copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2023-02-28): Northern Ireland, which remains part of the UK customs territory, is subject to a set of EU rules relating to the single market for goods and the customs union. However, the protocol poses a practical problem: It introduces a system of checks and controls at points of entry for goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK or any other third country. These goods are subject to EU customs duties unless there is no risk of them entering the EU. [...] The retention of certain European laws and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Northern Ireland was one of the main sticking points of the protocol for the unionists. The Windsor Framework provides for the creation of a "brake" available to the Northern Ireland Assembly. If 30 MPs from different parties object to the implementation of a new European law on goods in the province, they will be able to call a vote to block it, modeled on a provision that already exists in the 1998 peace agreement. However, this emergency mechanism will not take away the European Court of Justice's final say on the rules governing the single market still in force in the province, insisted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In the end, "less than 3%" of European laws will continue to apply in Northern Ireland, London argued.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2024-02-08): Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, different rules apply in Northern Ireland to those in Great Britain. For more information on the regulatory system for medical devices in Northern Ireland, please see Regulation of medical devices in Northern Ireland below. [...] - Since 26 May 2021, the EU MDR has applied in Northern Ireland. The EU IVDR has applied in Northern Ireland since 26 May 2022. [...] The EU MDR and EU IVDR in Northern Ireland
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2023-04-18): On 27 February 2023, the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) and the EU Commission announced a political agreement in principle on the Windsor Framework. The Windsor Framework will lay down new arrangements aimed at addressing the practical challenges encountered with implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP), in particular for goods entering Northern Ireland (NI) from Great Britain (GB). [...] On the 31 January 2020, the UK withdrew from the EU. The NIP is an integral part of the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU and became effective on 1 January 2021 following the end of the transition period. The NIP establishes a single regulatory zone on the Island of Ireland, thereby preventing a hard border between NI and Ireland, by applying specific EU legislation "to and in" NI. For medicinal products this includes, amongst other things, Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 and Directive 2001/83/EC. [...] Despite the above time-limited derogations, the application of UK medicine rules in GB and EU rules in NI has led to continued disruption and uncertainty for medicinal product supply chains into NI from GB.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2022-02-27): Certain aspects of EU law do still apply in Northern Ireland as a result of the Protocol, but these do not have to be incorporated into Northern Ireland law to have effect. Section 7A of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 makes those EU laws applicable in Northern Ireland. Any future legislative changes that may be necessary to implement the Protocol, or related EU laws, could be made at Westminster if Stormont refused to act. Incorporation into Northern Ireland law is therefore not a requirement. [...] "In order to maintain the adherence of Northern Ireland to EU law as it evolves, there is a requirement for Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Assembly to pass regulations to reflect decisions at an EU level… The Northern Ireland protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law." [...] It is therefore not accurate to say that adherence to those EU laws that are applicable in post-Brexit Northern Ireland as a consequence of the Protocol can ‘only happen’ if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2023-09-04): Other than in Northern Ireland (NI), any references to European Union (EU) Regulations in this guidance should be read as meaning retained EU law. You can access retained EU law via the HM Government EU Exit web archive. This should be read alongside the relevant EU Exit legislation that was made to ensure retained EU law operates correctly in a United Kingdom (UK) context. EU Exit legislation can be accessed on legislation.gov.uk. In NI, EU food law will continue to apply, as listed in the Northern Ireland Protocol. Retained EU law will not apply in these circumstances. [...] The retained version of Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers applies to food businesses in Great Britain (GB). Whereas, EU food law, including Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, applies in NI. [...] In NI, EU Country of Origin rules, as applied by the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP), are applicable for food placed on the NI market. Where EU Law requires an indication of a Member State in respect to country of origin, food businesses must ensure that where food has originated in Northern Ireland, such indications should be in the form "UK(NI)" or "United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)".
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2024-02-02): What are the Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework? The first agreement with the EU, called the Northern Ireland Protocol, came into force on 1 January 2021. [...] A ban on certain products - like chilled sausages - entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain was removed. And Northern Ireland no longer had to follow certain EU rules, for example on VAT and alcohol duties.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2023-10-18): - A last-resort mechanism called the Stormont Brake allows the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly to prevent the application of new or amended EU laws. The mechanism can only be triggered if at least a third of Assembly members from at least two political parties request it. [...] The European Commission has launched four new infringement procedures against the United Kingdom for not complying with significant parts of the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland. [...] In a statement following the UK government's announcement regarding the Protocol on Northern Ireland, Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said the EU was ready to continue to seek creative solutions, within the framework of the Protocol, in the interest of all communities in Northern Ireland.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2024-02-09): The protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland was agreed as part of the UK–EU Withdrawal Agreement that formally took the UK out of the EU. Its purpose was to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, by requiring Northern Ireland (NI) to align with EU law in some areas, and allowing it to maintain frictionless access to the EU. However, it also meant that goods entering NI from Great Britain (GB) need to prove they comply with EU law in these areas – creating the need for checks and paperwork. [...] Original protocol: The application of EU law in NI is subject to EU oversight. The commission can take action against the UK government for non-compliance, as if it were a member state, including taking it to the European Court of Justice. [...] Original protocol: Under the terms of the protocol over 300 EU directives and regulations will continue to apply in NI and as the EU institute changes to these, NI will be required to ‘keep pace’ and make corresponding changes to its statute book. Discussions around the protocol take place through the Joint Committee, specialised Committee and the JCWG – the UK government can decide to include NI representatives in its delegation.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2024-02-16): But with Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK having officially left the EU, this has changed. Throughout Brexit negotiations, EU, Irish, and UK officials all sought to avoid the return of a hard border, fearing that checkpoints could complicate trade, revive tensions between communities, and open the door to renewed violence. Yet London’s commitment to leaving the EU single market and customs union made some sort of border checks inevitable. The new relationship between the EU and the UK, negotiated over the course of 2020 and implemented starting in January 2021, settled on a complicated solution to this thorny problem: the Northern Ireland Protocol. What is the debate over Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol? Like the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland is no longer part of the EU customs union, the basis for common tariffs on all goods entering the bloc. That means customs checks are necessary. However, to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, those checks instead take place between Northern Ireland and Great Britain; this, in effect, creates a new border in the Irish Sea. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland—but not the rest of the UK—continues to follow many of the EU’s single-market regulations, allowing the land border with Ireland to remain open. Additionally, the protocol is aided by a separate Ireland-UK agreement that allows free movement of people between the two countries.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2021-12-09): Under the Windsor Framework, and previously the Protocol, Northern Ireland applies a list of over 300 laws relating to the EU single market for goods. This includes legislation on goods, agricultural production and marketing, SPS measures, VAT and excise on goods, state aid, and the single electricity market. The EU customs code also applies to goods entering Northern Ireland. [...] Under the Windsor Framework, certain laws relating to the EU single market for goods apply in Northern Ireland. In the original Protocol, when this EU law was amended or replaced, it would automatically apply to Northern Ireland. The EU and UK agreed a new mechanism in the Windsor Framework - the Stormont Brake. Under the terms of the Stormont Brake, 30 MLAs from at least two parties in the NI Assembly can notify the UK Government that they want the "emergency brake" to be pulled on an EU law i.e. that they wish to stop the application of amended or replacement EU law in Northern Ireland. There are restrictions on its use - the Northern Ireland Executive must be operational and the NI Assembly in regular session. UK Government legislation sets out the process for the Stormont Brake.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2023-02-27): Main elements of the Protocol - Alignment with EU rules: as of the end of the transition period, Northern Ireland is subject to a limited set of EU rules related to the Single Market for goods and the Customs Union. The Union's Customs Code, for example, applies to all goods entering or exiting Northern Ireland. [...] The Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland provides for a new mechanism on "consent", which gives the Northern Ireland Assembly a decisive voice on the long-term application of relevant EU law made applicable by the Protocol in respect of Northern Ireland. This consent mechanism concerns the application of EU law on goods and customs, the Single Electricity Market, VAT and State aid, as currently foreseen by the Protocol.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2023-02-01): Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland [...] As a result of the protocol, Northern Ireland has in effect remained in the EU’s single market for goods. This allows goods to flow between Northern Ireland and Ireland and the rest of the EU as they did while the United Kingdom was a member of the EU, without customs checks, tariffs or new paperwork. The EU’s rules on customs and regulation of agri-food products will continue to apply to goods arriving in Northern Ireland.
Claim: The Northern Ireland Protocol requires certain aspects of EU law to apply in Northern Ireland but this can only happen if they are incorporated into Northern Ireland law. (Jeffrey Donaldson, 2021-09-09)
Evidence (2022-09-08): On VAT rates, Northern Ireland is currently required by the Protocol to abide by EU law relating to VAT, but this may become less of a problem as the EU is in the process of changing its own rules to allow for greater flexibility on VAT rates. The two sides differ on whether the UK would require the permission of the EU to use the same VAT rates in Northern Ireland that apply in the rest of the UK. UK ministers will not accept this breach of sovereignty. One way of solving this problem would be for the EU to agree that the UK is perfectly free to apply a common VAT rate across the whole of the UK, including in Northern Ireland, but if the EU has any concerns from a competitiveness point of view then it could refer the matter to the adjudication mechanism established as part of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement to ensure a level playing field. [...] The DUP argues that there is a democratic deficit in Northern Ireland because its elected representatives have no say over EU rules. It is true that Northern Ireland has to abide by a whole set of European laws that are listed in the Annex to the Protocol and by any subsequent changes affecting that single market legislation. However, this should be put in perspective.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2021-06-13): 51.2p on properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or more; and 49.9p on properties with a rateable value less than £51,000.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2024-01-09): Put simply, business rates are just another sort of tax – one that is placed on commercial properties and assigned to spaces that have been designated for business activities. These non-domestic rates and taxes are put towards the funding of local services, including education and transportation. [...] Business rates in Northern Ireland are also different to those charged in England. One notable difference regards working from home. In England, business rates will not generally be charged unless your business activities at home are beyond working from a spare room, e.g., hiring other people or living above the shop you run. However, in Northern Ireland, business rates might more directly impact those who choose to work from home.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2014-03-19): These are taxes charged on non-domestic properties – such as shops, offices and pubs – to help pay for local services. You will have to pay business rates if you are using a building, or part of a building, for anything beyond just living there. Business rates based on the value of the property.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2017-12-02): Business rates are charged on all commercial buildings in the same way as council tax is charged for a home. However, the rates are calculated through the value and rent of the properties in 2008.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2022-11-04): Business rates are an annual tax charged on most properties used for non-domestic purposes, such as shops and factories. The term "non-domestic rates" is also used to describe this tax. The money raised from business rates is used to fund services provided by local authorities, in a similar way to council tax. Some properties that pay business rates are not used for commercial purposes such as beach huts and village halls. [...] Some of this variance can be accounted for by differences in the rateable value used in our estimates and the local authorities’ business rates calculations. This is because of differences in how quickly each local authority updates their non-domestic ratings data in their internal systems following revaluation of individual properties, compared with the published Valuation Office Agency data which are updated weekly.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2024-02-02): Larne Business Forum today (Friday 2nd February 2024) warmly welcomed the recent decision by Mid and East Antrim Council that it has reversed its decision in relation to charges at the Exchange Road and Circular Road East car parks in Larne. [...] At a well attended meeting with local councillors in October 2023 members of the Larne Business Forum were able to set out a wide range of damaging impacts flowing from the decision to introduce charges in these car parks. Those impacts included reduced footfall, reduced revenue, less casual shopping and dwell time and a dramatic reduction in leisurely shopping. [...] Chairman of the Larne Business Forum Brian McRandal commented on the revised MEA policy in relation to the Exchange Road and Circular Road East saying:
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2017-12-12): This is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and used by the local council to work out the business rates bill for the property.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2019-05-16): A SMALL business trading from modest premises in a town like Larne can expect to pay up to three times more in rates than if operating in London, a new report claims. [...] Larne businessmen Tom and Paul McMullan are now demanding that the NI Affairs Select Committee at Westminster conducts an inquiry into business rates in Northern Ireland and have lobbied MP Sammy Wilson in support of their campaign over "ridiculously high" rates, which also has the backing of industry bodies like Retail NI and Hospitality. [...] "So at the £5,000 and £12,000 NAV data points, the London business escapes all liability for business rates while on the other hand the Larne business will have to pay a rates bill of £2,402 and £6,149 respectively.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2024-03-20): Larne Business Forum has written to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons requesting an extraordinary audit of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s finances after a massive rise in business rates. [...] Larne Business Forum said it believes "unsustainable non-domestic rates burdens being placed on local businesses are undermining the very survival of some in the small business sector". [...] Larne Business Fourm also expressed concern over a £7.2m shortfall in the council’s finances saying that "we noted that no suitable explanation has ever been provided to ratepayers as to how such an extraordinary shortfall was allowed to happen".
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2024-02-14): Furious Larne businesses call in auditor after ‘hapless’ council hikes rates by 12%
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2022-03-02): Data provided by Northern Ireland Land and Property Services for Main Street in Larne shows the rateable value of properties on Main Street are on average much lower than Regent Street. The average non-exempt Net Annual Value of the 125 non-domestic properties in Larne is £9,842, with average rates before reliefs working out around £5.8k; if the relevant small business rates relief is applied, average rates would fall to around £5.1k. [...] The property with the highest rateable value on Regent Street is the flagship Apple store at 235 Regent Street with a rateable value of £4.4m. On Main Street in Larne the property with the highest NAV is the former Dunnes Stores at 35-41 Main Street with a rateable value of £140,500. [...] Despite the multipliers — or "poundage" — on non-domestic properties in Larne being higher than the equivalent rates in London, far higher commercial rents in the West End of London mean that rates in Regent Street are on average much higher than they are on Main Street in Larne.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2016-06-04): Regent St., Carnaby, London
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2024-01-01): 95/97 Lower Main Street, Strabane [...] JAMES KAY 15 Main Street Carnwath [...] LBS HOME AND GARDEN CENTRE 22 Rhosmaen Street Llandeilo
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2015-07-03): Constituency Office, 41 Station Road, Larne is provided to me rent free by Mrs E. R. Cullen and Mrs M. A. L. McNeill. Approximate annual value: £5,200.
Claim: Business rates on Main Street in Larne are the same as Regent Street in London. (Colin Neill, 2021-06-13)
Evidence (2013-07-08): Constituency Office, 41 Station Road, Larne is provided to me rent free by Mrs E. R. Cullen and Mrs M. A. L. McNeill. Approximate annual value: £5,200. [...] Councillor, Larne Borough Council. Gross annual remuneration: £9,738. Average hours worked per week: 10.
Claim: Northern Ireland has the highest number of children in care since the introduction of the Children Order in 1995. (Robin Swann, 2022-01-21)
Evidence (2022-01-21): In January 2022, 3,566 children in Northern Ireland were recorded as being in care, which is the highest recorded figure since 1995, according to Department of Health statistics which have been trending upwards for more than a decade.