Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Barnett consequentials are for Northern Ireland following the announcements for additional funding for (a) housing associations through the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme and (b) the third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund in the Autumn Statement 2023.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
As a result of announcements made at Autumn Statement 2023, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive £185 million through the Barnett formula over 2023-24 and 2024-25.
The Barnett formula determines changes to overall devolved administration block grants and Barnett-based funding is not ringfenced in line with specific programmes.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who had been transferred from Larne House in Northern Ireland to a longer-term holding facility in Britain were released into a hotel in England in the last six months.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We do not publish the information requested. This is because the information is not available in a reportable format and providing this information could only be done at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of trialling community-based alternatives to detention for asylum seekers in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Recent independent evaluations of two Home Office funded pilot projects in the UK found no definitive evidence that community-based case management focused alternatives to immigration detention led to the quicker resolution of individual cases nor represented better value for money. We therefore have no plans to progress any further community-based case management focused alternatives to immigration detention.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers in Northern Ireland were (a) taken into Larne House short-term holding facility and (b) transferred to a longer-term detention centre in Britain in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We do not publish the information requested. This is because the information is not available in a reportable format and providing this information could only be done at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much of the Fresh Start Agreement funding package for shared and integrated education (a) has been allocated as of 21 November 2023 and (b) is remaining.
Answered by Steve Baker
The Fresh Start Agreement in 2015 set out a commitment by the UK Government to release up to £500m over ten years of new capital funding to support shared and integrated education and housing. This funding is subject to individual projects being agreed between the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government.
HM Treasury’s Block Grant Transparency confirms that over £196 million in Fresh Start Agreement (shared education and housing) funding has been transferred to the Northern Ireland Executive up to Mains 2023-24, with around £304 million remaining. The Block Grant Transparency is published online at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-july-2023.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether funding from the £500 million Fresh Start agreement package has been allocated to the Strule Shared Education Campus.
Answered by Steve Baker
The Fresh Start Agreement in 2015 set out a commitment by the UK Government to release up to £500m over ten years of new capital funding to support shared and integrated education and housing. This funding is subject to individual projects, including Strule, being agreed between the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government.
The Government continues to work with Northern Ireland Departments on funding arrangements and projects under the Agreement and funding allocations continue to be subject to HM Treasury approval.
As the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland set out in his Written Ministerial Statement on the Northern Ireland Budget 2023-24 in April, the acute state of Northern Ireland’s public finances means that it may be necessary to reallocate funding from previously announced funding packages. This process is ongoing.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the operational budget will be for the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery in 2024-25; and from where this cost will be funded.
Answered by Steve Baker
£250 million has been allocated to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act and the non-legislative memorialisation measures announced alongside it. This includes costs for the establishment of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, and for the Commission’s work. These funds were set aside for legacy mechanisms under the Stormont House Agreement and the New Decade, New Approach agreement.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has plans to provide funding for the Strule Shared Education Campus through the Fresh Start Agreement funding package.
Answered by Steve Baker
The Fresh Start Agreement in 2015 set out a commitment by the UK Government to release up to £500m over ten years of new capital funding to support shared and integrated education and housing. This funding is subject to individual projects, including Strule, being agreed between the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government.
The Government continues to work with Northern Ireland Departments on funding arrangements and projects under the Agreement and funding allocations continue to be subject to HM Treasury approval.
As the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland set out in his Written Ministerial Statement on the Northern Ireland Budget 2023-24 in April, the acute state of Northern Ireland’s public finances means that it may be necessary to reallocate funding from previously announced funding packages. This process is ongoing.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether certificate of applications issued to EU Settlement Scheme applicants cover claims to Universal Credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Individuals in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement (or equivalent citizen’s rights agreements with the EEA EFTA countries and Switzerland) can use their Certificate of Application to evidence that they have made a valid application to the EU Settlement Scheme. They will then be able to access Universal Credit on the same basis as before the UK left the EU – including needing to provide evidence that they are exercising a qualifying right to reside, such as a worker or self-employed status.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to uprate social security benefits for 2024-25 in line with the Consumer Price Index rate published on 16 October 2023.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefits and the State Pension.
The outcome of the review will be announced in the Autumn.