Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has he made of the potential implications for his policies of the conclusions of the report by the Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel, published on 5 December 2025, on Business friendly guidance on gov.uk.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government considered the issues raised in the Independent Monitoring Panel’s report as part of its response to the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework. This includes a commitment to delivering an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ advice service for small businesses, beyond what is available on GOV.UK, and this is set out at Paragraph 50 of the Government’s response and thereafter. The Government’s response to the Review, and relevant issues raised in the Panel’s report, is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-independent-review-of-the-windsor-framework

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025

Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/northern-ireland-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the past three years.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Due to the difficulty of disaggregating the number of staff who are employed to produce social media content from staff who are employed to work on broader digital communications, it is not possible to report exact figures in response to this question.

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)

The defence of the United Kingdom is always the first duty of any Government.

As part of our defence industrial strategy, we will invest £250m across five regions for Defence Growth Deals - including one in Northern Ireland which already boasts a booming defence sector - and it looks like it will only get stronger in 2026.

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)

The defence of the United Kingdom is always the first duty of any Government.

As part of our defence industrial strategy, we will invest £250m across five regions for Defence Growth Deals - including one in Northern Ireland which already boasts a booming defence sector - and it looks like it will only get stronger in 2026.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Irish Government on the €14million Shared Island Media initiative.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I regularly engage with the Irish Government on a number of issues of interest to both Governments, but to date, no discussions have taken place on the Irish Government’s Shared Island Media Fund.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase trade and business co-operation between Northern Ireland and a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government is committed to strengthening trade and business cooperation across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Last year, I established Intertrade UK which aims to promote and boost trade in goods and services across the United Kingdom and ensure that the benefits of the UK Internal Market are fully realised by businesses.

At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor allocated £2.25 million over the next three fiscal years to support Intertrade UK to implement its work programme to improve trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Intertrade UK is now considering how best to deploy this new funding and I look forward to seeing the results of its future work.

Through our Industrial Strategy, we are also supporting growth in eight identified sectors, fostering opportunities for collaboration where Northern Ireland shares industrial strengths with regions such as Staffordshire.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the National Health Service in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I engage regularly with the Executive on public services, including health. While health is a devolved matter, this Government is committed to being an active partner in supporting the Executive to deliver high-quality, accessible and sustainable public services, and in assisting through the Public Sector Transformation Board.

We all recognise the pressures facing the health service and that transformation requires prioritisation and difficult decisions. I welcome the progress made by the Health Minister to date.

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 improving public transport provision.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I meet regularly with Executive Ministers to discuss a range of issues, including how this Government can support public service transformation. While public transport is a devolved matter, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently met with the Infrastructure Minister to discuss the critical role of infrastructure in connecting communities and facilitating economic growth in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 99008, who is responsible for conducting the national security vetting for the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) acts as service providers for National Security Vetting (NSV) across His Majesty’s Government (HMG) for specific roles affording access to Protectively Marked Materials (PMM) sites and assets. The ultimate decision on whether to grant any level of NSV will be taken either by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), the department or police force that requires the individual to hold clearance, or by the sponsoring authority that carries out this task on behalf of departments.

In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether veterans groups were consulted on the six lawful and deliverable protections in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government has announced new protections and safeguards designed specifically for veterans that were not included in the 2023 Legacy Act, and that respond directly to the views expressed by veterans during engagements that the Government has undertaken.

All of the protections that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.

The Government continues to engage closely with veterans and their representatives at both ministerial and official level, and to listen to their views. This includes meetings with the UK Veterans Commissioners, the Royal British Legion, and specific regimental associations.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100839, if he will make an estimate of the number of people who are likely to be eligible for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme is a devolved matter and is run by the Victim's Payment Board on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive. Matters of eligibility are for the Board.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of a rail connection to Belfast International Airport on economic growth across the United Kingdom.

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

Belfast International Airport is vital not just for Northern Ireland’s connectivity but for economic growth across the whole of the UK.

While civil aviation is a reserved matter, the development of airports in Northern Ireland, and the surface transport serving them, is devolved. It is therefore for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine their infrastructure investment priorities, including any potential rail connection, 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 discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential merits of a train connection to Belfast International Airport.

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

The Government recognises that connectivity is vital for supporting economic growth and opportunity across the United Kingdom.

I note that the Northern Ireland Executive recently received the findings from the Translink feasibility study into the reopening of the Antrim-Lisburn line, which includes options for a connection to Belfast International Airport.

The Executive also recently received the final report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which considers this project a priority. As transport is a devolved matter, it is for the Executive to determine their infrastructure investment priorities based on these findings and to allocate funding from the record financial settlement of £19.3 billion for 2025-26.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

My officials and I regularly meet with the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) to discuss the views of the farming community in Northern Ireland, the Government’s international trade policy and movements of agrifood products within the UK internal market.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I wrote to the UFU on 23 December setting out the Government’s changes to inheritance tax and Agricultural Property Relief. These changes will protect more farms and businesses, while maintaining the core principle that more valuable agricultural and business assets should not receive unlimited relief.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the environmental condition of Lough Neagh.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The blue-green algae which we have seen develop over recent years in Lough Neagh is very worrying and has had a serious impact on the environmental health of the Lough.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State recently met with Northern Ireland’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, and discussed the environmental impact on Lough Neagh, the Lough Neagh Action Plan and where the UK Government can support the Department in tackling the pollution in Lough Neagh.

Whilst the protection and conservation of the Lough is a devolved matter, this Government recognises the vital importance of Lough Neagh and will continue to engage with the Executive on this issue.

Found: , Communities & Local Government 7.6 Minister of Defence 81.9 Ministry of Justice 13.5 Northern Ireland Office

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on ensuring greater prominence of TG4 on Freeview.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Following representations made by TG4 and by Irish Ministers, we are considering whether to extend prominence for TG4 services broadcasting in Northern Ireland.

We are discussing the request with the Northern Ireland Office and other Cabinet colleagues and will make a statement on this early in the new year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Local Growth Fund 2024/25 has been allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive.

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

The UK Government will invest £45.5 million per annum of the Spending Review period to provide targeted, long-term funding to support local growth across Northern Ireland.

The Local Growth Fund will begin delivery next April, and will be designed and delivered in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive, the Northern Ireland Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

More information on the Local Growth fund in Northern Ireland including the delivery model will be set out soon.

Found: attendees responded to the poll. 9 6 11 11 12 7 3 9 6 7 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Other Lay member HOLC NIO

Found: select all that apply) Poll Chair Secretary PPL holder NVS PIL holder NACWO NTCO NPRC HOLC Lay member NIO

Found: that it had set out in representations and correspondence to the Department of Justice, the Northern Ireland Office