Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels are being used as contingency accommodation for irregular migrants in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Northern Ireland is not a dispersal area and asylum seekers are therefore not routed between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, Northern Ireland’s asylum population is however, proportionate to its population when compared to the UK. Because Northern Ireland is not a dispersal area, only those claiming asylum in Northern Ireland are accommodated there.
For the safety, security and wellbeing of staff and those being accommodated, the Home Office does not disclose information about accommodation sites.
However, data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including contingency, by local authority (including Northern Ireland) can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees there are by nationality in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Data on refugees by location and nationality is published in the Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK.
Data on resettled refugees by UK region is published in table Res_D01 and by nationality in table Res_D02 of the resettlement detailed datasets.
Data on asylum seekers in receipt of support, by nationality and UK region, is published in table Asy_D09 of the asylum support datasets. An asylum seeker does not receive refugee status until after their claim is granted refugee permission. Please note that the Home Office does not track the addresses of those granted refugee status, and refugees are free to move around the UK or leave.
The latest data is available up to the end of June 2025. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate she has made of the number of farms that will be affected by proposed changes to inheritance tax in Northern Ireland; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of these changes on food supply chains.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free.
Information from claims is not recorded to enable regional or national breakdowns of the number of estates expected to be affected. However, the Government has set out that the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates across the UK claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data.
The Government published a tax information and impact note on 21 July 2025. The note explains that the measure is not expected to have a material impact on food security and it is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department held a pre-publication briefing of the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework with representatives of the Alliance Party.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
As stated previously, the Northern Ireland Office speaks to parties regularly and does not give a running commentary on those discussions.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) protect persecuted Christians and (b) promote religious freedom.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to championing Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, and we recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside other groups. We continue to seek opportunities to highlight these issues through the UN, G7 and as a member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB, including in sub-Saharan Africa.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle (a) Fulani militants, (b) Boko Haram and (c) other Islamist extremists in Nigeria.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Nigeria is witnessing rising conflict and insecurity, including violent extremism and intercommunal violence. Violence in Nigeria's North-East is driven by terrorist groups including Boko Haram, who target all those who do not subscribe to their extremist views. These attacks are distinct from the intercommunal violence across Nigeria's Middle Belt. The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria to address these challenges by working with Nigeria's security forces, and through peacebuilding efforts to tackle the root causes of violence. Through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we are supporting Nigeria to tackle insecurity and promote human rights. This includes facilitating civil-military cooperation within North-East communities and utilising UK experience to strengthen the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Additionally, the UK's Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme ('SPRING') works to address the root causes of intercommunal violence across Nigeria's Middle Belt, through collaboration with local communities to support productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help support Christians in sub-Saharan Africa affected by (a) religious violence and (b) conflict.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to championing Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, and we recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside other groups. We continue to seek opportunities to highlight these issues through the UN, G7 and as a member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB, including in sub-Saharan Africa.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to help tackle Christian persecution.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to championing Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, and we recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside other groups. We continue to seek opportunities to highlight these issues through the UN, G7 and as a member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB, including in sub-Saharan Africa.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision of the European Parliament on the naming of vegetable products of 8 October 2025 on the sale of vegan sausages made in Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Windsor Framework, the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) allows products to move to Northern Ireland whilst meeting UK consumer protection and marketing standards. Therefore, vegan sausages which are made in Great Britain and moved to NI in this way should not be affected by the newly proposed EU rules governing the labelling of plant-based products.
The Government continues to monitor changes to EU regulations and is committed to safeguarding the smooth flow of goods to Northern Ireland. Furthermore, any new EU rules are subject to the democratic scrutiny arrangements under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether manure that is (a) subject to (i) annual returns to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and (ii) veterinary approval and (b) has been granted a licence by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of the Government of Ireland can lawfully be transported from livestock farms in Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.