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

To ask His Majesty's Government when the regeneration funds of £20 million each for Londonderry and Coleraine, announced on 6 March, will be released.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government has inherited an extremely difficult fiscal environment and has a responsibility to fix the foundations of our economy, to ensure economic stability.

The department will set out further details on next steps and confirmation of the revised timelines in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are holding with (1) the Irish Football Association, and (2) UEFA, to ensure that Belarusian players are granted visas to enable them to play against Northern Ireland at the National Stadium in Belfast.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

HMG continue to engage with the Irish Football Authority (IFA) through the normal channels and as required.

Where a member of the Belarusian National Football team requires a visa to enter the UK they will be required to submit an online application, pay a fee and then submit their biometrics at a UKVI Visa Application Centre as is the standard approach for all UK visa customers.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) Harland and Wolff, and (2) Navantia, regarding the contract to build three fleet solid support ships for the Royal Navy.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The successful delivery of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship programme remains a priority. Ministry of Defence Ministers and officials have regular meetings with Navantia UK as prime contractor, on a range of matters, including extensive engagement to understand what steps the company is taking to ensure delivery of the FSS contract and management of its supply chain.

Harland and Wolff is a subcontractor to Navantia UK and following a review of their financial situation, the Government is clear that the market is best placed to address the challenges the company is facing. We continue to work extensively with all parties to find an outcome for the company that continues to deliver shipbuilding and manufacturing in the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they conducted an impact analysis before capping Agricultural Property Relief on inheritance tax at £1 million for Northern Ireland farmers; and if so, whether they will publish the results.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at GOV.UK.

It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). Up to around 520 of these are expected to relate to claims for APR (including those that also claim for BPR), and this number falls to around 430 when claims that include AIM shares are excluded. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.

In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage more competition between airlines on routes connecting Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

We recognise the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in the UK that supports Union connectivity. The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector, and it is for airports to invest in their infrastructure and airlines to determine the routes they operate.

Northern Ireland is well served by airlines operating routes to Great Britain.

Airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways, easyJet, Loganair and Ryanair operate routes from Northern Ireland to several cities across Great Britain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of official statistics published by the Department for Transport on 26 September which show that there were 1,387 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters in Great Britain in 2023, and that there were six deaths; and what weight they give to these statistics when considering legalising the use of private e-scooters on public roads.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

This Government takes road safety very seriously and reducing those killed and injured on our roads is a key priority.

The Department is looking to better understand the safety of e-scooters. That is why we have extended the rental e-scooter trials for a further two years, to 31 May 2026, and commissioned a second national evaluation of the trials to expand the evidence base on e-scooter safety.

We are carefully considering how micromobility can help to deliver our transport objectives safely, including the possibility of legislation on e-scooters. The Government will consult before making any legislative changes and will consider the full range of evidence on e-scooter safety, including road safety statistics.