Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)

I thank the Minister for his remarks and for his kindness in reaching out to me asking for a meeting when I tabled the amendment. Without wanting to in any way ruin his career prospects, I suggest to noble Lords that if this particular Minister had been in charge, this SI would not be going forward—it would be being dropped at this stage while we await future negotiations over any linkage between the EU ETS and the UK ETS. As noble Lords will know, I have tabled several regret and fatal amendments over the past number of years, all to draw attention to the way in which the Windsor Framework has affected businesses and people in Northern Ireland. But this is a very different SI: it has absolutely nothing to do with the Windsor Framework and the protocol, although it does compound the further isolating of Northern Ireland from the rest of the country. This SI is a deliberate and calculated attack by His Majesty’s Government on business and consumers in Northern Ireland by introducing what is effectively a new maritime carbon tax, while not recognising Northern Ireland’s total reliance on maritime transport. The consequence will be that businesses and households will be disproportionately affected by it. Noble Lords need to understand why this matters so much to Northern Ireland. It matters because we are uniquely dependent on maritime connectivity: 90% of goods entering or leaving Northern Ireland move by sea. Ferry services are absolutely vital. They are not a choice; they are an absolute must, as a route to the market in GB. These routes are vital for—to give some examples we all know about—agri-food exports, manufacturing parts, supermarket and retail distribution, supplies for construction and, of course, passenger movement.