Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice on the right to take industrial action for prison officers in Northern Ireland.

There is regular engagement with the Northern Ireland Department of Justice to discuss areas of mutual interest and concern.

As a result of the devolution of policing and justice in 2010, the Department of Justice (DoJ) is primarily responsible for the prison system in Northern Ireland. Terms and conditions for prison officers are set out in letters of appointment, the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) Professional Code of Ethics and Values and the NIPS Professional Code of Conduct, the Northern Ireland Civil Service Handbook and relevant Prison Service notices and circulars.