Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 19 March (HL Deb, col 1408), when the written statement on the Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme will be laid.
Answer
The written statement to which the Noble Lord refers is in relation to the Department for the Economy (DfE) in Northern Ireland’s commitment to establishing an RHI Hardship Unit. The Department has been working to make progress in establishing the Terms of Reference and setting up of the panel, which will have an independent Chair. A call for evidence in relation to the form and function of the unit will shortly be released, and will close at the end of June. This will inform the Terms of Reference of the Unit. I will await the outcome of that before updating the House on progress. DfE anticipate that the panel will begin to accept applications in September 2019.