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 assessment her Department has made of the status of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC); and what guidance her Department has issued to devolved institutions on engagement with that organisation.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to engaging respectfully and constructively with the Devolved Governments on international‑facing issues, recognising their interests and the value of working together where appropriate. Devolved Governments are appropriately briefed on the risks and opportunities of working with China. International relations, however, remain a reserved matter for the UK Government.
Engagement with China provides an important channel to address areas of concern and to cooperate where this aligns with UK interests.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent steps he has taken to help support (a) safeguarding reform in Northern Ireland and (b) cross‑border learning with safeguarding regulators in England, Scotland and Wales under the Four Nations Memorandum of Understanding.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Safeguarding is a devolved matter and the development of safeguarding policy and legislation is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.
This Government remains committed to working with partners across the UK to ensure the safety and protection of children and adults at risk. It is right that the four nations continue to collaborate to share best practices and maintain professional alignment across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the debate on the NI Remedial Order on 21 January 2026 and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s recital of 800 legacy civil cases, how many of these are against the Ministry of Defence.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
A total of 123 claims directed against the Ministry of Defence and other public bodies will be unfrozen under the Remedial Order. The Department is currently named as a defendant in 966 claims, including those restarting following the Remedial Order. However, itis not the primary or sole defendant in all of these cases.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December to Question 97452 on Gambling Taxation, whether remote gambling licence holders are permitted under legislation to advertise in Northern Ireland; and what plans she has to allocate Northern Ireland a share of the Statutory Gambling Levy funds raised from remote licence holders.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Section 5 of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 makes it an offence to advertise unlicensed remote gambling services in Northern Ireland. Any online operator who wishes to advertise their services in Northern Ireland must hold a licence from the Gambling Commission.
Wider gambling regulation is devolved in Northern Ireland and, as such, developing the most appropriate approach to tackle gambling-related harm to help residents in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. The Gambling Levy Regulations are subject to the jurisdiction of the Gambling Act 2005 and so profits levied in Great Britain will provide funding for projects and services in Great Britain only. However, it is likely that there will be some indirect benefits of levy funding for citizens in Northern Ireland.
DCMS officials have recently met with officials in Northern Ireland to discuss a wide range of issues. The Department stands ready to support the Northern Ireland Executive in their plans to strengthen gambling regulations.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what financial assistance has been given to Northern Ireland industry in each of the last 5 years under (a) the Industrial Development Act 1982 and (b) the Export and Investment Guarantee Act 1991.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Spend under the Industrial Development Act 1982 across the UK is reported in its annual reports (Industrial Development Act 1982: annual report - GOV.UK) and includes some support to Northern Ireland businesses, such as the Energy Intensive Industry, Music Export Growth and the Start Up Loan Schemes. Most NI industrial support is provided under the Industrial Development (Northern Ireland) Order 1982, for which the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy holds the spending details.
Over the last five years, UK Export finance (UKEF) has provided hundreds of millions of pounds of support to businesses in Northern Ireland, including a loan guarantee for Wrightbus, based in North Antrim, enabling it to sell its zero-emission buses to markets in Europe and north America.
Full details of the support provided by UKEF can be found online at: UK Export Finance: business supported - GOV.UK.
UKEF does not publish a breakdown of support provided by UK nations or regions.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much electricity has been moved from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 financial years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Quarterly electricity transfers from Scotland to Northern Ireland are published in Energy Trends table 5.6.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what is the value of environmental/carbon border charges that have applied to the movement of electricity from Great Britain to Northern Ireland as a result of moving from Great Britain, located in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, into Northern Ireland, located in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme for the purpose of electricity, as mandated by Article 9 and Annex 4 of the Windsor Framework, for each of the last four financial years.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism does not apply in Northern Ireland and there are therefore no carbon border charges Great Britain-Northern Ireland.
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 determinations govern jurisdiction in Lough Foyle; and what measures are in place to regulate aquaculture in the Lough.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's position on Lough Foyle has not changed. The regulation of activities in Lough Foyle is the responsibility of the Loughs Agency, a cross-border body established under the Belfast Agreement of 1998. We remain fully committed to these arrangements, while open to ways to improve the management of the Lough.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what provision of what statute requires that cars sold in Northern Ireland from 1 February 2026 must have EU Vehicle Type Approval; and whether that law changes on 1 January 2026.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The EU type approval regulations for new cars are applied in Northern Ireland by Article 5(4) and Annex II of the Windsor Framework. This has applied since the original protocol entered into force on the 1st January 2021 and will continue to apply after the 1st February 2026.
There will be no changes relating to the application of the EU type approval requirements in Northern Ireland on 1st January 2026.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement UIN HCWS1118, of 2 December 2025, on Announcement of funds raised through the first year of the Statutory Gambling Levy, what proportion of the £120 million was raised as a result on the levy as it applies to (a) online and remote and (b) terrestrial gambling.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Approximately 83% of 25/26 levy funds were raised from remote licence holders. The remainder was raised from non-remote licence holders.