Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the development of its international relations strategy.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has held official-level discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) on their proposal to develop an international relations strategy. We look forward to continuing that engagement with the NIE in due course as its Strategy is further developed.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has received representations on the feasibility of proposals for the Dáil to sit in Northern Ireland; and whether he has made an assessment of the compatibility of those proposals with the Belfast Agreement.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I have received no such representations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is required for an airport to be designated as a level 3 airport.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

For an airport to be designated as Level 3 slot coordinated, and therefore requiring the formal allocation of slots by an independent coordinator, the demand for operating services should exceed the airport infrastructure’s capacity for at least one scheduling period. Secretary of State approval is required to designate any airport as Level 3 slot coordinated.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department are members of the Transformation Fund advisory board; and how many and what proportion of meetings they have attended.

Answered by Fleur Anderson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

No UK Government Ministers are members of the Interim Public Sector Transformation Board. The Northern Ireland Office Permanent Secretary is a permanent member of the Interim Board, and has attended all official meetings of the Interim Board.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vehicles containing (a) live animals and (b) food products failed to attend a further inspection at Sevington in the last 12 months.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Due to the intelligence led and dynamic nature of our biosecurity controls, and to ensure operations are not impacted, we are unable to share this data.

The risk of legitimate commercial loads not attending Sevington is mitigated by robust, data-backed enforcement options. Consignments called to Sevington for an inspection will have completed the necessary customs declarations and pre-notifications. These goods will not be legally cleared for sale or use within the UK until they have attended and been cleared at the Border Control Post (BCP).

Where the BCP has concerns, for example due to non-attendance, there are existing robust provisions for contacting the person responsible for the load. These provisions are enforceable through the data collected in customs declarations and pre-notification.

Meanwhile, vehicles suspected to be carrying illegal imports (e.g. those for which customs declarations and pre-notification have not been made or suspected to have been made in bad faith) will continue to be stopped and dealt with by Border Force at the point of entry to the UK, not sent to the BCP.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he expects the issues surrounding the sale and movement of plants to be resolved.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring the smooth flow of goods across the UK internal market. Growers and traders in Great Britain can move plants to Northern Ireland using the Northern Ireland Plant Health Label (NIPHL).

We continue to work closely with the horticultural sector, including through the Horticulture Working Group which meets regularly, to maximise opportunities for trade in plants and plant products within the United Kingdom. The group will continue to identify and resolve issues related to the movement of plants and seeds between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Central Alerting System notification entitled Shortage of Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) - Additional actions, published on 18 December 2024, what steps his Department his taking with the devolved Administrations to tackle shortages in pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has worked in close partnership with the devolved administrations in the management of this supply issue. The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this work, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.

In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals, which was then discussed with and cascaded to all the devolved administrations. This directs clinicians to consider these unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.

The Department has frequent conversations with representatives from the impacted patient groups, so that they are informed of the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.

The Department will also continue to meet with suppliers, patient groups, and other relevant stakeholders across the supply chain to provide updates on the supply position and the actions being taken to address them.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2025 to Question 32722 on Reserve Forces: Retirement, whether the review will consider readmitting former reservists if the age of retirement is changed.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

I am grateful for the contribution of our Reserve Forces who provide the UK with the ability to meet the threats we face at home and overseas, with the scale, skills, agility and connection to society that it needs, in a cost-effective way.

Alongside the Strategic Defence Review’s interest in Reserves, and in tandem with the transformational work already underway in Defence, I am reviewing the Reserves landscape, in a meaningful and impactful way, to ensure that we are making the most of the unique skills our Reserves offer Defence.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32525 on Airports, which airports are designated Level 3.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are currently 9 Level 3 coordinated airports in the UK: London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London City, London Stansted, London Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Leeds Bradford.​ Leeds Bradford is Level 3 coordinated for summer season only, the other airports are Level 3 coordinated on year-round basis.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the mandatory retirement age for reservists.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As the Minister for Veterans and People, I have commissioned an internal review in Defence to ensure that we are making the most of the unique contribution our Reserve Forces offer. The review will examine the Reserves landscape and will include some aspects of their terms and conditions of Service, such as normal retirement age.

Cash acceptance

Acts of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Found: this House has considered the role of the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner Lead Member: Robin Swann

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Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

Found: _NC30 Sir Ashley Fox Mr Peter Bedford Jim Allister Ellie Chowns Robin Swann Nick Timothy Steve

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Found: Wednesday 5 March 2025 2 _NC3 Jim Allister Gavin Robinson Sammy Wilson Jim Shannon Alex Easton Robin Swann

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Found: Fleet Mr Toby Perkins Cat Eccles Mrs Sharon Hodgson Richard Burgon Adam Dance Rachel Gilmour Robin Swann

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Found: Natalie Fleet Mr Toby Perkins Cat Eccles Mrs Sharon Hodgson Richard Burgon Rachel Gilmour Robin Swann

Found: Wednesday 26 February 2025 2 _NC3 Jim Allister Gavin Robinson Sammy Wilson Jim Shannon Alex Easton Robin Swann

Found: Bell Ribeiro-Addy Natalie Fleet Mr Toby Perkins Cat Eccles Mrs Sharon Hodgson Rachel Gilmour Robin Swann

Found: Tuesday 25 February 2025 2 _NC3 Jim Allister Gavin Robinson Sammy Wilson Jim Shannon Alex Easton Robin Swann

Found: Bell Ribeiro-Addy Natalie Fleet Mr Toby Perkins Cat Eccles Mrs Sharon Hodgson Rachel Gilmour Robin Swann

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Found: Bell Ribeiro-Addy Natalie Fleet Mr Toby Perkins Cat Eccles Mrs Sharon Hodgson Rachel Gilmour Robin Swann

Found: Thursday 20 February 2025 2 _NC3 Jim Allister Gavin Robinson Sammy Wilson Jim Shannon Alex Easton Robin Swann