Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of border control posts in Scotland on levels of trade between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
I know the Honourable Member will share my firm desire not to see borders erected between the different nations of our United Kingdom.
We have been clear that there will be no border control posts at Cairnryan.
The UK Government is unequivocal in its commitment to ensuring unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s goods to the rest of the UK internal market and in coming weeks, as I advised the House at a previous Scottish oral questions, I will be meeting with NIO counterparts in coming weeks to discuss what more we can do to promote Scotland-NI trade.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department allocated for cadet services in (a) each of the last three financial years, (b) the 2025-26 financial year and (c) the 2026-27 financial year.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 May 2025 to Question 55117 to the hon. Member for Fylde (Mr Andrew Snowden).
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement of 24 June 2025, Official Report, column 989, on China Audit, which (a) Northern Ireland Executive departments, (b) arms' length bodies in Northern Ireland and (c) Universities in Northern Ireland made a submission to that audit.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office China Audit team proactively engaged a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that the full range of interests arising from the UK's relationship with China was represented; this included Parliament, business, the academic sector, civil society and the devolved governments.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when the border control facility at Parc Cybi will be (a) completed and (b) opened.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Decisions regarding the Border Control Post at Parc Cybi are a matter for the Welsh Government.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he plans to publish the report from the independent review of the post-Brexit trading arrangements, conducted by Lord Paul Murphy.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
It remains for Lord Murphy to provide the final report of the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework. The Government will then proceed with arranging the publication of that report, laying it in Parliament and transmitting it to the Northern Ireland Assembly, in line with the Terms of Reference for the Review.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what reason he rejected the Electoral Commission of Northern Ireland's request to separate the next scheduled local government and Assembly elections.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The date for local government elections is set in statute as the first Thursday in May every 4 years, and for the Assembly elections as the first Thursday in May every 5 years. The people of Northern Ireland expect to go to the polls on 6 May 2027 and the Government has no intention of changing that.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 11 October 2024 to Question 8083 on Roads: Safety, what her planned timetable is for laying the secondary legislation required to commence section 19 of the Road Safety Act 2006.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Officials continue to work on the complex draft regulations that would be required to commence Section 19 of the Road Safety Act 2006. When this work is completed the Government will give consideration to enabling Section 19 to come to fruition in respect of mandated driving instruction standards for emergency services.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will set out the (a) number, (b) value and (c) average delay of tax refunds on hold due to security reasons for which the latest data is available.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC received 2,871,186 Self-Assessment repayment requests between 6 April 2024 and 5 April 2025. Of these, 199,266 (7%) were held for review, with a value of £2.2bn. The average duration of delay for Self-Assessment customers whose repayments were withheld and subsequently released was approximately 25 days.
HMRC received 2,859,032 VAT repayment requests between 6 April 2024 and 5 April 2025. Of these, 188,696 (6.6%) were held for a review, with a value of £65.5bn. The average duration of delay for VAT customers whose repayments were withheld and subsequently released was approximately 25 days.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the lack of Legislative Consent Motion from the Northern Ireland Assembly on the progress of the Data (Use and Access) Bill.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have engaged with the Northern Ireland Assembly throughout the Bill's progression.
The Northern Ireland Assembly is currently considering a Legislative Consent Memorandum laid by the Northern Ireland Executive.
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 22 May 2025 to Question 52795 on Domestic Visits: Northern Ireland, on how many occasions did the Secretary of State notify Rt hon. and hon. Members in advance that he would visit their constituency.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Honourable Gentleman will be aware it is a requirement to notify Members of Parliament before a visit to their constituency. For the recent occasion when he was not notified, I have apologised to him.