Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the National Wealth Fund investment in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

HM Treasury ministers and officials engage regularly with the Northern Ireland Executive. The Chancellor met the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on 12 September 2024 and discussed how to deliver economic growth in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Executive were consulted at official level on the Statement of Strategic Priorities to the National Wealth Fund, issued on 19 March 2025, which commits to work collaboratively with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that the benefits of investment are felt in all four nations of the UK.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to include a legislative consent motion with legislative proposals to lower the voting age to allow 16 and 17 year olds in Northern Ireland to vote in (a) Assembly and (b) local government elections.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government has given a clear commitment to lower the voting age to 16 at all non-devolved elections, which includes Assembly and local elections in Northern Ireland. As elections are an excepted matter under Schedule 2 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998, it will not be necessary to seek a legislative consent motion in relation to that commitment. The Government will of course work closely with stakeholders across Northern Ireland on the implementation of this major change to the franchise and ensure we empower our young people to participate in democracy.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will ensure that Northern Ireland is included in legislative proposals to lower the voting age for UK elections.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

This Government will legislate to lower the voting age to 16 during this Parliament for all non-devolved elections across the UK, including elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland local government elections.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has written to her counterpart in the new Irish government on the creation of a unique IP address for Northern Ireland residents.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Further to my response of 14 October 2024 to question 6604, my officials have subsequently discussed the issue of geoblocking with their counterparts in both the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government. Those discussions are ongoing. Following the formation of the new Irish Government on 23 January, I have written to the Minister for Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport to seek his views.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to enable access to safe protest around the Tower of London.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The management of protests is an operational decision for the police.

The Government fully support the police to ensure that the right to protest can be exercised in a lawful way.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential for exploitation of migrant care worker visas being tied to individual employers; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of visa sponsorship being done via an independent body.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government condemns the exploitation of international care workers by rogue employers in the adult social care sector and continues to take robust action against this unscrupulous behaviour.

We have recently implemented a prohibition on Skilled Worker sponsors recouping sponsorship costs from those they sponsor, and those doing so now risk losing their licence. We also intend to ban any employer who flouts employment laws from acting as a sponsor in the future.

However, employer sponsorship is a core element of the UK’s economic immigration system and ensures those who most directly benefit from attracting workers to the UK play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the system.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to increase the childcare tax free cap in line with inflation.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The £2,000 Tax-Free Childcare top-up, which can be claimed per year and per child up to age 11 (and £4,000 per disabled child, up to age 16), was set at this level because it strikes the right balance between helping parents with their childcare costs, and managing the public finances in a responsible way.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the orchestra tax relief to include choirs.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and through the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) provides tax relief on productions costs and provided £33 million of support in 2022-23.

To qualify for OTR, a concert must be performed by a group of at least 12 instrumentalists. The voice is not considered to be an instrument. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra also contains at least 12 instrumentalists, not including the voice, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus. These rules help ensure OTR fulfils its objective of supporting and incentivising orchestra concerts specifically.

Whilst the Government has no plans to extend OTR to choirs, all taxes are kept under review. The Chancellor makes announcements on tax at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on promoting tourism in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

We all recognise the importance of tourism to Northern Ireland, and I am working with Cabinet colleagues and the Executive to support a thriving and competitive economy, including drawing on the many wonderful things there are to see and do in Northern Ireland.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the final report by the Complaints Commissioner entitled The FCA’s handling of Safe Hands Plans Limited, published on 11 March 2025, if she will make recommendations to the Financial Conduct Authority based on that report.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

I am sympathetic to all the Safe Hands customers who have lost money, following the collapse of the firm in 2022.

Once concerns were raised about the funeral plan market, the Government legislated to bring all pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

The FCA has published its response to the Financial Regulator Complaints Commissioner. The FCA has been clear that it is not possible to immediately act on every piece of anonymous intelligence they receive.

We support the FCA's handling of Safe Hands, and it is clear that they acted reasonably in this case, as they had a clear plan to properly scrutinise Safe Hands’ business during the authorisations process. As the Commissioner acknowledges, there is also no evidence that alternative action from the FCA would have led to different outcomes for Safe Hands customers.

Overseas aid budget

National oversight mechanism

LGBTQI+ people in immigration detention

Pesticides in public spaces

Israeli Defence Force attacks on humanitarian workers

News journalism and artificial intelligence tools

100th anniversary of East Belfast District Scouts

Reductions in welfare spending

Provision of essential humanitarian supplies, electricity and water sanitation in Gaza

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Cash acceptance

Shortages of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy

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