Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff in his Department had caring responsibilities in each of the last five years.

Although the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) does not hold numbers of staff who have caring responsibilities, the department is committed to supporting these members of staff. Working with staff we have developed a Carers Charter, which sets out the policies and support available and the department has dedicated advocates for Carers, through our Diversity and Inclusion network. All staff members with caring responsibilities are encouraged to complete an NIO Carer’s Passport.

To strengthen our commitment to supporting staff with caring responsibilities, the NIO is a member of Employers for Carers Northern Ireland. This allows our staff access to a range of dedicated resources as well as practical information and advice.