Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Lab)

My Lords, another week and yet another regret amendment in respect of the Windsor Framework, this one regarding plant health seeds, seed potatoes and plant propagating material. I ask the simple question: what does this achieve? I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Bew, that this is more about the constitutional debate in Northern Ireland. Who benefits from these repetitive debates in the House of Lords? As someone who supports the Windsor Framework, and does not support the regret amendment, I say that we should be looking at areas of collaboration and co-operation with the wider business community on the benefits to be obtained from the Windsor Framework, and from the dual access to the UK internal market and the EU single market. That is what many businesses are saying to me and that is where the benefits lie. We must not forget that the Windsor Framework is a direct result of Brexit, which many of those who are opposed to the special arrangements for Northern Ireland supported. The bottom line is that we would have been better to remain within the EU. My personal hope is for that to come about over the next few years. Obviously, this SI is to ensure that EU legislation governing plant health, seeds, seed potatoes and plant propagating materials continues to operate effectively in Northern Ireland. It also includes full enforcement powers to ensure compliance with plant health requirements and biosecurity in Northern Ireland, and states that there is an ongoing programme of work to ensure that all regulations covered by the Windsor Framework are fully operable and enforceable in Northern Ireland. Obviously, this information should have been in the explanatory document, as the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee stated. Can my noble friend the Minister indicate why this did not happen? She may not have that information to hand this evening so perhaps she could write to me. Undoubtedly, the potato industry is significant to the agri-food industry in Northern Ireland. I have family involved in it and they do not talk about the inability to get seed potatoes or the regulations that they face. Their main concern centres on the weather conditions as a result of climate change, because they face wet springs and autumns, which make planting and harvesting extremely difficult. Undoubtedly, the Windsor Framework has presented administrative challenges. In conclusion, can my noble friend the Minister provide us, either tonight or in writing, with a copy in the Library, with an update on the full implementation of the report by my noble friend Lord Murphy, whose recommendations were accepted by the Government, and the ones from our committee as well? Can she also provide further details in relation to the SPS agreement?