Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Press Release entitled Government action to supercharge competitiveness in key British industries and grow economy, published on 23 February 2023, what discussions her Department has had with its counterparts in Northern Ireland on the (a) design of and (b) inclusion of Northern Ireland businesses in that scheme.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
These measures relate to the GB electricity market. Northern Ireland is part of the separate, Single Irish Electricity Market and will therefore not benefit directly from this package. Officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Press Release entitled Government action to supercharge competitiveness in key British industries and grow economy, published on 23 February 2023, what steps she is taking to help ensure equal support for businesses in Northern Ireland in the context of that announcement.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
These measures relate to the GB electricity market. Northern Ireland is part of the separate, Single Irish Electricity Market and will therefore not benefit directly from this package. Officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Press Release entitled Government action to supercharge competitiveness in key British industries and grow economy, published on 23 February 2023, whether she has made an assessment of the potential effect of those measures on the Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
These measures relate to the GB electricity market. Northern Ireland is part of the separate, Single Irish Electricity Market and will therefore not benefit directly from this package. Officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department had discussions with industry stakeholders in Northern Ireland before announcing the British Industry Supercharger.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
These measures relate to the GB electricity market. Northern Ireland is part of the separate, Single Irish Electricity Market and will therefore not benefit directly from this package. Officials continue to work closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the proposed frequency of meetings by Colombia's National Security Guarantees Commission.
Answered by David Rutley
Supporting the Colombian Government in its commitment to secure a broad and lasting peace will remain an important priority of this Government. To date, we have spent over £74 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to support the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia and improve stability and security. The National Commission for Security Guarantees, which includes representatives from the Colombian Government, Civil Society, supervisory bodies and UN representatives, is a vital instrument of the Peace Agreement to develop a public policy for dismantling illegal armed groups. As pen holder at the United Nations Security Council, the UK will continue to work closely with the UN Verification Mission and the UN representatives that advise this body.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to support (a) aid agencies, (b) charities and (c) NGOs following the earthquake in West Java.
Answered by David Rutley
The Foreign Secretary contacted Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi following the earthquake on 21 November. The Indonesian Government has not formally requested bilateral assistance. UK officials are in close touch with the Indonesian authorities and aid partners who continue to monitor the situation on the ground in Cianjur, West Java. This includes the Indonesia National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to provide bilateral support to the Indonesian government following the earthquake in West Java.
Answered by David Rutley
The Foreign Secretary contacted Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi following the earthquake on 21 November. The Indonesian Government has not formally requested bilateral assistance. UK officials are in close touch with the Indonesian authorities and aid partners who continue to monitor the situation on the ground in Cianjur, West Java. This includes the Indonesia National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people (a) accessed addiction treatment services and (b) needed residential addiction treatment services in each constituency in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what funds were provided for (i) non-residential and (ii) residential addiction treatment services in each constituency in each year.
Answered by Steve Baker
The UK Government does not hold or have access to the requested figures, as this policy area is devolved.
The operation of and funding for addiction services treatment is a matter for Northern Ireland Executive and the relevant bodies in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the New Decade New Approach Deal published in January 2020, what steps the Government has taken to provide additional funding to support the Derry/Londonderry addiction centre.
Answered by Steve Baker
The UK Government stands ready to provide the £1 million additional funding to support the Derry/Londonderry addiction centre as is set out in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, and we are currently awaiting the Northern Ireland Executive’s proposals for delivering the centre.
It is for the relevant Northern Ireland Executive department to develop these proposals so that this funding can be invested in local communities in Northern Ireland quickly.
Continuing funding for the Derry/Londonderry addiction centre is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and the relevant bodies in Northern Ireland. This reinforces the need for an Executive to get back up and running as soon as possible.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the independent review of drugs by Dame Carol Black, what assessment he has made of the effect of Government funding to implement the recommendations in that review on the Barnett consequential for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Steve Baker
The treatment and prevention of drug problems and harms in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Any Barnett consequentials that arise through additional spending by the UK Government to implement the Review recommendations will be allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive in line with the Statement of Funding Policy.
This reinforces the need for an Executive to get back up and running as soon as possible.