Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been allocated to support local community initiatives.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

The Northern Ireland Office currently allocates funding to support community initiatives through several grants. The Connect Fund supports organisations to strengthen civic East-West relations through a number of innovative projects and is ongoing with funding available on a yearly basis. NIO’s Engagement for Change Fund was recently awarded to the Women’s Resource and Development Agency for the ‘Grow, Lead, Change’ Project which will support community and voluntary sector organisations to more effectively champion their crucial work and the communities they serve. The forthcoming Community Partnership Fund will provide £1m across three years to established voluntary organisations to support grassroots community groups to develop ambitious ideas, build stronger networks and grow capability to access and deliver funding. The Grant Recipient will be announced later this year.

The Northern Ireland Office will continue to assess gaps in funding for local community initiatives, identifying opportunities for future provision.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of 14 July 2026 to Question HL1786 on United Kingdom: Northern Ireland, whether other proposals from the Safeguarding the Union policy paper have been discontinued since July 2024.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

The Government is continuing to implement the Safeguarding the Union command paper and to support Northern Ireland's place in the Union: this includes the East-West Council meeting again in January 2026; the allocation of £2.25 million for Intertrade UK over the next three years; the announcement of a pilot twinning programme between schools in England and Northern Ireland; and the launch of the Northern Ireland Defence Growth Deal in April 2026, which includes a £50 million investment to support well-paid and highly-skilled jobs.

I would also refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided by my Noble Friend Baroness Anderson to HL2297 on 28 July, which further outlined how Safeguarding the Union commitments are embedded throughout the work of the Government.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department’s (a) Permanent Secretary and (b) Ministers have had correspondence with Flint Global since July 2024.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

Since 2024, there has been no correspondence between Flint Global and Ministers or the Permanent Secretary.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of access to legal aid in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

The Legal Services Agency, an executive agency sponsored by the Northern Ireland Department of Justice, administers the provision of legal aid in Northern Ireland.

Questions on the adequacy of access to legal aid should be directed to the Department of Justice who conducted a fundamental review of legal aid in January this year.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on his engagement with the Government of Ireland since his appointment as Secretary of State.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

The UK Government is acutely aware of the importance of the UK-Ireland relationship. Since taking office, the Secretary of State has continued to build on the reset in relations. In August, he travelled to Dublin to meet with Irish Government counterparts, and held bilateral discussions with Minister McEntee at the recent British Irish Association conference in Oxford.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, further to the answer of 3 June 2026, to Question 3339, on Special Advisers: Public Appointments, how many delivery advisers have been appointed to date, broken down by (a) special advisers, (b) Direct Ministerial Appointments, (c) civil servants appointed by exception, and (d) permanent civil servants appointed through open competition.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

A list of special advisers by department is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers which is laid in parliament. In respect of part (b) to (d), to date, no delivery advisers have been appointed within the Northern Ireland Office via Direct Ministerial Appointments, as civil servants appointed by exception or as permanent civil servants appointed through open competition.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of prison conditions and overcrowding, in relation to Maghaberry and Hydebank Wood.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

There is regular engagement with the Northern Ireland Department of Justice to discuss areas of mutual interest and concern.

However, as a result of the devolution of policing and justice in 2010, the Department of Justice (DoJ) is primarily responsible for the operation of the prison estate in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department monitors the amount of food waste generated by its offices each month.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

The Northern Ireland Office does not operate any catering outlets or cafeterias within its office estate. Consequently, the Department does not generate food waste and does not monitor food waste levels.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in calendar year 2026 to date; in what specific venues; at what cost; and if there was any associated social or team-building activity at public expense.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

During the calendar year 2026 to date, one Senior Civil Servant away day has taken place at Hillsborough Castle. No associated social or team-building activity was incurred at public expense. The total cost of the event was £3,898.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make an estimate of the number of hours spent (a) responding to and (b) preparing for Westminster Hall Debates by (i) government ministers, (ii) civil servants and (iii) special advisers in his Department for each parliamentary session for which the information is available.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

It is not possible to provide an estimate for hours spent preparing Ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates. There will be differences in the Civil Service, Special Adviser and Ministerial time depending on the policy matter and length of the debate. Debates can also be cross-cutting and require resources from multiple departments or engage departmental bodies.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Minister for Communities in Northern Ireland regarding reform of licensing laws, including the surrender principle, and the creation of a new licensing system to invigorate the brewing and pub sector.

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)

Northern Ireland has a rich and vibrant hospitality sector, with a wide range of pubs and brewing companies. Recent examples such as the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast have demonstrated the vital role this sector plays in the economy and life of Northern Ireland.

This Government has shown its commitment to supporting the brewing and pub sector with Pubs, clubs and live music venues receiving a 20% cut to their business rates bills. This is of course devolved to Northern Ireland, but the Government wants to work with the Executive to support our pubs and brewers amidst the rising cost of living.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funding has been allocated for renewable energy projects.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

Energy policy is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. To support renewable energy policies, in December 2025 Great British Energy provided £1.66 million to the Northern Ireland Executive. This will support public sector renewable energy projects. For example, the Further Education sector will benefit from clean energy through installation of Solar PV and battery storage technology at four further education colleges including, South West College, South Eastern Regional College, Northern Regional College and Belfast Met College.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps are being taken to tackle hate crimes and sectarian incidents.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

Incidences of hate crimes and sectarianism are deplorable and have no justification. Nearly thirty years on from the Good Friday Agreement, there is no place for this kind of intolerance in Northern Ireland.

Issues relating to justice, including sectarianism and hate crime legislation and policy, are devolved matters. The Northern Ireland Office is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to building a safer society in which current and future generations feel secure, respected and more reconciled.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the implications for businesses in Northern Ireland of proposed European Union food supplement regulations.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

NIO Ministers engage regularly with Cabinet colleagues on a variety of issues including European Union Regulations applying in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, such as the European Union food supplement regulations..

The UK Government is negotiating a new strategic partnership with the EU called a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement. It is the Government’s intention that the agreement will take effect in mid-2027. Legislation relating to food supplements and the addition of vitamins and minerals to foods is within scope of the SPS agreement.

An SPS agreement would mean that legislation in-scope of the agreement in Great Britain, would dynamically align with equivalent legislation in the EU. This also means that regulations for businesses in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be aligned.

Therefore, if EU Food Supplements Regulations are updated in the future to include maximum levels of vitamins and minerals, these regulations in Great Britain will be updated, too.

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