supporting the Northern Irish people through these payments, on exactly the same terms as the rest of the UK.
The Energy Bill Support Scheme applies to Great Britain only, but equivalent support will be provided to people in Northern Ireland, and the Household Support Fund is England-only, but the devolved administrations will receive around £79 million through the Barnett formula.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the British Sign Language Bill to extend its provisions to Northern Ireland; and if they have no such plans, whether they intend to introduce a British sign language law in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Government is committed to supporting all people with a disability, including deaf people, to lead fulfilled, independent lives. For D/deaf people, we recognise that this should include the ability to communicate with others through British Sign Language (BSL) or other forms of deaf communication.
The Minister for Disabled People has been working closely with Rosie Cooper MP to support the aims and development of her Private Members Bill to promote BSL. The Bill does not extend to Northern Ireland, in recognition of the existence of both British and Irish Sign Language among the Northern Irish D/deaf community. The Northern Ireland Executive proposes to take forward its own bill recognising both of these languages.
This decision also reflects the territorial scope of the Equality Act 2010, which is limited to Great Britain.
Asked by: Lord Browne of Belmont (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with political parties in Northern Ireland on measures to deal with the past and its legacy in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Since the Government published the Command Paper, ‘Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland’s Past’, in July 2021, we have engaged with interested parties, groups and individuals across Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Ireland on our proposals. This includes the Northern Ireland parties, representatives from the victims sector, veterans, individuals and organisations from across civil society and the Irish Government.
We have heard many different views through this engagement, including how the proposals might be changed, amended or improved. This has been extremely valuable, and the perspectives we have heard will help inform our next steps, which we are considering carefully.
Asked by: Lord Green of Deddington (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 January (HL5259), what immigration controls will be put in place under the proposed ETA system at (1) sea crossings between the Republic of Ireland and the UK and (2) sea crossings between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Common Travel Area (CTA) supports the long-standing principle of movement for British and Irish citizens between the UK, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Ireland.
As now, the UK will not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA. There are no border controls for travel within the UK including from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.
Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the percentage change since (1) the UK withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020, and (2) the application of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, in trade between Northern Ireland and (a) Great Britain and (b) the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is not considered international trade and is, therefore, not captured in our official trade statistics.
As set out in the July 2021 Command Paper, the UK is clear that significant trade diversion is occurring and the thresholds for A16 safeguards have been met.
The percentage change in trade value since the UK withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020 and the current application of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland is devised using the Irish Government's Central Statistics Office (CSO) at the following link: https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/externaltrade/goodsexportsandimports/.
According to the CSO, compared to the similar period from 2018 (February 2018 to October 2019), Irish exports and imports with Northern Ireland have increased by 18 per cent and 38 per cent respectively, since the UK withdrawal from the EU (February 2020 to October 2021).
According to the CSO, compared to the similar period from 2018 (January 2018 to October 2018), Irish exports and imports with Northern Ireland have increased by 44 per cent and 89 per cent respectively, since the application of the Protocol.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland gives legal effect to a Regulatory Border in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Article 4 of the Protocol is clear that Northern Ireland is part of the customs territory of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Article 6 of the Protocol provides that the Protocol does not prevent the United Kingdom from ensuring unfettered market access for goods moving from Northern Ireland to other parts of the United Kingdom's internal market. The Government also provided additional protections to Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom's internal market with the Internal Market Act 2020.
Any sustainable solution must ensure that the impediments to East-West trade are removed and goods can flow freely in both direction between GB and NI.
Asked by: Lord Kilclooney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a Common Travel Area between the Republic of Ireland and the UK; whether there is freedom of movement between the Republic of Ireland and the EU; whether there are border checks on EU citizens travelling from the Republic of Ireland to Great Britain; and whether there are border checks on the movement of EU citizens, not from the Republic of Ireland, travelling through Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Common Travel Area (CTA) facilitates the free movement of people between the between the UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey).
As part of the CTA arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys from Ireland to the UK, including from Ireland to Great Britain. There are no immigration checks whatsoever on the Northern Ireland-Ireland land border. However, individuals arriving in the UK, regardless of where they enter from, must do so in line with the UK’s immigration framework and we work closely with the Irish Government to prevent abuse of the CTA.
There are no border controls for travel within the UK including from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.
Whether there is freedom of movement between Ireland and the EU is a matter for the Irish government.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which victims of terror in Great Britain he consulted prior to his Addressing the Legacy of Northern Ireland's Past proposals, announced on 14 July 2021.
Answered by Robin Walker
Following the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 24 June, the UK and Irish Governments initiated an ongoing process of intensive engagement with the Northern Ireland parties and other stakeholders, with a view to finding a way forward on legacy issues.
It was agreed that engagement with victims and survivors - including those in Great Britain - would be central to these discussions, and their views and perspectives will continue to be sought.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which victims groups within Great Britain he plans to engage with as part of the policy on addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland's past.
Answered by Robin Walker
Following the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 24 June, the UK and Irish Governments initiated an ongoing process of intensive engagement with the Northern Ireland parties and other stakeholders, with a view to finding a way forward on legacy issues.
It was agreed that engagement with victims and survivors - including those in Great Britain - would be central to these discussions, and their views and perspectives will continue to be sought as part of this ongoing process of engagement.
The Government is committed to publishing details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis. Publications for the Northern Ireland Office can be found on gov.uk.
Asked by: Carolyn Harris (Labour - Swansea East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with his Northern Irish counterpart on the operation of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) in Northern Ireland following the reduction in the maximum stake on FOBTs in Great Britain to £2 in 2019.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Gambling in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue regulated under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985. I have not discussed the operation of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals following the 2019 stake cut with my Northern Irish counterpart.