Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the impact on jobs and profitability in the Northern Ireland hospitality sector of the announcements in the Budget of (1) the increase in the rate of employer national insurance contributions, and (2) the rise in the national minimum wage.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Northern Ireland has a thriving hospitality sector, and this Government is committed to working with the NI Executive to support sustainable economic growth. The settlement for Northern Ireland in the Budget is the biggest real terms settlement since devolution.
To repair the £22bn black hole inherited by the Government and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance. We recognise the need to protect the smallest employers which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year.
The Government is adopting recommendations of the Low Pay Commission to increase the National Living Wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour, and increasing the National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds by 16.3%. There are estimated to be almost 100,000 minimum wage workers in Northern Ireland in 2023.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 23 October 2024 (HL1707), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, what progress they have made in establishing the Castlereagh Foundation provided for in section 8 of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Executive Office is responsible for taking forward the necessary arrangements to implement the commenced provisions of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 which contains provisions for the establishment of the Castlereagh Foundation. The Government expects the Executive Office will make an announcement in due course regarding next steps on implementation of the legislation. The Government wants to see devolved institutions in Northern Ireland consider the provisions set out under the legislation themselves before any consideration of using or commencing the powers provided for in section 8.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in establishing each of the following bodies and offices provided for by the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022: (1) the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression, (2) an Irish Language Commissioner, (3) a Commissioner for the Ulster Scots and the Ulster British tradition; and when they expect all of these bodies and offices be fully functioning.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill 2022 makes provision for the establishment of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression, an Irish Language Commissioner, and a Commissioner for the Ulster Scots and the Ulster British tradition. The Executive Office is responsible for taking forward the necessary arrangements to implement the provisions of the Identity and Language Act 2022 and the Government expects the Executive Office will make an announcement in due course regarding next steps on implementation of the legislation.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission an update to the assessment of the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland published on 19 October 2015.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The ‘Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland’ report was published in 2015 by the UK Government in order to provide a one-off factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland.
The then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Theresa Villiers) made clear at the time that this assessment was commissioned due to specific concerns, and was intended to inform the then ongoing cross-party talks.
The PSNI and UK security agencies continually assess the threat, risk and harm posed by paramilitary, terrorist and organised crime groups to inform the most appropriate operational response.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the continuing validity of the assessment of the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland published on 19 October 2015.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The 2015 assessment was commissioned due to specific concerns. It was a one-off factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland and was intended to inform the then ongoing cross-party talks.
The PSNI and security partners continue to work to keep the people of Northern Ireland safe, including continually monitoring the threat from paramilitary and terrorist groups to inform their operational response to these harms.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it remains the assessment of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and MI5 that the Provisional IRA (PIRA) continues to exist, including the Provisional Army Council (PAC) and, if so, whether the relationship between the PAC, PIRA and Sinn Féin remains as was set out in the assessment of the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland published on 19 October 2015.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The ‘Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland’ report was published in 2015 by the UK Government in order to provide a one-off factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland. This public assessment, which was intended to inform the then ongoing cross-party talks, has not been repeated.
Although it is acknowledged that some individuals engaged in serious criminality may also have ties to former paramilitary Republican organisations, such activity does not present a threat to national security.
The PSNI and UK security agencies continually assess the threat, risk and harm posed by paramilitary, terrorist and organised crime groups to inform the most appropriate operational response. The threat from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism (NIRT) is assessed by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), after MI5 passed over responsibility earlier this year. JTAC keeps the Threat Level in from NIRT under constant review and formally reviews it twice a year. However, the threat is wholly driven by violent Dissident Republicans who reject the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) and not by Groups that support the GFA.
Where any criminality exists, the Government is clear that it should be dealt with fully by the police.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in establishing the Castlereagh Foundation provided for in section 8 of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 recognises Northern Ireland's rich diversity of identity and language, and benefits both Irish language speakers and those from the Ulster Scots and Ulster British tradition. The Government continues to work with the Executive on the implementation of the Act.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reports on the operation of the Petition of Concern process in the Northern Ireland Assembly have been laid before both Houses of Parliament, in accordance with the commitment in Annex A of the New Decade, New Approach Agreement 2020, published on 8 January 2020, to lay such reports every six months.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
The second report on the operation of the Petition of Concern process was published on 12 January 2021. It recorded that no Petitions of Concern have been lodged in respect of any motion in the Assembly since the previous report on 16 July 2020, and indeed, since the Executive was formed on 11 January 2020. The next report will deal with the period from 10 January 2021 to 11 July 2021.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what outstanding legislative commitments they have for Northern Ireland in respect of the New Decade, New Approach Agreement 2020, published on 8 January 2020; and when they expect that these will be fulfilled.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)
Good progress has been made in implementing the New Decade, New Approach deal, despite the huge challenge posed by the ongoing public health crisis.
The UK Government has released over £555 million of the £2billion of funding agreed in the deal, and has delivered multiple commitments including appointing a Veterans Commissioner, launching the Shared History Fund as part of our programme to mark the centenary of Northern Ireland, and establishing the governance structures that underpin NDNA. On 24 February, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland signed the Heads of Terms on the Derry/Londonderry and Strabane City Deal that will deliver tangible benefits to the North West and the whole of Northern Ireland.
The UK Government is working to deliver the next tranche of our commitments, such as progressing legislation on the sustainability of the institutions and reforms to the Petition of Concern mechanism.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their current assessment of the structure, roles and purpose of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
There was never and remains no justification for the existence of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. Responsibility for tackling activity by paramilitary groups or those associated with them, that have previously declared ceasefires rests with law enforcement and the devolved authorities. Both the Fresh Start and the New Decade, New Approach Agreements commit all relevant authorities to take a range of measures to tackle paramilitary activity, however that manifests itself. Updates on relevant activity to address this problem are provided to the Policing Board, the Department of Justice and the Justice Committee. The UK Government has the lead on paramilitary groups which have not declared ceasefires. These groups represent a SEVERE national security threat and although small and disparate, continue to show a reckless disregard for public safety. As a Government, we are committed to ensuring that our response to these groups and the harm these causes are robust and effective.