Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) Shipova case as decided in the European Court of Justice and (b) Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers on gender recognition in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The UK Government is firmly committed to upholding the legal protections established by the Equality Act 2010, including those which protect people against unfair treatment based on the characteristics of sex and gender reassignment.

We have always been clear that the For Women Scotland Supreme Court ruling brought clarity to the definition of ‘sex’ for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.

Equal opportunities and anti-discrimination laws remain devolved matters in Northern Ireland, and the extent of the Equality Act 2010 as set out in law remains unchanged. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has a clear statutory duty, under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, to offer guidance on the meaning and interpretation of equality law within Northern Ireland, including any implications arising from the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in the Shipova case.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many apprentices the Department recruited in 2025 compared with (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Office recruited 1 apprentice in 2023 and 1 in 2025 for a 2-year term. We did not recruit any apprentices in 2022 or 2024.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues in response to reports of suppliers in Great Britain ceasing trade with businesses based in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government continues to take practical action to protect and facilitate trade across the UK internal market. At Budget 2025, the Government announced £16.6 million to strengthen the UK internal market, including funding for an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ regulatory support service and a dedicated budget for Intertrade UK, the non-statutory advisory body established under Safeguarding the Union to help boost trade across the UK. On a wide range of regulatory areas, the Government has been taking action to account for the views of industry and smooth flows of trade within the UK market, including in pharmaceuticals, toy safety, and the labelling of chemicals.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what guidance he has provided to businesses in Great Britain on the Windsor Framework and Northern Ireland's access to the UK internal market.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Extensive guidance is available on GOV.UK for businesses moving goods under the Windsor Framework, alongside support from the Trader Support Service.

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government announced £16.6 million to strengthen the UK internal market and help boost trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This will include a comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ regulatory support service that will provide additional guidance beyond what is currently available on GOV.UK, supporting businesses in Great Britain to trade with Northern Ireland and take advantage of the facilitations made available under the Windsor Framework.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2026 to Question 120605 on Northern Ireland Executive, if he will hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive about funding of Ulster University campus locations at (i) Coleraine and (ii) Belfast following the E-DATA project announcement.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

While the funding and strategic oversight of the higher education sector are devolved matters for the Northern Ireland Executive, the UK Government remains committed to the delivery of the Derry/Londonderry and Strabane City Region City Deal.

Through this City Deal, the UK Government is investing £105 million to support regional growth, which includes funding for the School of Medicine at Ulster University’s Magee Campus. We will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive and other partners on the progression of this City Deal and the PEACEPLUS programme to ensure these investments benefit the wider region.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to proceed with the implementation of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2025.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

On 22 January, the House of Commons approved the Remedial Order, which will remove the conditional immunity provided to terrorists by the previous Government’s immunity scheme.

The scheduling of the debate in the House of Lords will be announced in the usual way.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to proceed with the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Yes. The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will establish a reformed, human rights compliant and wholly independent Legacy Commission, which will carry out investigations and provide family reports to give victims and their families the answers they deserve. The Bill will proceed to Committee stage as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement on farmers in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I understand that the EU-Mercosur interim Trade Agreement will apply provisionally from May 2026, and we will monitor its effects on trade and our imports closely.

While Northern Ireland has access to the EU Single Market in agricultural goods alongside the UK internal market, it is UK trade agreements that Northern Ireland exporters benefit from. This includes farmers and those in the food and drink sector.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to support the resumption of inquests that were discontinued by previous legislation.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Troubles Bill will restore the small number of Troubles-related inquests that were already in progress but then halted by the previous government’s Legacy Act.

Inquests that had not started will be subject to an assessment by the Solicitor General to independently consider whether each case is most appropriately dealt with by the reformed Legacy Commission or the coronial system.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on support for the film industry in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Matthew Patrick - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

This Government knows how important the film industry is, and that is why it is at the heart of our Industrial Strategy.

Northern Ireland has world class creative talent - I got to see that up close at the recent Netflix premiere of How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. That premiere was held at the Queens Film Theatre, recognised just this month as one of the top one hundred cinemas in the world.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 on Northern Ireland.

Answered by Matthew Patrick - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

This month has shown just how volatile the world is and the importance of the investment this Government is making in our defences.

My assessment is that the Defence Growth Deal’s potential is transformative for businesses small and large across Northern Ireland.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 on Northern Ireland.

Answered by Matthew Patrick - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

This month has shown just how volatile the world is and the importance of the investment this Government is making in our defences.

My assessment is that the Defence Growth Deal’s potential is transformative for businesses small and large across Northern Ireland.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The total value of severance payments is set out in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years at: GOV.UK

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the Government is taking steps to support voluntary search and rescue organisations in Northern Ireland, including K9 Search and Rescue (NI); and whether he has had discussions with relevant departments on the provision of funding to assist such organisations in carrying out their work.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Co-ordination of land and inland water rescue is devolved, with search and rescue policy the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Department of Justice and co-ordination of land and inland water search and rescue operations falling to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I have had no discussions on the provision of funding to assist such organisations but understand that the Northern Ireland Department of Justice provides approximately £100,000 of grant funding each year, which is shared across the current nine voluntary search and rescue organisations to help to sustain their capability.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70519, on Public Inquiries, what has been the total public cost to date of the Inquiry into the preventability of the Omagh bombing.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government has the deepest sympathy for all of those affected by the Omagh bomb in August 1998. It was a terrible atrocity committed by the Real IRA at a time when the people of Northern Ireland were looking to a future without violence. Our thoughts are with those who have taken part in the hearings to date and particularly with all those victims affected by the events of that terrible day more than 27 years ago.

The Omagh Bombing Inquiry is an independent statutory public inquiry, established to investigate whether the bombing could reasonably have been prevented. While I am the Sponsor Minister for the Inquiry, it is rightly independent from Government. Inquiry spend is therefore an operational matter for the Inquiry which they publish on their website on a regular basis.

Found: www.parliament.uk/lords Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Office

Found: Authorities/ District Councils; Health and Safety Executive/Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland; Office

Found: The Named Information Officer (NIO) is responsible for ensuring that those dealing with animals in the

Found: The Named Information Officer (NIO) is responsible for ensuring that those dealing with animals in the

Found: The Named Information Officer (NIO) is responsible for ensuring that those dealing with animals in

Found: Defence Statistics liaise with the NISRA who handle the official information on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office

Found: Defence Statistics liaise with the NISRA who handle the official information on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office

Found: Authorities/ District Councils; Health and Safety Executive/Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland; Office

Found: Business, Scottish Government and Matthew Patrick MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office