Northern Ireland Office

The Northern Ireland Office does not provide any direct financial support to the Minister for the Union.

The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) is an independent body. As such, the Government does not hold this operational information and the Right Honourable Gentleman may wish to request it from the Commission directly.

The Government engages regularly with the US administration to promote investment opportunities in Northern Ireland and I met the US Ambassador in Northern Ireland in July. Recent major investments, like Bank of America’s Belfast expansion, bringing with it over 100 jobs, confirm the significant interest in Northern Ireland from US businesses and investors. The UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal provides an important framework to reduce trade barriers, ensuring Northern Ireland remains an attractive destination for American firms.

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) manages its projects in accordance with the principles of HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money to ensure the effective and efficient use of public funds.

Following a review of departmental records for the last five years, the Northern Ireland Office has no such costs to report.

While I meet regularly with the Chief Constable and his senior team regarding national security, and a range of issues, I have a limited role in relation to certain appeals against the decision of the Chief Constable not to issue firearms licences. The issuing of firearms licences is a devolved matter.

The Government is committed to the Windsor Framework and protecting the UK internal market.

Over 15,000 businesses are now registered to take advantage of facilitations for freight and parcels under the Windsor Framework, and the Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel reported last year that 96% of goods moved by freight between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the first half of 2025 did so within the UK internal market system.

The frequency of identity checks on agri-food products was recently reduced from 10% to 8% of consignments. We are also negotiating an SPS agreement with the EU that will smooth flows of trade still further, protect the UK’s internal market, reduce costs for businesses and improve consumer choice in Northern Ireland.

Social Housing policy is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department for Communities.

This Government has provided the Executive with a record £19.3 billion per year on average over the Spending Review period. It is for the Executive to allocate this money in line with its priorities.

The Northern Ireland Office’s expenditure on (a) advertising and (b) marketing for the last three complete financial years, and the current financial year to date, is set out below:

* Please note that the figures for NIO Core include expenditure related to public inquiries within the NIO group, including the Omagh Bombing Public Inquiry.

The EU has not yet formally approved or published a final legal text, I am however aware of the potential impacts of restrictions on the sale of antimicrobial medicines without prescription on Northern Ireland's health services, particularly demand for GP appointments. The Government has raised this issue and we will, as ever, always advocate for the interests of Northern Ireland.

The Government will publish an explanatory memorandum in due course in accordance with the usual processes.

The Northern Ireland Office holds the following information:

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has travelled to Northern Ireland on 54 occasions since taking office.

The Prime Minister has visited Northern Ireland twice since taking office.

The Chancellor has visited once.

The Foreign Secretary has visited once.

The Secretary of State for Education has visited once.

The former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, visited once.

The former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, visited twice.

The former Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, visited twice.

In addition, there have been 37 visits by other members of the Government to Northern Ireland since 5 July 2024.

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals.

Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.

We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

The Government is firmly committed to Article 2 of the Windsor Framework, which ensures no diminution of rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity protections set out in the relevant chapter of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Dedicated Mechanism monitors, advises and reports on this commitment, receiving funding from the UK Government for this purpose. It also has a duty to promote understanding and awareness of the importance of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework. The UK Government acknowledges the vital role of the Dedicated Mechanism in upholding equalities and human rights protections in Northern Ireland and continues to work with it to ensure these protections are enforced.

Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom’s internal market and customs territory. Ministers and officials speak regularly with stakeholders regarding the implementation of the Windsor Framework, including arrangements for parcels. Dual market access ensures that goods can move between Northern Ireland and the EU without the need for customs declarations or duty, including goods moving through Great Britain.

Unsuccessful Connect Fund applicants can request feedback on their applications, with the aim of supporting them to re-submit a successful application in a future round of the Connect Fund.

The Northern Ireland Office is running roadshows across Northern Ireland, starting on 12 January and running until 19 January, to promote Year 2 of the Fund, which opened on 7 January and will close on 12 February. The roadshows offer guidance on applications and budget preparation, and provide an opportunity to receive advice on potential application ideas. Roadshow materials will be available on the Connect Fund's webpage in due course.

The British Embassy in Washington DC is working with the Northern Ireland Bureau (the Northern Ireland Executive’s diplomatic mission to the US) regarding plans to celebrate the America250 commemoration and the economic opportunities for Northern Ireland within that.

Responsibility for recruitment (including requesting national security vetting) for the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland lies with The Executive Office.

I commend the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission for their continued, important work in upholding human rights protections in Northern Ireland. This includes in their role as part of the Dedicated Mechanism, along with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, in monitoring the implementation of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework, for which they receive dedicated funding. The Government welcomes this report and is considering its findings.

The interpretation and application of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework is currently being considered by the Supreme Court in Dillon and others. The Government awaits the court’s judgment.

Responsibility for museums is a devolved matter and support for Northern Ireland’s museums is a matter for the Northern Ireland Communities Minister. I would therefore encourage Derry City and Strabane District Council to discuss support for the programming of the North Atlantic Maritime Museum in Derry/Londonderry with the Minister for Communities.

The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme is a devolved matter and is run by the Victims’ Payments Board on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Statistics on applications are publicly available on the Victims’ Payments Board’s website.

We understand that there are currently 113 live investigations under the remit of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

Within those 113 investigations, there were 35 victims who were military personnel and 16 police officers. This accounts for 44 of the 113 cases as some of these relate to multi-fatality incidents.

Belfast International Airport is vital not just for Northern Ireland’s connectivity but for economic growth across the whole of the UK.

While civil aviation is a reserved matter, the development of airports in Northern Ireland, and the surface transport serving them, is devolved. It is therefore for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine their infrastructure investment priorities, including any potential rail connection, within the record funding settlement for Northern Ireland announced by the Chancellor at the spending review.

The Government recognises that connectivity is vital for supporting economic growth and opportunity across the United Kingdom.

I note that the Northern Ireland Executive recently received the findings from the Translink feasibility study into the reopening of the Antrim-Lisburn line, which includes options for a connection to Belfast International Airport.

The Executive also recently received the final report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which considers this project a priority. As transport is a devolved matter, it is for the Executive to determine their infrastructure investment priorities based on these findings and to allocate funding from the record financial settlement of £19.3 billion for 2025-26.

The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme is a devolved matter and is run by the Victim's Payment Board on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive. Matters of eligibility are for the Board.

The Government has announced new protections and safeguards designed specifically for veterans that were not included in the 2023 Legacy Act, and that respond directly to the views expressed by veterans during engagements that the Government has undertaken.

All of the protections that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.

The Government continues to engage closely with veterans and their representatives at both ministerial and official level, and to listen to their views. This includes meetings with the UK Veterans Commissioners, the Royal British Legion, and specific regimental associations.

The blue-green algae which we have seen develop over recent years in Lough Neagh is very worrying and has had a serious impact on the environmental health of the Lough.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State recently met with Northern Ireland’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, and discussed the environmental impact on Lough Neagh, the Lough Neagh Action Plan and where the UK Government can support the Department in tackling the pollution in Lough Neagh.

Whilst the protection and conservation of the Lough is a devolved matter, this Government recognises the vital importance of Lough Neagh and will continue to engage with the Executive on this issue.

My officials and I regularly meet with the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) to discuss the views of the farming community in Northern Ireland, the Government’s international trade policy and movements of agrifood products within the UK internal market.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I wrote to the UFU on 23 December setting out the Government’s changes to inheritance tax and Agricultural Property Relief. These changes will protect more farms and businesses, while maintaining the core principle that more valuable agricultural and business assets should not receive unlimited relief.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) acts as service providers for National Security Vetting (NSV) across His Majesty’s Government (HMG) for specific roles affording access to Protectively Marked Materials (PMM) sites and assets. The ultimate decision on whether to grant any level of NSV will be taken either by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), the department or police force that requires the individual to hold clearance, or by the sponsoring authority that carries out this task on behalf of departments.

In line with the practice followed by successive administrations, the Government does not otherwise comment on security matters.

The defence of the United Kingdom is always the first duty of any Government.

As part of our defence industrial strategy, we will invest £250m across five regions for Defence Growth Deals - including one in Northern Ireland which already boasts a booming defence sector - and it looks like it will only get stronger in 2026.

The defence of the United Kingdom is always the first duty of any Government.

As part of our defence industrial strategy, we will invest £250m across five regions for Defence Growth Deals - including one in Northern Ireland which already boasts a booming defence sector - and it looks like it will only get stronger in 2026.

I regularly engage with the Irish Government on a number of issues of interest to both Governments, but to date, no discussions have taken place on the Irish Government’s Shared Island Media Fund.

I meet regularly with Executive Ministers to discuss a range of issues, including how this Government can support public service transformation. While public transport is a devolved matter, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently met with the Infrastructure Minister to discuss the critical role of infrastructure in connecting communities and facilitating economic growth in Northern Ireland.

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I engage regularly with the Executive on public services, including health. While health is a devolved matter, this Government is committed to being an active partner in supporting the Executive to deliver high-quality, accessible and sustainable public services, and in assisting through the Public Sector Transformation Board.

We all recognise the pressures facing the health service and that transformation requires prioritisation and difficult decisions. I welcome the progress made by the Health Minister to date.

The Government is committed to strengthening trade and business cooperation across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Last year, I established Intertrade UK which aims to promote and boost trade in goods and services across the United Kingdom and ensure that the benefits of the UK Internal Market are fully realised by businesses.

At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor allocated £2.25 million over the next three fiscal years to support Intertrade UK to implement its work programme to improve trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Intertrade UK is now considering how best to deploy this new funding and I look forward to seeing the results of its future work.

Through our Industrial Strategy, we are also supporting growth in eight identified sectors, fostering opportunities for collaboration where Northern Ireland shares industrial strengths with regions such as Staffordshire.

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025

Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/northern-ireland-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025

Due to the difficulty of disaggregating the number of staff who are employed to produce social media content from staff who are employed to work on broader digital communications, it is not possible to report exact figures in response to this question.

The Government considered the issues raised in the Independent Monitoring Panel’s report as part of its response to the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework. This includes a commitment to delivering an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ advice service for small businesses, beyond what is available on GOV.UK, and this is set out at Paragraph 50 of the Government’s response and thereafter. The Government’s response to the Review, and relevant issues raised in the Panel’s report, is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-independent-review-of-the-windsor-framework

As part of commitments within the Windsor Framework and the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, the then-Government committed to “enter into exploratory talks with the United States Administration on the options for introducing pre-clearance checks on customs and immigration for passengers travelling on direct flights from Belfast International Airport and destinations in the USA.”

I can confirm that this was raised with the US Administration, but the decision ultimately rests them.

The information requested is shown below:

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the government’s consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK’s customs territory and benefits from the UK’s Free Trade Agreements. The Government is not seeking to negotiate a UK-EU Customs Union.

New EU legislation can only be added to the Windsor Framework by means of Joint Decisions by the UK and EU at the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee, and in line with the UK Government’s commitments in Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. A record of those decisions can be found online on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee page of the Government’s website. Since the Windsor Framework was agreed in 2023, 9 new EU acts have been added to its annexes - with 4 added in 2023, 1 in 2024, and 4 in 2025.

The scope of the Stormont Brake is also clearly set out in Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Stormont Brake mechanism is provided for in relation to relevant EU replacement legislation, and any notification under it would be required to satisfy the requirements set down in law.

New EU legislation can only be added to the Windsor Framework by means of Joint Decisions by the UK and EU at the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee, and in line with the UK Government’s commitments in Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. A record of those decisions can be found online on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee page of the Government’s website. Since the Windsor Framework was agreed in 2023, 9 new EU acts have been added to its annexes - with 4 added in 2023, 1 in 2024, and 4 in 2025.

The scope of the Stormont Brake is also clearly set out in Schedule 6B to the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The Stormont Brake mechanism is provided for in relation to relevant EU replacement legislation, and any notification under it would be required to satisfy the requirements set down in law.

The Government routinely sets out its assessment of the impacts and effects of regulations that apply in Northern Ireland via Explanatory Memoranda provided by the Government to scrutiny committees in Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Windsor Framework includes a number of schemes and easements which help protect the UK’s internal market and facilitate Northern Ireland’s unique dual market access. Additionally, the Government frequently indicates where measures will be taken in the rest of the United Kingdom which will fulfil its manifesto commitment to protect the UK’s internal market.

The £1m Connect Fund makes awards to strengthen civic ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain across a range of sectors. I am encouraged by the high level of interest the Fund has received from community and voluntary groups to date. Early next year, a series of roadshows will be hosted across Northern Ireland, including areas with lower application rates, to advertise the Fund and support a broad geographical spread of applicants.

The Northern Ireland Office has written to the families of 8 cases to inform them that those inquests will be able to resume under clause 84(3) of the Northern Ireland (Troubles) Bill. These cases are; Dillon, Duffy, McCord, Loughgall, Stalker-Sampson series, Moran, McDaid & Slane, and Patterson.

The inquest into the death of Mr Joseph Campbell is included in the ‘9 cases’ allowed to resume as it was part of the ‘Five Year Plan’ for Legacy Inquests, and had started before the Legacy Act came into force. The Government is aware that the coroner in this case has provisionally determined that it can continue as a ‘non Troubles-related’ inquest.