Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she made of the potential merits of reducing Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
This is a matter for the NI Executive. The 2014 Stormont House Agreement between the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive agreed, in principle, for the power to set the rate of Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland on certain trading profits to be devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Agreement set out that the Executive would need to formally request the power to change the Corporation Tax rate in Northern Ireland. The Executive would also need to demonstrate that its finances were on a sustainable footing, and that the Executive’s block grant would need to be adjusted to reflect the Corporation Tax revenues foregone if the devolved power were exercised.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the cattle vaccine against bovine tuberculosis undergoing Phase 3 trials by the Animal and Plant Health Agency will be available in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The field trials and the cattle vaccine will not be available in Northern Ireland. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency are only seeking marketing authorisation in Great Britain at this stage.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 84511 on Business: Northern Ireland, of the £235 million ring-fenced transformation funding (a) how much has been allocated to each Northern Ireland Department and (b) what is the time scale for future allocations before the funding is withdrawn.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
A full breakdown of the funds allocated through the Transformation Fund is available via the Department of Finance’s website:
Annual Profiling of Transformation Projects
The Public Sector Transformation Board is currently considering further transformation bids from departments with the aim of making recommendations to the Northern Ireland Executive on the allocation of remaining funds in the months ahead.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 83992 on Defence: Northern Ireland, did the officials in the Northern Ireland Executive include (a) the Northern Ireland Economy Minister and (b) officials from the Department of the Economy in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Ministry of Defence officials have engaged several stakeholders in Northern Ireland regarding the proposed Defence Growth Deal that was announced in the Defence Industrial Strategy. This has included officials in the Department for Economy and the Executive Office.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 80771 on Defence: Industry, whether he has had decisions with (a) the Northern Ireland Economy Minister and (b) Invest Northern Ireland on the Northern Ireland Defence Growth Deal.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Ministry of Defence officials have engaged several stakeholders in Northern Ireland regarding the proposed Defence Growth Deal that was announced in the Defence Industrial Strategy. This has included officials in the Northern Ireland Executive as well as industry and academia. Engagement on the development of the growth deal will continue over the coming months.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Transformation Fund.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Office, and Ministers, regularly engage with the Northern Ireland Executive on the Transformation Fund. In particular, through its membership of the Public Sector Transformation Board whose role is to advise and make recommendations on how to use the £235m ring-fenced transformation funding.
Work is on going to identify and allocate remaining funds to further transformative projects in the months ahead.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has had discussions with the Minister for the Economy in Northern Ireland on the inclusion of businesses in Northern Ireland in UK Government trade talks with Israel.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government is responsible for negotiating international trade agreements on behalf of all the nations and regions in the UK. DBT understands that the devolved governments have a significant interest in international trade policy and works closely with them to deliver policy that reflects the interests of all parts of the UK.
The UK Government, however, suspended trade negotiations with Israel on 20th May, owing to the actions of this Israeli Government in Gaza and the West Bank. It will take a sustained shift in the positions of this Israeli government for the UK to consider restarting the FTA negotiations.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help her counterpart in Northern Ireland tackle Asian hornets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have worked closely with officials from Northern Ireland to help them prepare and publish a contingency plan for action against Asian hornets. A sighting of Asian hornet was reported on 10th October close to Dundonald in Northern Ireland. Inspectors from the APHA National Bee Unit and the APHA Non-Native Species Inspectorate have drawn on their extensive experience and provided support to officials in Northern Ireland about deployment of the contingency plan to find and destroy a nest.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of adding (a) 1,000, (b) 1,500 and (c) 2,000 additional GPs to the professional indemnity insurance cover provided by Government.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The state indemnity scheme, Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, which is administered by NHS Resolution, already covers all clinical negligence liabilities arising in general practice under National Health Service contracts. More information on the scheme is available at the following link:
We do not hold an estimate of the potential impact of these additional general practitioners on claims volume and provision.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the Northern Ireland Minister for the Economy ‘s decision not to engage with the Government’s trade talks with Israel.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Trade policy is a reserved matter and the UK Government is responsible for negotiating international trade agreements on behalf of all the nations and regions in the UK.
This Government suspended trade negotiations with Israel on 20 May, owing to the actions of the Israeli Government in Gaza and the West Bank.