Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what role he plans his Department will have in supporting the work of the Northern Ireland Transformation Board.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The establishment of a Public Service Transformation Board was a condition of the Government’s £3.3bn restoration package for the Northern Ireland Executive, which included £235m of funding specifically for the transformation of public services. The Board will include a wide range of independent experts, and be supported by officials from NICS and UKG, to provide strategic advice to the Executive on how to transform public services.

The Executive will need to make difficult choices in order to live within their budget to support the cost of public service delivery and improve outcomes for citizens. The Government wants to work collaboratively to support the Executive to achieve this while respecting the devolved settlement.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will have discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of the proposed Hillsborough Law on public services in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As the Prime Minister announced recently, the Hillsborough Law is a priority for this Government. Discussions have already begun between officials in the Cabinet Office and those in the devolved governments. I will continue to ensure that Ministerial colleagues in the devolved governments are engaged on this policy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with his Northern Irish counterpart to ensure that radioisotopes are distributed to areas most in need.

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

The Department has been working hard with industry to help resolve the shortages of radioisotopes, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. The affected radioisotopes are mainly used for diagnosing cancers, including prostate and breast cancer, and are also used for the imaging of organ function in scans, including for the heart. Despite efforts to limit the impact, there will be delays for some patients accessing services which rely on this affected radioisotope, with potential cancellations. In the most urgent cases patients will be prioritised for care while supplies are limited. Patients may also be offered the necessary treatment at another hospital.

The Department is working in close partnership with National Health Service specialists from across the UK, suppliers, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, UK Radiopharmacy Group, and the devolved administrations, including Northern Ireland, to ensure that critical patients are prioritised and the limited supply is shared equitably between hospitals and trusts across the UK.

The Department has worked with specialist clinicians to develop comprehensive management advice for NHS clinicians across the UK on how to manage and prioritise patients affected by these shortages. The guidance covers actions for health boards in the devolved nations, including on the coordination of mutual aid arrangements and escalation routes where issues are identified.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make changes to funding levels of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Autumn Budget announced that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, for which the previous government made no plans beyond March 2025, will be extended for 2025-26 at a reduced level of £900 million.

With this transitional arrangement, Northern Ireland will continue to benefit from investment next year in local growth, providing certainty of funding in advance of wider local growth funding reforms.

My department will update the fund prospectus and confirm the Northern Ireland funding allocation for 2025-26 as soon as possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of AirPods Pro 2's Hearing Aid feature.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of the new features on the AirPods Pro 2. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will consider the potential of technologies, including wearable technologies, to support the shift in healthcare from hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing residence-based voting rights in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Government has no plans to revise the franchise for any elections based on residency. The right to vote at Parliamentary elections is consistent across the UK and it is important that all MPs are elected on a consistent franchise.

In order to register to vote at Assembly and local elections in Northern Ireland those who are eligible must be resident in the constituency in which they wish to vote.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to introduce votes at 16 before (a) elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly and (b) local elections take place.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

This Government will legislate to lower the voting age to 16 during this Parliament. This change will strengthen our democracy and empower young people to participate in it.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the introduction of votes at 16 in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The introduction of votes at 16 will be a major change to the franchise. I will of course work closely with my Ministerial counterparts across Government and other stakeholders on the development and implementation of this change.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his planned timetable is for establishing the Ethics and Integrity Commission.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 31 July 2024, Official Report, PQ 1251.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting smokers in Northern Ireland to quit.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced into Parliament on 5 November 2024 and will be the single biggest public health intervention since the Government banned smoking in indoor public spaces.

This bill goes further than ever before. It will create the first smoke-free generation, gradually phasing out the sale of tobacco products across the country, enable the Government to strengthen the existing ban on smoking in public places, to reduce the harms of passive smoking in certain outdoor settings, ban vapes and nicotine products from being promoted and advertised to children, and introduce tougher enforcement measures, including through providing powers to introduce a retail licensing scheme for tobacco and vapes.

The bill has been developed in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government, and the Welsh Government. The Department has engaged extensively with all the devolved administrations throughout the process of drafting the bill. I also have liaised directly with Minister Nesbitt and his department's officials on the bill’s contents and progress, and will continue to do so..

Stop smoking services and support for smokers to quit are devolved matters, and support for smokers to quit in Northern Ireland is for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of suspending all arms sales to Israel.

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

On day one in office, the Foreign Secretary commissioned a thorough review into Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), given the grave concerns about the conduct and consequences of the war in Gaza for civilians. The Strategic Export Licensing Criteria state that the Government will not issue or maintain export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. Given the conclusions of the review, on 2 September the Government suspended export licences to Israel, effectively covering all arms exports for use in the current conflict in Gaza, exempting components for F-35 aircraft which, for reasons outlined in the Foreign Secretary's Statement and the Business and Trade Secretary's Written Ministerial Statement, have been excluded from the suspension.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has taken recent steps to meet the duties set out in the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion entitled Legal Consequences Arising From The Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem, published on 19 July 2024.

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

The UK does not disagree with the central findings of the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on the 'Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem'. We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as rapidly as possible - but we are also clear that every effort must be made to create the conditions for negotiations towards a two-state solution. Our commitment to a two-state solution is unwavering.

Mid Down and Lisburn District Community First Responders

Disclosure and Barring Service checks for hon. Members and Peers

Violence against women in Northern Ireland

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls

50th anniversary of Banbridge Performing Arts Festival Speech and Drama section

Family visas

Triple negative breast cancer

Use of swift bricks

Transition to animal-free research and testing

Gaza family visa scheme

Israeli Knesset decision to ban UNRWA

Support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency

Found: er 202 4 Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi , in the Chair Dan Aldridge Chris Bloore Sorcha Eastwood

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Chris Bloore; Sorcha Eastwood

Found: Labour; Gower) (Chair) Dan Aldridge (Labour; Weston-super-Mare) Chris Bloore (Labour; Redditch) Sorcha Eastwood

Submit Evidence (by 15 Jan 2025)

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is launching a follow-up inquiry into the funding of public services in Northern Ireland.

No description available

Submit Evidence (by 31 Jan 2025)

The committee is undertaking an inquiry into the operation of the Windsor Framework in Northern Ireland, scrutinising the implementation of commitments from the movement of goods to rights obligations.

Submit Evidence (by 5 Feb 2025)

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is launching an inquiry into Government policy on the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland.