Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on increasing the rate of construction of social housing.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Construction of Social Housing is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department of Communities.
The UK Government has provided the Executive with a record £18.2bn for 2025-26. This includes an additional £1.5bn for 2025/26 and represents the largest settlement in the history of devolution. It is for the Executive to allocate money to the Department of Communities for social housing construction.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and I have met with the Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA, to discuss a range of issues, including social housing.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU reset deal on businesses in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government's new strategic partnership with the EU will deliver greater prosperity and security for Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole. In particular, the new SPS Agreement with the EU will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses and improving consumer choice.
The Summit also marked the establishment of a new security and defence partnership that will help us work together with the EU on threats to national security and will support our defence industry, which has more than 9,000 aerospace, defence, space, and security jobs in Northern Ireland. In addition, we announced a closer law enforcement relationship with the EU that will help prevent crime and bring perpetrators to justice.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the implementation of the (a) Northern Ireland Protocol and (b) Windsor Framework on the number of businesses based in Great Britain that have ceased trading with Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is committed to the Windsor Framework and to protecting the UK internal market. The Framework guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the UK market and also supports traders to do business. Many are taking advantage of the support provided by the Trader Support Service.
On 1 May 2025, the Government introduced important new arrangements for freight and parcels movements to ensure that goods can continue to move smoothly from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The new arrangements ensure that goods sent to or from consumers will not be subject to customs declarations or duty. We have also introduced a range of schemes to support businesses by removing unnecessary checks and paperwork; over 10,000 businesses are already signed up to the UK Internal Market Scheme.
Furthermore, the Government’s renewed partnership with the EU will deliver a broader range of benefits for people and businesses across the UK, including the SPS Agreement which, once implemented, will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, reduce costs for businesses and improve consumer choice.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on reports of businesses in Northern Ireland processing card transactions in euros, in the context of currency conversion charges for customers.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The decision on which currencies to accept for payment, including whether to process card transactions in euros or any other international currency, is a matter for individual businesses across the UK, including in Northern Ireland.
Businesses are responsible for ensuring transparency in any associated currency conversion charges applied to customers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates the conduct of financial services firms in the UK and sets out rules to ensure customers are treated fairly, including in relation to payment services and foreign exchange disclosures.
The Government continues to monitor developments and maintain dialogue with relevant regulators and stakeholders where appropriate.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussion he has had with Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on the potential impact of regulatory divergence between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom on the oversight of post-Brexit trade arrangements.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I speak regularly on a wide range of matters to Northern Ireland Executive Ministers and the Northern Ireland political parties. This includes discussion of the Government's commitment to safeguarding the UK internal market, handling divergence and encouraging economic growth, in line with the Government's manifesto and the five missions.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the Clonoe Inquest.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Following careful consideration, on 22 March 2025 the Ministry of Defence wrote to the Coroner to outline its intention to apply for a judicial review. In the Government’s view, the findings of the Coroner do not properly reflect the context of the incident, nor the challenging circumstances in which members of the armed forces served in Northern Ireland. The MoD has also confirmed that it is funding the veterans in question to seek a judicial review and it is continuing to provide them with welfare support.
As I explained in the debate on this issue in the House on 2 April 2025, the almost universally opposed Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 Act has been found by the domestic courts to be unlawful in a number of respects. I am consulting widely, including with veterans, and plan to bring forward replacement legislation which is fair, balanced, proportionate and compatible with our international and domestic human rights obligations.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to improve Northern Ireland’s (a) constitutional and (b) economic links with the rest of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In line with the Good Friday Agreement and the principle of consent upon which it rests, Northern Ireland will remain a part of the United Kingdom for as long as a majority of its people wish for it to be.
The Government is committed to continuing to take forward Safeguarding the Union, and to protecting Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market. In February we launched Intertrade UK, which will advise on opportunities to promote and boost trade across the UK, including strengthening East West trade.
We are also committed to seeking a SPS/veterinary agreement with the EU, which could deliver tangible benefits for businesses across the UK and further smooth the flow of trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Government on the potential impact of border checks in the Irish Sea on the (a) availability and (b) shelf life of perishable goods in supermarkets in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Windsor Framework protects the UK internal market by ensuring the smooth flow of trade across the whole of the UK. Certain checks are required on goods moving through the UK Internal Market System as part of a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to tackling criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse for (a) inquiries and (b) legal proceedings relating to (i) the deaths of four men following the use of lethal force in County Tyrone in February 1992 and (ii) other lethal incidents involving the IRA from the same period.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The cost of public inquiries will differ according to the scope of each Inquiry. The cost of legal proceedings will also differ substantially according to the scope of each case. It is not therefore possible to provide an accurate comparative assessment of the cost to the public purse of those respective undertakings.
The Northern Ireland Office’s spend on legal costs is included within our Annual Report and Accounts, although we do not differentiate between legal costs we incur and costs we pay to claimants’ lawyers. Costs for public inquiries are published by the Inquiries themselves.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make it his policy to prevent payments to people who were interned in the 1970s.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Sections 46 and 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 have been found by the Northern Ireland courts to be incompatible with the UK’s human rights obligations. The Government is committed to bringing forward new legacy legislation and as part of this we are looking at all conceivable options for addressing the complex issue of Interim Custody Orders and related compensation claims, in a lawful way.