Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Health Minister on ensuring pay parity for health workers in Northern Ireland with Great Britain.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Public sector pay is a devolved matter. It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to take decisions on pay awards.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make it his policy that any future Northern Ireland troubles legacy proposals will have capacity to deal with murders that took place after 10th April 1998.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Investigating suspected criminal activity that took place following the Good Friday Agreement is the responsibility of the relevant police force.

The Government is committed to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023. As part of this process, I have said that the Government will bring forward a remedial order under the Human Rights Act to ensure that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery established by the Act is fully human rights compliant.

As part of this process, I am undertaking a period of consultation, including with the Northern Ireland parties, to discuss a pragmatic way forward that can both comply with human rights and command public confidence. I look forward to discussing any specific proposals that might help achieve this.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his timetable is for the publication of guidance to Great Britain based businesses trading in Northern Ireland on the General Product Safety Regulations 2025 .

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The updated General Product Safety Regulation largely formalises the reality of how businesses are already operating in the UK and the measures are therefore likely to have limited impact. Where businesses need to make changes, we expect that they will be already adapting in order to continue trading with the EU. We will provide more guidance in this area shortly, will keep this under review and continue to engage businesses directly to ensure we are supporting them to trade freely across the whole of the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on the review of the impact of the Electronic Travel Authorisation policy in Northern Ireland.

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

The Government keeps the operation of the ETA scheme under constant review, including its impact within Northern Ireland, and my changes to the scheme will be announced in the normal way.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Hughes report published by the Patient Safety Commissioner on 7 February 2024, if he will take steps to introduce a compensation scheme which is open to (a) all UK and (b) Northern Ireland patients affected by sodium valproate.

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

The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Patient Safety Commissioner and the resulting Hughes Report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. We will be providing an update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report at the earliest opportunity. Although the Hughes Report and its recommendations only cover patients harmed in England, the Government recognises that any response will likely have implications for the whole of the United Kingdom, and so we will engage with the devolved administrations on the Hughes Report.

Healthcare in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and, as such, it is respectfully requested that the question on introducing a compensation scheme for individuals harmed by sodium valproate in Northern Ireland be redirected to the Justice Minister for Northern Ireland or the Minister for Health for Northern Ireland, to be handled at a devolved level.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential merits of implementing a bespoke visa for for the horticulture sector in Northern Ireland.

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

There have been no discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential merits of implementing a bespoke visa for the horticulture sector in Northern Ireland. The UK operates a national immigration system, covering all areas of the country. This includes the Seasonal Worker route, which specifically enables the UK horticulture sector, including those in Northern Ireland, to recruit seasonal workers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to include support for home owners struggling with mortgage commitments in the Budget.

Answered by Tulip Siddiq - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

This Government recognises that many households have been faced with higher mortgage rates in recent years. That is why we are committed to delivering economic stability to grow the economy and keep taxes, inflation and mortgage rates as low as possible.

The pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. However, there are significant measures in place to protect vulnerable mortgage borrowers. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments, and the Mortgage Charter also remains in place providing additional flexibilities to help customers manage their mortgage payments over a short period.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the updated National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides will be published.

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

We intend to publish a National Action Plan in due course that reflects the Government’s priority to minimise the risks and impact of pesticides on human health and the environment and facilitate sustainable use.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for funding from the UK Infrastructure Bank for schemes in Northern Ireland were (a) awarded and (b) rejected.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The National Wealth Fund (NWF), formerly the UK Infrastructure Bank, has committed funding to three transactions that have benefited Northern Ireland (NI) with a total of £71m invested to date. Two of these deals are debt investments in the digital sector, supporting Fibrus and Netomnia, and the other is a guarantee deal for retrofitting social housing with Barclays.

Due to commercial confidentiality, the NWF does not disclose details of deals that were not completed. However, it has a robust process in place to assess the suitability of deal enquires in line with its strategy.

Further details on how NWF assess deals and additionality can be found in their Strategic Plan, and details on deals signed can be found in their Factsheets.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Offshore well boat workers: Immigration Rules concession 2022, updated on 24 January 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending that concession to other business sectors.

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

Concessionary arrangements outside of the immigration rules are put in place where exceptional circumstances are demonstrated. They are always time limited and reviewed regularly. There are no plans to extend the existing concession beyond its original parameters.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a comparative assessment of (a) boarding departments in state schools in England and (b) grant aided schools in Northern Ireland, in the context of the introduction of VAT on independent schools.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.

Boarding at state schools is provided to parents at cost and is closely related to the supply of state education. The government therefore believes it is right that state boarding should continue to be exempt.

To ensure consistency in the VAT treatment of schools across the UK, as set out in the draft legislation published in July, where a school charges for the full-time education of children of compulsory school age and/or full-time education suitable for the requirements of 16-19 year olds, it will be within scope of this policy. All education, vocational training and boarding services provided by schools within scope of this policy will be subject to 20% VAT from January 2025. This is in line with the principles set out in the technical note published in July. The draft legislation and technical note can be found online here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees-removing-the-charitable-rates-relief-for-private-schools

HM Treasury have been engaging closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to understand how different schools in Northern Ireland will be impacted by this policy.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will release funding to enable payment for the Pay Review Body recommendation for a 5.5% pay uplift for health workers in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) is being funded above its independently assessed relative need level of 124% in 2024-25 and 2025-26, including the 2024 restoration financial package. As a result of decisions taken at the Autumn Budget and Phase 1 of the Spending Review, the Northern Ireland Executive is receiving £18.2 billion in 2025-26. This represents the largest real-terms settlement since devolution.

The NIE is responsible for deciding how to allocate their funding across their devolved responsibilities, including the provision of pay awards for health workers.

Family visas

Humanitarian situation in Sudan (No. 2)

Uber and private hire drivers

Gaza family visa scheme

4 day working week

Support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency

Transition to animal-free research and testing

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

Reductions in jobs and services at the BBC

Frozen pensions for UK citizens overseas

World Food Day

Found: Paulette Hamilton Jim Dickson Gideon Amos Alex Ballinger John McDonnell Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Claire

Found: Paulette Hamilton Jim Dickson Gideon Amos Alex Ballinger John McDonnell Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Claire

Found: Lamb Antonia Bance Paulette Hamilton Alex Ballinger John McDonnell Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Claire

Found: Lamb Antonia Bance Paulette Hamilton Alex Ballinger John McDonnell Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Claire

Found: Lamb Antonia Bance Paulette Hamilton Alex Ballinger John McDonnell Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Claire

Found: Lamb Antonia Bance Paulette Hamilton Alex Ballinger John McDonnell Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Claire