Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the European Union regarding the future of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is committed to building a closer and ambitious relationship with the EU, to the advantage of the whole of the UK. This includes through new agreements on agri-food, electricity and emissions trading, which will benefit Northern Ireland through the Windsor Framework by smoothing flows of trade, lowering prices and increasing choice for consumers.
The Government remains clear that Northern Ireland’s trading arrangements should serve to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, account for Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances, and in doing so protect its access to both the UK and EU markets. Only that way can we deliver the certainty for businesses that has made Northern Ireland one of the fastest growing parts of the UK.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Northern Ireland regarding further reforms to the operation of the political institutions established under Strand One of the Belfast Agreement, as amended by subsequent Agreements.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland remains committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to discuss all issues of interest, including ensuring the stability of devolved government, with the aim of improving public services and the sustainability of public finances.
Several of the Northern Ireland parties have set out proposals for reform and the Secretary of State looks forward to discussing them further.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will rule out stating the criteria that would be used to make an assessment as to whether the criteria requiring them to hold a poll in accordance with Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 has been satisfied.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
In accordance with the Good Friday Agreement and the Principle of Consent, Northern Ireland will remain part of the UK for as long as its people wish for it to be.
There is no clear basis to suggest that a majority of people in Northern Ireland presently wish to separate from the United Kingdom.
As set out in the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the duty to call such a poll rests with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland alone.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 8 May (HL6823), what progress has been made on the independent public history examining UK Government policy in Northern Ireland during the Troubles; and what is (1) the current projected budget for this project, and (2) the timetable for completion.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government remains committed to an independent and objective examination of UK Government policy in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and progress continues to be made. Supported by the project’s independent expert advisory panel, the recruitment of a team of historians is now in its final stages, and we expect to make further announcements on this in the near future. The total budget for the project is £3.6 million over its life cycle. The estimated timetable for completion is five years.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to make further progress with the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is committed to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill which will replace the flawed Legacy Act with a fair, transparent system that will allow victims and their families obtain the answers they have long sought, and provide robust and deliverable protections for our former service personnel.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 14 July (HL1786), whether they will now answer the question asked; and if the commitment in Annex B of the Command Paper Safeguarding the Union to publish a series of papers that make the case by sector for Northern Ireland’s place in the Union is still being pursued, what is the timetable for publication.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 14 July (HL1786), which outlines how the referenced commitment is embedded throughout the continued work of the Government.
The implementation of several Government strategies have been accompanied by the publication of Northern Ireland-specific papers that evidence the mutual benefits of the Union and include long-term plans to support specific sectors. For instance, the launch of the Industrial Strategy in June 2025 was complemented by the publication of a Northern Ireland-specific paper. This paper analysed the Northern Ireland industrial sector, identified the key areas that add significant value to the UK as a whole, and outlined the long-term plan to support and grow the sector.
Through this approach, the Government is moving beyond high-level commitments to deliver tangible results that demonstrate the mutual benefits of Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether proposed reforms to Northern Ireland’s political institutions will be discussed in accordance with paragraph 15 of the consultation paper Ground Rules for Substantive All-Party Negotiations, published on 15 March 1996, which states that negotiations will involve the British Government and the political parties and that the Irish Government would be kept informed of progress through agreed liaison arrangements.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recognises the growing discussion among the people in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland parties, about how the political institutions could work more effectively and collaboratively.
The UK Government remains open to discussing any proposals put forward by the parties that could command the widest possible support.
The Irish Government is a valued partner and co-signatory to the Good Friday Agreement. We remain in regular dialogue on a range of issues, through established fora.
Asked by: Lord Garnier (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide an update on the work of the East-West Council established under the command paper Safeguarding the Union (CP1021), published on 31 January 2024.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is continuing to implement the Safeguarding the Union command paper, which includes delivering regular meetings of the East-West Council.
The most recent EWC meeting took place in January on the theme of Connectivity: improving East-West trade and community links across the UK. This meeting included four UK Government Ministers from three departments, demonstrating the Government’s broad and deep commitment to delivering for people in Northern Ireland. We intend that the Council will next meet in autumn 2026.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their policy on securing the ongoing status of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the UK; and what plans they have proactively to support and strengthen this status, including making the public case for it.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
This Government continues to support Northern Ireland within the Union. We remain focused on delivering real, tangible benefits of the Union for everyone in Northern Ireland. This includes delivering economic growth in every postcode, providing practical support for families in Northern Ireland and across the UK, and working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive for the benefit of the people of Northern Ireland.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, other than special advisers if his Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Since July 2024, my Department has made several appointments of individuals from outside the civil service to public bodies and advisory roles.
Appointments made by the Northern Ireland Office generally fall within three categories: Public Appointments regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Unregulated Public Appointments and Direct Ministerial Appointments.
Regulated appointments follow the strict processes set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments, while Direct Ministerial Appointments are made to provide short-term advisory functions, bringing specialist external expertise directly to Ministers.
In line with our transparency obligations, all such appointments are factually recorded and announced publicly on the Northern Ireland Office GOV.UK page:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/northern-ireland-office
Appointments made since July 2024 are as follows:
Regulated Public Appointments:
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland
Nazia Latif was appointed as Commissioner on 1 September 2024.
Geraldine McGahey was reappointed as Chief Commissioner from 1 March 2025.
Maureen Brunt, Siobhan Cullen, Ellen Finlay, Monica Fitzpatrick, John McAllister and Preeti Yellamaty were reappointed as Commissioners and Harry Robinson was appointed as Commissioner, with each to commence from 1 June 2025.
Stephen Matthews and Lisa Caldwell were reappointed as Commissioners from 1 March 2026.
A short term extension to the appointment of Neil Anderson as Deputy Chief Commissioner was announced with effect from 1 March 2026.
Kevin Doherty was appointed as a Commissioner with effect from 5 March 2026.
Colin Kennedy was appointed as a Deputy Chief Commissioner with effect from 1 September 2026.
Kristel Miller was appointed as a Commissioner with effect from 1 September 2026.
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Mairead Holder was appointed as Commissioner on 1 September 2024.
Northern Ireland Office Non-Executive Board Member
Fiona Ross was reappointed as a Non-Executive Director to the Northern Ireland Office on 1 March 2026.
A short term extension to the appointment of Les Philpott as Lead Non-Executive Director to the NIO was announced with effect from 30 September 2026.
Unregulated Public Appointments:
Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland
David MacAnulty and Donald Leeson were appointed as Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland with effect from 1 October 2025.
NI Veterans Commissioner's Office Commissioner Reappointment
David Johnstone was reappointed to a second term with effect from 1 September 2026.
Independent Reporting Commission
John McBurney, Mitchell Reis and Monica McWilliams had their appointments as Commissioners extended with effect from 1 October 2026.
Direct Ministerial Appointments:
Robert Hamill Inquiry
Sir John Evans was appointed as Chair on 7 October 2024.
Intertrade UK
Baroness Arlene Foster was appointed as Chair, and Dr Esmond Birnie, Kirsty McManus, Suzanne Wylie, Roger Pollen and Angela McGowan were appointed as Members on 28 February 2025.
Board of the International Fund for Ireland
Jointly appointed with the Irish Government, Shona McCarthy was appointed as Chair, alongside board members Janet McConkey, Katy Hayward, Angila Chada, and Bill Pauley on 1 March 2025. Anne Conaghan and Anne Carr were also reappointed to the Board on 1 March 2025.
Independent Expert Advisory Panel - Official History of UK Government Policy during the Troubles
Lord Paul Bew, Professor Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid, Professor Henry Patterson, Professor Richard Bourke, Professor Helen Parr and Professor Ian McBride were appointed the independent expert advisory panel to make recommendations on key details of this project in April 2025.
Patrick Finucane Inquiry
Sir Gary Hickinbottom was appointed as Chair and Baroness Nuala O’Loan and Francesca Del Mese were appointed as Assessors on 13 June 2025.
Independent Expert on Paramilitary Group Transition to Disbandment
Fleur Ravensbergen was appointed on 23 September 2025, in a joint appointment with the Irish Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.
All appointments listed above have been published on the Northern Ireland Office GOV.UK page. Further details on all public and direct ministerial appointments are regularly published.