Written questions by Swann.

How much has agricultural property relief been worth in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

HMRC holds the information of those estates which make claims for Agricultural Property Relief (APR) within its digital administrative systems if the estate was taxpaying, or could be taxpaying after compliance checks have been performed. It does not hold readily available information about the geographical location of the assets qualifying for the relief – it only holds the value of the assets qualifying for the relief, and the amount of relief given against those assets, in a format available for further analysis. As such, it is not possible to provide this information within current cost limits.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Consumer Credit Directive, which came into force in Northern Ireland on 23 November 2023, on cancer patients and their families.

The European Union’s Consumer Credit Directive 2008 was implemented into UK law in 2010. In November 2023, the EU passed a new Consumer Credit Directive that will replace the previous Directive and which Member States must transpose into domestic law by November 2025. As the UK has left the European Union, this Directive will not apply in the UK, including Northern Ireland.

What the Barnett consequentials applicable to Northern Ireland are from the pay rises for (a) consultants, (b) specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors, (d) junior doctors and (e) train drivers.

The Barnett formula applies to all increases or decreases to Departmental Expenditure Limits, rather than when policies or funding are announced. When UK Government departmental budgets change, the Barnett formula will apply in the usual way.Any Barnett consequentials for the Northern Ireland Executive resulting from the recent public sector pay awards in England in 2024-25 would be confirmed at Autumn Budget 2024 or Supplementary Estimates 2024-25.

What assessment she has made of the impact of hauliers in supporting trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Hauliers play a very important role in supporting trade within the UK. The Government meets regularly with stakeholders involved in trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including representatives of the road haulage industry, particularly in view of the implementation of the Windsor Framework.