Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the funding implications of the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy announced in December 2025.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Strong transport connections are vital to strengthen links between communities and allow business to grow. I welcome the publication of the Rail Project Priorisation Strategy in December. Improved infrastructure in Northern Ireland will help support the Executive’s plans for economic growth and enable people to get to where they need to be.

As transport, including railways, are devolved it is for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine their infrastructure investment priorities, within the record funding settlement for Northern Ireland announced by the Chancellor at the spending review.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent engagement he has had with the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland about the trade priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I meet regularly with the First Minister and deputy First Minister to discuss a range of issues, including trade.

I also chaired the East-West Council on 22 January 2026, attended by both the First Minister and deputy First Minister, which included a discussion of the £16.6 million provided to Northern Ireland via the Internal Market Package, to support East-West trade; and, an update on the work of Intertrade UK and the £2.25 million funding it received in the budget.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Northern Ireland on the trade priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I meet regularly with the First Minister and deputy First Minister to discuss a range of issues, including trade.

I also chaired the East-West Council on 22 January 2026, attended by both the First Minister and deputy First Minister, which included a discussion of the £16.6 million provided to Northern Ireland via the Internal Market Package, to support East-West trade; and, an update on the work of Intertrade UK and the £2.25 million funding it received in the budget.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Minister of Health for Northern Ireland on the work of the NHS in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities.

While health is a devolved matter, the Government is committed to supporting the Executive to deliver sustainable, high-quality, and accessible public services for the people of Northern Ireland. I welcome the progress made under the Health Minister's Reset Plan, which has already produced some tangible results, including significant reductions in waiting lists and the successful rollout of the Encompass digital record system.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent engagement he has had with businesses in Co Tyrone.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Minister Patrick has met with Mallaghan Engineering in Dungannon to discuss their apprenticeship programme.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the board of InterTrade UK.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I met with the Chair of Intertrade UK, Baroness Foster, last month at the East-West Council to hear an update on the Board’s work to date and its future plans.

I have also engaged directly with Intertrade UK on the advice they have submitted to me on issues affecting UK internal market trade. This has included the Windsor Framework, veterinary medicines, vehicle type approvals and customs arrangements.

I look forward to engaging with the Board further as they continue to implement their work programme.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Northern Ireland on the health priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities.

While health is a devolved matter, the Government is committed to supporting the Executive to deliver sustainable, high-quality, and accessible public services for the people of Northern Ireland. I welcome the progress made under the Health Minister's Reset Plan, which has already produced some tangible results, including significant reductions in waiting lists and the successful rollout of the Encompass digital record system.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent engagement he has had with the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland about the environmental priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities.

The environment is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of the Executive’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Northern Ireland on the environmental priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities.

The environment is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of the Executive’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent engagement he has had with the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland about the transport priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities.

Transport is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of the Executive’s Infrastructure Minister.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Northern Ireland on the transport priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities.

Transport is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of the Executive’s Infrastructure Minister.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent engagement he has had with businesses in Co Down.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I have met with Eakin Healthcare in Comber, The Exact Group in Newry and Lakeland Dairies in Newtownards.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent engagement he has had with businesses in Co Armagh.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I have met with Wilson’s Country in Portadown.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent engagement he has had with businesses in Country Antrim.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I have met with Deloitte, Belfast Harbour, Leckey, Camlin, as well as PRM Group, Thales, Studio Ulster, and Stena Line. Additionally, I have regular engagement with Institute of Directors NI, Federation of Small Businesses NI, NI Chamber, Belfast Chamber and NIBBWG on matters relating to business across Northern Ireland.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent engagement he has had with businesses in Derry/Londonderry.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I have met with Alchemy Technology Services, Derry-Londonderry Chamber of Commerce and Foyle Port.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with InterTrade UK on the support his Department is able to provide on the (a) operations and (b) objectives of that body.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I engage regularly with Intertrade UK, most recently when I met its Chair Baroness Foster in January at the East-West Council in Belfast, where I heard an update on Intertrade UK’s work to date and its future plans.

The Northern Ireland Office provides secretariat support for Intertrade UK, as set out in its terms of reference, which are publicly available alongside the group’s work programme here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/intertrade-uk-terms-of-reference-and-work-programme

At last year’s Autumn Budget, the Government allocated £2.25 million over the next three years to Intertrade UK to support implementation of its published work programme. This formed part of a wider £16.6m package to strengthen trade within the UK internal market.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many directors with responsibility for human resources are employed across their department and its executive agencies; and how many of those directors hold professional HR qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development or equivalent professional bodies.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

There is one Director with responsibility for Human Resources who is the Northern Ireland Office’s Chief Operating Officer. This Director does not hold professional HR qualifications.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the differences in shipping tax between Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Wight under the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Reforms to the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are agreed jointly by Ministers in all four nations who have equal decision-making power. We have consulted extensively on this since March 2022. Obligations under the scheme apply uniformly to all nations in the UK.

A 50% deduction has been applied for voyages in either direction between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. This will ensure parity and prevent distortions with routes between the island of Ireland and Great Britain, which are included under the EU ETS.

A limited exemption applies for ferries serving Scotland's islands and peninsulas given legal duties under the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a list of commitments contained in the Safeguarding the Union command paper (CP1021), published on 31 January 2024, which have yet to be implemented in full.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to continuing to take forward the Safeguarding the Union command paper, and to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK Internal Market.

We continue to make progress on delivering the commitments made in the command paper. For instance in 2025, three centuries of the News Letter were digitised and there remains no Border Control Post at Cairnryan. In January, the East-West Council met for the third time, where the Government announced there would be a pilot for the UK school twinning programme. This will focus on reading and is being developed between the UK Government’s Department for Education and the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Education.

Other recent steps include the allocation of £2.25 million for Intertrade UK over the next three years and the opening of round two of the Connect Fund to support community and voluntary groups. In line with commitments made in Safeguarding the Union, in December the Government published our response to Lord Murphy’s Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, and is now taking action on its recommendations.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with cabinet colleagues about the potential impact on the a) effectiveness and b) future of the Common Travel Area between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland of the insistence of airlines that passengers travelling between both countries now require valid passports.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Common Travel Area is a long-standing successful arrangement. In the UK-Ireland 2030 Joint Statement, the Prime Minister and Taoiseach committed to working together to protect the integrity and security of the Common Travel Area. It is the case that many air and sea carriers require some form of identification in order to use their services and some carriers regard a passport as the only valid form of identification.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently chaired the East-West Council in Belfast where the Minister for Early Years reported on the significant collaboration between all four nations of the UK regarding the National Year of Reading.

This Government remains committed to working with partners across the United Kingdom to collaborate to share best practices.

Education is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive, and decisions about the National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland are for the Northern Ireland Education Minister.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many (a) public engagements and (b) private meetings Ministers in their Department have undertaken related to the national conversation on defence and security.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, officials, and external experts on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement so that Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This will address the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

The Northern Ireland Office is actively supporting this work by hosting roundtable discussions with defence industry representatives, businesses and academia to better understand the contribution of the defence sector in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether (a) his Department and (b) the arms length bodies sponsored by his Department are compliant with the Supreme Court ruling in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025].

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

We have set out our expectation that all duty bearers, including Departments and arms length bodies, follow the law as clarified by the Supreme Court ruling and seek specialist legal advice where necessary. The Prime Minister has underlined this recently.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has submitted a draft Code of Practice on services, public functions and associations to Ministers, and we are reviewing it with the care it deserves. This will provide further guidance to duty bearers.

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 British Council’s Study USA programme in Northern Ireland on career progression, global skills and economic mobility for university students, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds; and what steps he is taking to ensure support for students not otherwise able to access international study opportunities.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The British Council Study USA initiative is a great programme that has benefited the career development of many students in Northern Ireland over its 30 years. Skills and further/higher education is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy and we will continue to work closely with them to ensure the appropriate support for lower-income students wishing to study abroad is in place.

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

Found: 1.381Budget Cover Transfer (DBT) relating to Music Export Growth Scheme-0.8-0.8Budget Cover Transfer (NIO

Found: Community Fund EY Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission EY Northern Ireland NLF EY Northern Ireland Office

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether there will be an open call for the new Local Growth Fund.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department are working in close partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Executive to design and deliver the new Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland. More detailed information on delivery of the funding will follow.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of whether the proposed funding allocations of the Local Growth Fund align with the Northern Ireland Economic Strategy.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Local Growth Fund will drive economic growth and improve living standards by supporting infrastructure, innovation, business support and skills. MHCLG and the Northern Ireland Office are working with the Northern Ireland Executive to design and deliver the funding in Northern Ireland, ensuring that investment aligns with Northern Ireland’s priorities and delivers meaningful impact for local people.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of the Government estate is managed by the Government Property Agency; which departments, arm’s-length bodies or property portfolios lie within its direct management responsibilities; and what the Government Property Agency’s total expenditure was in 2024–25 on measuring, collecting, reporting or validating greenhouse gas emissions in respect of the parts of the estate for which it is responsible.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Fifty-three per cent (2023/24 53 per cent) of the central government office portfolio, covering c.1,100,000 sqm has been transferred to the Government Property Agency. The Agency provides portfolio services to the following Government departments:

• Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

• Attorney General’s Office

• Cabinet Office

• Care Quality Commission

• Companies House

• Crown Commercial Service

• Crown Prosecution Service

• Department for Business & Trade

• Department for Education

• Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero

• Department for Culture Media and Sport

• Department of Health & Social Care

• Government Actuary’s Department

• Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government

• Disclosure & Barring Services

• Northern Ireland Office

• The Insolvency Service

• Foreign & Commonwealth Office

• HM Land Registry

• HM Treasury

• Food Standards Agency

• Great British Nuclear

• Ministry of Justice

• National Savings & Investments

• Office of the Public Guardian

• OfQual

The GPA calculates greenhouse gas emissions for office space occupied by GPA staff and provides utility consumption data for departments occupying other buildings within its managed estate. As this activity is performed by staff as part of their wider duties, the exact amount of time allocated to this specific activity is not centrally recorded.

Found: that there should be designated Windsor Framework/EU Ministers in the Executive and/or the Northern Ireland Office