Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2021 to Question 153426, on Ethnic Groups: Northern Ireland, what the timescale is for the creation of the Castlereagh Foundation.

The New Decade, New Approach agreement included a commitment to provide funding to establish the Castlereagh Foundation to support academic research through universities and other partners to explore identity and the shifting patterns of social identity in Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has announced he will appoint an Advisory Committee which will support the UK Government to identify appropriate delivery partners to establish the Castlereagh Foundation and take the work forward at the earliest opportunity.