Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) Windsor Framework and (b) Northern Ireland Protocol on businesses in North Down constituency; and what steps his Department is taking to help support those businesses.

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 on a permanent basis.

The Windsor Framework also provides a long-term basis for traders to do business, with over 9,000 firms signed up to the UK Internal Market Scheme and many taking advantage of the support provided by the Trader Support Service.

Traders will benefit further when the UK internal market system is implemented in the New Year. The Government will continue to work constructively with stakeholders to ensure that the arrangements set out under the Windsor Framework work well for businesses and people.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Post Office on proposed closures.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Secretary of State and I recently met with the Post Office Chair, Nigel Railton, and discussed his proposals for the future of the company before Mr Railton announced Post Office's Transformation Plan on 13^th November. While Post Office has the freedom to make commercial decisions regarding the composition of its network, Government sets the parameters for the Post Office to operate in.

The Government protects the branch network by setting minimum access criteria which require 99% of the UK population to be within three miles of their nearest Post Office outlet. The access criteria ensure that however the network changes, services remain within local reach of all citizens.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of adding a photograph to National Insurance cards issued at the age of 16 to provide photographic identification.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC is responsible for issuing National Insurance Numbers (NINos) to the children of people receiving Child Benefit and Tax-Free Childcare . As a young person approaches age 16, HMRC informs them of their NINo via a letter. Cards have not been sent since 2011. The NINo is an internal reference number to support the administration of tax and social security; not proof of identity.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to reverse the proposed tax changes to (a) agricultural property relief and (b) business property relief on family-owned (i) farms and (ii) businesses.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government set out its policy at Autumn Budget 2024 and that remains the Government’s policy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve neurology waiting times and (b) help ensure timely access to treatment for people with multiple sclerosis.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to supporting people with long term conditions, including neurological conditions, and ensuring they receive the support that they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate.

The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients, including patients with multiple sclerosis, are seen on time, and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.

Tackling waiting lists is a key part of our Health Mission. We will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments, including for neurology, per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.

We will be supporting National Health Service trusts to deliver these through innovation, sharing best practice to increase productivity and efficiency, and ensuring the best value is delivered.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning most services for people with long term conditions, including neurological conditions. ICBs are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local need and priorities, and improve outcomes. NHS England continues to set national standards, service specifications, and clinical access policies which ICBs are expected to apply.

NHS England’s Neuroscience Transformation Programme is supporting ICBs to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including treatment for those with multiple sclerosis. This includes providing care closer to home.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on (a) chemical recycling and (b) the mass balance approach at the INC5 negotiations for the UN Global Plastics Treaty.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

At the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a new UN Plastic Pollution Treaty, the UK will align with our domestic policy on any provisions related to chemical recycling.

The UK recognises that chemical recycling technologies can offer a complementary route to support the transition towards a circular economy, where mechanical recycling is unfeasible or uneconomic and where this waste may otherwise be incinerated.

Our domestic policy will inform our position on any provisions related to chemical recycling, including the mass balance approach, that are negotiated at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a new UN Plastics Pollution Treaty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking steps to (a) investigate allegations of (i) bullying, (ii) physical violence, (iii) sexual violence and (iv) suicides in schools and (b) (i) protect children and (ii) uphold their rights under Articles 2 and 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Schools should be calm, safe and supportive environments which children want to attend, and which support them to learn and thrive. Any form of violence in school is completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated.

By law, schools must have a behaviour policy. It is for school leaders to develop and implement behaviour policies that work for their own schools and school community, including measures to prevent all forms of bullying. Any policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable, and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010, Education and Inspections Act 2006 and Human Rights Act 1998.

While the department expects schools to take immediate and robust action if incidents of violence occur, including sexual violence, any decision on how to sanction the pupil or pupils involved is a matter for the school. The department does not investigate individual cases. In the most serious cases, suspensions and permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that teachers and pupils are protected from disruption and to maintain safe, calm environments. Should the incident constitute a criminal offence, the school should report it to the police. When a report of child-on-child sexual violence or sexual harassment is made, schools should follow the general safeguarding principles set out in ’Keeping children safe in education’ statutory guidance.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help support the parents of (a) twins and (b) other multiple births; if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional maternity pay to those parents; and if she will hold discussions with Twins Trust on steps to support such families.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The DWP wants new mothers to be able to take time away from work in the interests of their own and their baby’s health and wellbeing.

That is why maternity pay is primarily a health and safety provision for pregnant working women and is paid for each pregnancy, not in respect of each child. Maternity pay is not and has never been intended to replace a woman's earnings completely nor is it intended to help with the cost of having a baby; rather, it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women to take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and in the months following childbirth.

There are two types of maternity pay available to pregnant working women

• Statutory Maternity Pay paid by employers to, and

• Maternity Allowance paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to eligible women (including the self-employed and women in employment who are not eligible for SMP).

Additional financial support is available depending on individual circumstances, such as Universal Credit and Child Benefit. The Sure Start Maternity Grant (a lump sum payment of £500) may also be available. For more information about benefits and financial support available to pregnant women and their families can be found on www.gov.uk via the Childcare and Parenting link on the home page.

In terms of wider support for parents, the Government committed in its manifesto to review parental leave to ensure that it best supports working families. This is an opportunity to engage with stakeholders on this issue. Further details of the review will be announced in due course.

It’s worth noting that maternity pay is devolved to Northern Ireland and is therefore governed by its own set of legislation. The responsibility for maternity pay policy in Northern Ireland sits with the Department for Communities.

Dean Pritchard - winner of two gold medals at the Irish Taekwon-Do Championships

UN Special Rapporteur's report on atrocity crimes in Iran

Harry Ferguson Museum of Innovation

Olympics opening ceremony

Funding priorities in Northern Ireland

Found: Robinson , Nigel Farage , Robin Swann , Sammy Wilson, Richard Tice, Carla Lockhart , Alex Easton