Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
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 break up of Spirit on the Northern Ireland economy.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is working with the Northern Ireland Executive to help ensure the best outcome for Spirit Aerospace and all its skilled and hardworking staff.
The Northern Ireland Office and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are fully aware of the commercial discussions taking place about the potential acquisition of the Spirit business. DBT continues to be in contact with Spirit, Airbus, Boeing and other potential buyers and we want to see an outcome that includes a commitment to develop and grow the aerospace industry in Northern Ireland both directly and through the supply chain.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
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 Airbus not completing the takeover of the Spirit AeroSystems site in Belfast on jobs (a) at Airbus and (b) throughout the supply chain in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) Britain.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
My Department and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is fully aware of the commercial discussions taking place about the potential acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems business. The Government is working with the Northern Ireland Executive to help ensure the best outcome for Spirit and all its skilled and hard working staff.
DBT continues to be in contact with Spirit, Airbus, Boeing and other potential buyers. We want to see an outcome for Spirit that includes a commitment to develop Spirit and its supply chain as part of any acquisition and provides the best possible opportunity for growth and jobs in Northern Ireland.
The UK Government is aware Spirit employs nearly five thousand staff at its sites in Northern Ireland and Scotland supplying world-class aerospace products across the globe. It is for this reason, and its contribution to the UK’s economy, that UKG has a keen interest in seeing that any acquisition provides the best opportunity for growth and investment.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent steps he has taken to support the expansion of university provision in Derry/Londonderry under the terms of the New Decade, New Approach agreement.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As part of our mission-led approach, this Government is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to address regional economic imbalances, including through good university provision in the North West.
The Derry & Strabane City and Region Deal was signed on 18 September 2024. This deal will help support university expansion in Derry/Londonderry through a £39 million investment into Ulster University’s Cognitive Analytics & Digital Robotics Innovation Centre. This is in addition to investment towards Phase 2 of the School of Medicine project, including a Medical Education Facility on the Altnagelvin Hospital site.
This Government will continue to work with the Executive to deliver high-quality university education in Derry/Londonderry, and deliver the City Deal programme to provide capital investment that supports expanded provision at Ulster University’s Magee Campus as set out in NDNA.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on ensuring the continuity of full employment at the Spirit AeroSystems site in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is working with the Northern Ireland Executive to help ensure the best outcome for Spirit Aerospace and all its skilled and hardworking staff.
The Northern Ireland Office and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are fully aware of the commercial discussions taking place about the potential acquisition of the Spirit business. DBT continues to be in contact with Spirit, Airbus, Boeing and other potential buyers, and we want to see an outcome that includes a commitment to develop Spirit and its supply chain as part of any acquisition and provides the best possible opportunity for growth in Northern Ireland.
DBT continues to provide over £13 million of support for Spirit’ Research and Development activity through the Aerospace Technology Institute programme.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to support Spirit AeroSystems (a) production and (b) jobs.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is working with the Northern Ireland Executive to help ensure the best outcome for Spirit Aerosystems and all its skilled and hardworking staff.
The Northern Ireland Office and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are fully aware of the commercial discussions taking place about the potential acquisition of the Spirit business. DBT continues to be in contact with Spirit, Airbus, Boeing and other potential buyers, and we want to see an outcome that includes a commitment to develop Spirit and its supply chain as part of any acquisition and provides the best possible opportunity for growth in Northern Ireland.
DBT continues to provide support for Spirit’s Research and Development activity through the Aerospace Technology Institute programme.
Asked by: Peter Fortune (Conservative - Bromley and Biggin Hill)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation on Non-Jury Trials Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007, published on 9 December 2024.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The consultation on the non-jury trial provisions under the Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 was drafted to ensure that as many people as possible are given the opportunity to share their views on the non-jury trial provisions. As well as publishing on GOV.UK, links to the consultation were sent directly to a selection of relevant stakeholders, including those from the legal profession, law enforcement and academia in order to encourage responses. A link to the consultation was also shared on the Northern Ireland Office’s X account.
The consultation provides two methods of response; a direct email address and a postal address.
The Northern Ireland Office will provide the consultation document in alternative accessible formats on request. The GOV.UK page provides an email address that members of the public can use to request an alternative format and encourages respondents to specify what format they require and, if relevant, what assistive technology they use.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Chemical Industries Association about the (a) access to and (b) regulation of safe and approved chemicals in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department for Work and Pensions is the policy lead with regard to chemical regulation across the UK, as sponsor of the Health and Safety Executive.
In that role, the Department for Work and Pensions continuously assesses the adequacy of chemical regulation across the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the conditions for notification to the EU that the Stormont Brake has been triggered have been met on Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is under statutory obligations to assess any Stormont Brake notification against the tests set out by law. I will make a decision in due course.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of chemical regulation in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department for Work and Pensions is the policy lead with regard to chemical regulation across the UK, as sponsor of the Health and Safety Executive.
In that role, the Department for Work and Pensions continuously assesses the adequacy of chemical regulation across the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the work of Intertrade UK is not affected by trade barriers faced by some GB-based businesses supplying to Northern Ireland-based consumers.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
A key focus for Intertrade UK will be to promote the full extent of the UK’s market to businesses and traders and to help to counter any misconceptions businesses and traders in Great Britain may have about providing goods and services in Northern Ireland.
I expect to be in a position to announce the full membership of Intertrade UK and the date of the first meeting shortly.