Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the remit of the East–West Council; what budget it has been allocated; how many times it has met; and who was invited to and attended these meetings.

The Government is committed to make progress on the commitments made in the Safeguarding the Union command paper. This includes taking steps to convene the second meeting of the East-West Council shortly, which had its inaugural meeting in March 2024.

The East-West Council will focus on trade promotion, connectivity, culture and skills, bringing together key representatives from government, business, education, trade, transport, and culture sectors - encouraging collaboration between ministers and industry experts - and membership will remain flexible.