Northern Ireland Office

I have received no such representations.

I welcome the Irish Government’s commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and upholding the principles of the Good Friday Agreement. We have made great progress in resetting UK-Ireland relations since the UK General Election and this will be reaffirmed by the first UK-Ireland Summit between the Prime Minister and Taoiseach, underlining our renewed and close relations.

The issuing of firearms licences in Northern Ireland is a largely devolved matter, overseen by the Department of Justice, aside from where it touches on excepted matters. I meet regularly with the Justice Minister to discuss a range of issues. Similarly Northern Ireland Office officials meet with their counterparts at the NI Department of Justice to discuss firearms licencing on a regular basis.

Last year seven women were killed in Northern Ireland, and rates of violence are higher in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK

Last month, I was pleased to welcome the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls to Northern Ireland to meet Executive Ministers, and the Police Service, and to visit the excellent Foyle Family Justice Centre. We discussed ways we can work together and share best practice to tackle violence against women and girls.

Hundreds of thousands of homes were affected by Storm Éowyn and I know the House would wish to express its thanks to all those who worked so hard to restore services.

The Government worked closely with the NI Executive to ensure that all the help needed for Northern Ireland to recover was provided.

Hundreds of thousands of homes were affected by Storm Éowyn and I know the House would wish to express its thanks to all those who worked so hard to restore services.

The Government worked closely with the NI Executive to ensure that all the help needed for Northern Ireland to recover was provided.

The Safeguarding the Union command paper was clear that the commitment ‘to propose the creation of a dedicated fund worth £10 million to support infrastructure development, including green growth opportunities at a small number of strategically important NI ports’ would be carried out in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland ports.

We are considering how the aim of supporting infrastructure development can be achieved in the most impactful way across the UK - including as part of the Government’s Growth Mission and Infrastructure and Industrial Strategies.

Intertrade UK is a non-statutory advisory body that supports the East-West Council (EWC) in promoting all internal UK trade, made up of a Chair and six dedicated experts. The roles are unremunerated, but a Secretariat function will be provided by the Northern Ireland Office, with dedicated policy support provided by other Government Departments as required.

The work programme and budget for Intertrade UK are under development, and will ensure value for money.

Since the announcement of Baroness Foster as Chair of Intertrade UK in September 2024, preparatory work has been continuing in advance of the first meeting, the date of which will be confirmed soon.

Intertrade UK is a non-statutory advisory body that supports the East-West Council (EWC) in promoting all internal UK trade, made up of a Chair and six dedicated experts. The roles are unremunerated, but a Secretariat function will be provided by the Northern Ireland Office, with dedicated policy support provided by other Government Departments as required.

The work programme and budget for Intertrade UK are under development, and will ensure value for money.

Since the announcement of Baroness Foster as Chair of Intertrade UK in September 2024, preparatory work has been continuing in advance of the first meeting, the date of which will be confirmed soon.

Intertrade UK is a non-statutory advisory body that supports the East-West Council (EWC) in promoting all internal UK trade, made up of a Chair and six dedicated experts. The roles are unremunerated, but a Secretariat function will be provided by the Northern Ireland Office, with dedicated policy support provided by other Government Departments as required.

The work programme and budget for Intertrade UK are under development, and will ensure value for money.

Since the announcement of Baroness Foster as Chair of Intertrade UK in September 2024, preparatory work has been continuing in advance of the first meeting, the date of which will be confirmed soon.

We owe a great debt to our Armed Forces who served in Northern Ireland.

The previous government's Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 has been found to be unlawful and was widely opposed in Northern Ireland, including by some families who lost relatives whilst serving the State.

That legislation does not prevent legal action being brought by prosecutors for Troubles-related offences, although it is clear that, with the passage of time, prosecutions are increasingly unlikely. As this Government puts in place changes to ensure that legacy cases are dealt with sensitively, efficiently and lawfully, we will ensure that any veteran engaging with this process receives welfare and, where appropriate, legal support.

We owe a great debt to our Armed Forces who served in Northern Ireland.

The previous government's Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 has been found to be unlawful and was widely opposed in Northern Ireland, including by some families who lost relatives whilst serving the State.

That legislation does not prevent legal action being brought by prosecutors for Troubles-related offences, although it is clear that, with the passage of time, prosecutions are increasingly unlikely. As this Government puts in place changes to ensure that legacy cases are dealt with sensitively, efficiently and lawfully, we will ensure that any veteran engaging with this process receives welfare and, where appropriate, legal support.

The Government routinely engages with the European Commission on the Windsor Framework and those discussions are confidential. However, I can confirm that no discussions were held between Government and European Union officials that affected the decision by the Secretary of State on the notification in question, which was made solely in accordance with the terms of Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

This Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith, to taking all steps necessary to protect the UK internal market, and to taking forward Safeguarding the Union. The Windsor Framework ensures Northern Ireland’s businesses have unfettered access to their most important market in Great Britain, including Bromsgrove, and the UK internal market system is helping to smooth the flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

We are also seeking a veterinary/SPS agreement with the EU, which would further remove barriers to the movement of animal, food and plant products across the Irish Sea.

The Coroner in the Kingsmill Inquest delivered clear and detailed findings on 12 April 2024, setting out that this was a horrific and sectarian terrorist atrocity carried out by the IRA with absolutely no justification.

While these findings will have provided important information to the families, I also recognise that there remain unanswered questions. We now await the publication of the Police Ombudsman’s report into the Kingsmill shootings.

I would encourage any family still seeking answers in respect of this or any other Troubles-related death or serious injury to speak to the independent Commission about how they might be able to help.

The Windsor Framework established a broad set of arrangements to support Great Britain-based businesses to move goods to Northern Ireland, including to small businesses based in Northern Ireland.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and are front and centre of the Government’s growth mission. The Government is committed to supporting the Executive as it works to generate economic growth. In support of that, I hold regular discussions with ministers and political parties in the Assembly, as well as with businesses and their representative bodies.

The East-West Council has met once since its formation on 26 March 2024. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland hopes to announce the next meeting shortly.

The Government recognises the vital and unique contribution made by Northern Ireland's defence and shipbuilding industries to UK national security. We are committed, as set out in Safeguarding the Union, to further including Northern Ireland companies in the UK defence network.

The Government recently announced a successful outcome in the negotiations over the future of Harland and Wolff. The commercial deal by Navantia is a significant investment in the UK's industrial base and will ensure delivery of the Ministry of Defence’s Fleet Solid Support programme.

We intend to showcase Northern Ireland’s thriving defence sector’s skills, industry, expertise and infrastructure through the ongoing Industrial Defence Strategy led by the Ministry of Defence. This will include sending signals that enhance the incentives for long-term investment in the UK in order to encourage private investment alongside public money.

The Government has made good progress towards supporting the digitisation and exhibition of media and historical archives that reflect the richness and diversity of traditions in Northern Ireland, as set out in Annex B of the Safeguarding the Union command paper, and intends to provide a further update on this work in the coming weeks.

The Government was pleased that the Tanáiste reconfirmed the government of Ireland’s commitment to cooperate with the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, in his statement on 28 January 2025.

Nothing can bring back those that were lost that terrible day in August 1998, but the Government wants to ensure that the Omagh Bombing Inquiry has every chance of success. The Irish Government’s commitment to cooperate with the Inquiry is crucial to that endeavour, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made this point directly in engagement with his counterparts.

Whether the establishment of a separate inquiry in Ireland is required to ensure that the families obtain the information they require is a matter for the Irish Government.

I hope to visit the US soon to build on the already strong partnership between the US and Northern Ireland - and indeed the whole of the UK - including in the crucial areas of trade and investment. The US has been pivotal in supporting peace, stability and prosperity for Northern Ireland, and we will continue working together, with the support of our Embassy in the US, to make Northern Ireland a great place to live, work and do business.

A well staffed and resourced PSNI is vital to the success and stability of Northern Ireland. I regularly engage with the Chief Constable and Justice Minister on issues of shared interest and concern.

The UK Government’s Autumn budget delivered a record £18.2 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive in FY 2025/26 – the largest settlement in real terms in the history of devolution.

Policing in Northern Ireland, apart from national security, is a devolved matter and the allocation of budget to the PSNI is a matter for the Northern Ireland Department of Justice (DoJ). I am aware that the DoJ is continuing to work closely with the Chief Constable and his team to build a robust case for the funding required to recover workforce numbers over the course of the current mandate.

We continue to support the PSNI and recognising the unique security situation in Northern Ireland, the UK Government will provide the PSNI with £37.8 million in Additional Security Funding in 2025/26, an increase from c£32m a year.

Public relations activity is a subset of communication spend. As such, this data is not held. The Government Communication Service encourages the prioritisation of low and no cost public relations activities wherever possible.

It is recommended that all external communications support should be procured through approved government frameworks, with strict controls in place to ensure cost-effectiveness.

The UK Government’s focus remains on working with the Executive and the Assembly to improve public services and generate economic growth.

We remain committed to ensuring the long-term stability of the Northern Ireland institutions and have no current plans to amend the Northern Ireland Act to change the mechanism for choosing an Executive.

Improving health outcomes across the UK is a priority mission for this Government. Although health is devolved in Northern Ireland, the Government has been clear that it wants to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to transform its public services and improve outcomes for people living in Northern Ireland.

UK Government Ministers regularly engage with Executive Ministers in Northern Ireland, including the Health Minister, to discuss plans to improve public services.

The statutory duties applicable to the Secretary of State in respect of the Stormont Brake are provided for in domestic law under Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. This sets out the criteria against which any notification by MLAs is assessed.

The Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act 2019 provides for a redress scheme for victims who suffered abuse while resident in these institutions in Northern Ireland.

The legislation was put in place by the previous UK Government due to the prolonged absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly during that period. As a devolved matter, however, it was drafted by The Executive Office, which is now responsible for administering the Scheme. The Executive Office is therefore the appropriate department to which the Honourable Member for Lagan Valley should direct her query.

The Northern Ireland Office does not hold any contracts with BFS Group Limited or subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited.

The Department for Work and Pensions, as sponsor of the Health and Safety Executive, is the policy lead with regard to regulation of chemicals classification, labelling and packaging across the UK. In that role, the Department for Work and Pensions continuously assesses the adequacy of chemical packaging and labelling regulation across the whole of the UK and engages with industry accordingly. Analysis from this engagement was used as part of the Government’s assessment of the likely impacts of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation, and so informed the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s decision.

Whilst MLAs are required to have taken steps to consult businesses, other traders and civic society affected by the regulation in question prior to making their notification, on 20 January the Government set out its commitment to take any future steps necessary to avoid new barriers that would affect supplies of such products into Northern Ireland. It made this commitment in recognition of the concerns raised by Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly about a specific regulation on Chemical Classification, Labelling and Packaging. The consultation will happen as soon as possible and will determine what further actions are considered necessary to safeguard the UK internal market.

The Government will launch this consultation as soon as possible. The Secretary of State has committed to write to the Chair of the NI Assembly’s Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee to advise of the opening of the consultation. The consultation will take place in good time before the relevant mandatory provisions of the regulation take effect.

Sections 46 and 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 have been found by the Northern Ireland courts to be incompatible with the UK’s human rights obligations. The Government is committed to bringing forward new legacy legislation and as part of this we are looking at all conceivable options for addressing the complex issue of Interim Custody Orders and related compensation claims, in a lawful way.

I can confirm that the Government has refreshed training programmes and materials for both the Home Civil Service and the Diplomatic Service on the Good Friday Agreement and successor agreements, as set out in the Safeguarding the Union command paper. The new training materials are currently being rolled out across the UK Government.

The Carltona principle is an extremely important one which should continue to be upheld, and the Government remains committed to bringing forward legislation in relation to the legacy of the Troubles that is lawful and human rights compliant.

On 4 December 2024, the Secretary of State laid a proposal for a draft remedial order, which represents the first step towards fulfilling the Government’s commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. The remedial order, if adopted by Parliament, will remedy all of the human rights deficiencies in the Act identified by the Northern Ireland High Court in February 2024 in the case of Dillon and Others and one further deficiency - the prohibition on civil proceedings - identified by the Court of Appeal in September 2024.

The Government will also introduce primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, to implement other measures to ensure that the Government fulfils the commitments it has made, including to reform the independent Commission and further strengthen its independence and its powers.

The Government continues to have detailed discussions with the Irish Government on our commitment to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. The Irish Government is an essential partner in this process and we are seeking to agree a way forward, underpinned by the principles set out in the Stormont House Agreement. The full participation of both the UK and Irish governments in all legacy mechanisms is important if we are to provide as much information as possible for as many families as possible across the UK and Ireland who lost loved ones in the Troubles.

Intertrade UK will serve as a non-statutory advisory body that supports the East-West Council (EWC) in promoting all internal UK trade.

We will be providing further details on the membership of the group and how the work of the group will be taken forward in due course.

The Secretary of State acted fully in accordance with the applicable legal duties in relation to the notification provided to him under the terms of Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. As such, this was a decision for the Secretary of State taken solely on the basis of the notification provided and he did not discuss it with the European Commission.

The standard clearance processes were followed when the Government decided to withdraw the ECHR aspects of the appeal in Dillon & others following the ruling of the Northern Ireland High Court. This included sections 46 and 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

Sections 46 and 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 have been found by the Northern Ireland courts to be incompatible with the UK’s human rights obligations. The Government is committed to bringing forward new legacy legislation and as part of this we are looking at all conceivable options for addressing the complex issue of Interim Custody Orders and related compensation claims, in a lawful way.

The Northern Ireland Office offers paternity leave to its staff from their first working day if the employee has worked continuously for the Civil Service for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before their baby is due.

To be eligible for occupational paternity pay, staff must be in paid service at the time the paternity leave starts and have completed at least one year’s paid service in the Civil Service at the expected week of childbirth (EWC).

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.

No. The Civil Service Management Code states that, ‘Departments and agencies may only grant shared parental leave in accordance with the statutory requirements governing eligibility for this category of leave.’ However, some staff could qualify for statutory shared parental leave on their first day of service with a particular department because they already have service with another department.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.

All dismissals are handled in line with current legislation and appropriate Codes of Practice. Where an employee feels they may have been unfairly dismissed, appropriate internal appeal routes may be instigated.

Where an employee is unable to solve a problem internally they may be able to go to an employment tribunal to claim unfair dismissal, as set out in legislation.

This position will be reviewed when unfair dismissal rights are updated in line with proposals in the Employment Rights Bill.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the Country.

Northern Ireland Office Ministers do not use AI. A small number of officials in the department have carried out a time-limited test of the use of AI for taking meeting notes and summarising information. AI is not available to Northern Ireland Office officials at present and is the subject of ongoing discussions.

The appointment of a new Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland is a matter for the First Minister and deputy First Minister.