Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
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.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority about (1) ongoing delays to the upgrade of the entrance area around Leeds City Station, (2) the principal causes of these delays, and (3) when they expect the work to be completed.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Leeds Station Sustainable Travel Gateway is a scheme within the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s (WYCA’s) City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS). I am pleased that WYCA is using its £830 million CRSTS allocation to invest in local transport priorities, and we will continue supporting improvements to local transport, providing WYCA with an additional £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlement for 2027–32.
I agree that timely delivery is important so that passengers at Leeds Station benefit from the improvements as soon as possible. CRSTS and TCR are designed to give Mayoral Combined Authorities the flexibility to plan and deliver long‑term transport programmes. It is therefore for WYCA, working with Leeds City Council, to set timelines, manage funding, and deliver the Leeds Station Gateway scheme.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many of the ongoing prosecutions against members or former members of paramilitary organisations concern (1) dissident republican groups, (2) the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and (3) the Irish National Liberation Army.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I have answered this question on the assumption that the Noble Lord is referring to Troubles-related prosecutions.
While ongoing prosecutions are a matter for the independent Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland, it is the Government’s understanding that there are now nine ongoing Troubles-related prosecutions.
Of those nine prosecutions, six fall in the republican category. The Government does not hold information regarding the specific paramilitary organisations involved in each case.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions in relation to activities in Northern Ireland are outstanding of (1) former members of the Armed Forces, and (2) former members of (a) loyalist and (b) republican paramilitary organisations.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I have answered this question on the assumption that the Noble Lord is referring to Troubles-related prosecutions.
While ongoing prosecutions are a matter for the independent Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland, it is the Government’s understanding that there are now nine ongoing Troubles-related prosecutions.
Of those nine prosecutions, six fall in the republican category, one in the loyalist category, one in the former police category and one in the military category.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions there have been in relation to activities in Northern Ireland of (1) soldiers, (2) former soldiers, and (3) members of (a) loyalist and (b) republican paramilitary organisations, in each year since 1998.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I have answered this question on the assumption that the Noble Lord is referring to Troubles-related prosecutions.
This is a matter for the devolved and independent Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland. The Government, therefore, does not hold the specific information that has been requested.
We understand that, between 1 January 2012 and December 2024, 68 decisions on whether to prosecute were taken in relation to Troubles-related cases. Of these 68, there were 25 decisions to prosecute; 13 of these decisions relate to cases that fall within the republican category, 6 within the loyalist category, and 6 within the military category.
Where decisions have been taken to prosecute, there have been 6 convictions; 3 in the republican category, two in the loyalist category, and 1 in the military category, with that individual being given a suspended sentence.
We understand that figures relating to 1998-2012 are not available.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the then Deputy Prime Minister on 12 January 2006 (WA HC782–3), whether the current Deputy Prime Minister’s official residence in Admiralty House is registered with Westminster City Council as (1) primary, or (2) second home, according to records held by the office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The former Deputy Prime Minister’s Official Residence in Admiralty House was registered as her secondary residence with Westminster City Council.
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 recent comments of the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission regarding the employment of former members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary at the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is independent of Government and has a statutory duty to ensure government and other public bodies protect the human rights of everyone in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has met the Chief Commissioner to discuss a range of issues, including the Government’s approach to legacy reform.
The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery is operationally independent from Government, and its recruitment processes are a matter for it to determine within the statutory framework.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission retains the full confidence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the light of her recent comments about the employment of former members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary at the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is operationally independent from Government. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has met the Chief Commissioner to discuss a range of issues, including the Government’s approach to legacy reform.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the total expenditure on air travel since 5 July 2024 between Great Britain and Northern Ireland for: (1) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; (2) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; and (3) Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Since 5 July 2024, the total cost of expenditure on air travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is £17,972.56, for the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State it is £12,483.01. My total air travel expenditure is £817.27.
Asked by: Lord Caine (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the total expenditure on overseas visits since 5 July 2024 by each of (1) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, (2) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and (3) Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Since 5 July 2024, the Department has incurred expenditure of £9,728.99 for overseas travel undertaken by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. A total expenditure of £4,968.33 has been incurred for overseas travel undertaken by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State. No such expenditure has been incurred for myself.
Data on ministers’ overseas travel and on senior civil servants’ business expenses is published on a quarterly basis.