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1134672

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in negotiating work streams with the EU to examine technical alternatives to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL16639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government has established a Technical Alternative Arrangements Advisory Group of technical experts in customs and trade to test ideas. The work of the group will help inform the UK’s negotiations with the EU on developing alternative arrangements to the Northern Ireland backstop</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 09/07/2019 14:54:34 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1134673

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any contracts have been proposed, let, or completed for work on examining technical alternatives to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL16640
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>No contracts have been proposed, let or completed for work examining technical alternatives to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.</p><p>In a Joint Statement on 11 March, the UK and EU committed to working together on alternative arrangements to replace the backstop by December 2020. To ensure that the UK is ready to move at pace in the next phase, the Government is putting in place the UK’s arrangements to support this work.</p><p>The UK’s position will be informed by the work of advisory groups; a technical experts group, a business and trade union engagement group and a parliamentary engagement group.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 09/07/2019 14:55:14 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1088550

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 13 March (HL13776), how they will ensure that both Houses of Parliament and their relevant select committees are given timely information about the progress and details of the evaluation of "alternative arrangements" and "technologies"; and whether they will publish the joint work stream agreed with the EU.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL14510
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The UK and EU have agreed to consider a joint work stream to develop alternative arrangements, including the use of technology, to ensure the absence of a hard border, and this work will form an important strand of the next phase of negotiations. Our aim is to ensure that, even if the full future relationship is not in place by the end of the implementation period, the backstop is not needed, because we will have a set of alternative arrangements ready to go. We have secured a legally binding commitment that both sides will aim to replace the backstop with alternative arrangements by December 2020 - and that they do not need to replicate the backstop in any respect.</p><p>The Government is doing everything we sensibly can to provide for ongoing scrutiny through the negotiating process. We will continue to report regularly to select committees in person and by responding fully to inquiries and reports.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 26/03/2019 13:22:36 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1087520

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 March (HL13966), of which part of the internal discussions on avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is it not in the public interest to disclose details; and what assessment they have made of the relationship between any decision not to disclose those details and the Prime Minister having identified the issue as that which prevents a deal being agreed with the EU on Brexit.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL14446
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>On 13 March we published details of our plans to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland in a no deal scenario. We have confirmed a temporary, unilateral approach to checks, processes and tariffs to do all we can to achieve this. The UK Government would not introduce any new checks or controls on goods crossing from Ireland to Northern Ireland, including any new customs declarations. The UK temporary tariff regime would therefore not apply to goods crossing from Ireland into Northern Ireland.</p><p>As these are unilateral measures, they only mitigate the impacts from exit that are within the UK Government’s control. These measures do not set out the position in respect of tariffs or processes to be applied to goods moving from Northern Ireland to Ireland. We also recognise that there challenges and risks for maintaining control of our borders and for the competitiveness of businesses in Northern Ireland. That is why we are clear that this approach would be strictly temporary.</p><p>A negotiated settlement is the only means of sustainably guaranteeing no hard border and protecting businesses in Northern Ireland. In a no deal scenario, we are therefore committed to entering into discussions urgently with the European Commission and the Irish Government to jointly agree long-term measures to avoid a hard border.</p><p><strong><br></strong>Full guidance on the no deal Northern Ireland policy can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-exit-avoiding-a-hard-border-in-northern-ireland-in-a-no-deal-scenario" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-exit-avoiding-a-hard-border-in-northern-ireland-in-a-no-deal-scenario</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 26/03/2019 13:27:14 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1077043

	registered interest
	date	25/02/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 19 February (HL13430), whether disclosing further details of their planning to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is in the public interest; if not, why not; and if not, what assessment they have made of the compliance of such non-disclosure with paragraph 1.3(d) of the ministerial code, published in January 2018.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13966
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>Paragraph 1.3(d) of the ministerial code states Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest, which should be decided in accordance with the relevant statutes and the Freedom of Information Act 2000;</p><p>Information relating to the Her Majesty’s Government planning to avoid the hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is exempt from disclosure under section 35 (1) (a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which states; Information held by a government department or by the Welsh Assembly Government is exempt information if it relates to (a) The formulation of Government policy.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 11/03/2019 17:16:56 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1063538

	registered interest
	date	18/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 18 February (HL13276), what are the "facilitative arrangements and technologies" that will form part of the "alternative arrangements to replace the backstop" in the negotiations currently being undertaken with the EU.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13776
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2019 answer text <p>The UK and EU have agreed to consider a joint work stream to develop alternative arrangements, including the use of technology, to ensure the absence of a hard border, and this work will form an important strand of the next phase of negotiations. Our aim is to ensure that, even if the full future relationship is not in place by the end of the implementation period, the backstop is not needed, because we will have a set of alternative arrangements ready to go. We have secured a legally binding commitment that both sides will aim to replace the backstop with alternative arrangements by December 2020 - and that they do not need to replicate the backstop in any respect.</p><p>Last week, the Government published a Written Ministerial Statement noting that joint UK-EU work on alternative arrangements will be an important strand of the next phase of negotiations. In anticipation of this, and to ensure that the UK is ready to move at pace in the next phase, the Government is putting in place the UK’s arrangements to support this work, with a team drawing in all the relevant departments including DExEU, HMT, HMRC, BEIS, DEFRA, Home Office, and the NIO. This will report directly to the UK’s negotiating team.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 13/03/2019 12:23:57 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1061345

	registered interest
	date	14/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 13 February (HL13277), what assessment they have made of the potential technological solutions for ensuring no hard border of the island of Ireland following the UK's departure from the EU; and whether they will publish details of any such assessment.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13725
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>The Prime Minister in her 5 February speech in Belfast reaffirmed the UK Government commitment to delivering a Brexit that ensures no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, including any physical infrastructure or related checks and controls. While technology could play a part in this, and alternative arrangements are being looked at, these must be ones that can be made to work for the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 21/02/2019 17:46:01 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1061346

	registered interest
	date	14/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish details of any contracts they have signed relating to technological solutions to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland; and whether any of those contracts include matters beyond proofs of concept.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13726
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>The Government has been in discussions with technology companies for many months. While no contracts have yet been signed, in the event of doing so we will follow the usual process.</p><p>Parliament has been clear in what is needed to unite behind a Withdrawal Agreement: namely, legally binding changes to the backstop. The Prime Minister has set out three ways in which legally binding changes to the backstop could be achieved. First, the backstop could be replaced with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Secondly, there could be a legally binding time limit to the existing backstop, or thirdly, there could be a legally binding unilateral exit clause to that backstop.</p><p>The Prime Minister and President Juncker agreed that our teams should hold further talks to find a way forward, both will meet again before the end of February to take stock of those discussions.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 22/02/2019 12:34:54 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1055096

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what planning the Home Office has undertaken with regard to the technical means by which a soft border on the island of Ireland may be retained, other than by way of the EU Withdrawal Agreement.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13430
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Government has undertaken planning to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland but will not be giving further details at this stage.</p><p>The UK Government has been resolute in its commitments to Northern Ire-land and remains committed to avoiding a ‘hard border.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 19/02/2019 16:03:37 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton

1055097

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Borders: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to tariffs on imports and exports across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bassam of Brighton
	uin	HL13431
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>We are committed to upholding the Belfast Agreement and will do everything in our power to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. We recognise that we would need to take forward discussions with the Irish Government and the Commission in the event of a no deal on the best way to avoid a hard border.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Callanan question first answered 21/02/2019 17:40:02 answering member 4336 label Biography information for Lord Callanan
	tabling member	3504 label Biography information for Lord Bassam of Brighton