Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the increased cost of living in Northern Ireland in the absence of a functioning Executive that could distribute public funding in response.

The Government has taken decisive action to support people right across the UK, including support for the most vulnerable households across Northern Ireland who will receive up to £1,000, including a one-off £650 cost of living payment. The Government has provided significant resources to the NI Executive and it’s now vital a new Executive is formed to ensure all the funding available to Northern Ireland is used to maximum effect. In the absence of a fully functioning NI Executive, the Government continues to work with the relevant NI departments to ensure that people in NI benefit from UK support schemes.