Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Defence to support community cohesion in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
Building a safer, more reconciled society is a key priority. Northern Ireland Office Ministers engage broadly with ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues in Northern Ireland, including community cohesion. Fostering positive community relations in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK requires active leadership and close collaboration across Government, and across our society more broadly.
The Northern Ireland Office is proud to deliver the Connect Fund to support issues of shared interest across the UK such as community cohesion. The Connect Fund supports organisations such as Springboard Opportunities, a fantastic cross-community youth charity, who have received funding to deliver an initiative to evolve community cohesion strategies in Northern Ireland in collaboration with counterparts in England. I am delighted that the Connect Fund will continue to fund projects such as these, with applications opening for Connect Fund Round 3 at the start of next week.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the likelihood of it setting a Budget before Christmas 2026.
Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
The Secretary of State has met regularly with the NI Executive to discuss the budget and find agreement. The Government has offered a significant and final funding package of over £1.5bn across three years to the Northern Ireland Executive. This funding is on top of the record £19.3bn per year on average provided to the Executive over the Spending Review.
This is funding that will help the Executive manage their pressures, stabilise their finances and move to a more sustainable footing.
The Secretary of State has urged the Executive to accept this offer and agree a multi-year budget, to provide public services with the clarity and certainty they need.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2026 to question 34030 on Veterans: Northern Ireland, on what date will the next quarterly transparency return be published.
Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
The date for publication of the next quarterly transparency return is yet to be confirmed, but we expect this to be before the end of December.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made, alongside the government of the Republic of Ireland, in implementing their commitments under the Joint Framework on the Legacy of the Troubles since it was agreed in September 2025.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
This Government, and our Irish counterparts, remain committed to the Joint Framework.
Through the progression of the Troubles Bill, the UK Government continues to make progress on our pledges within the Joint Framework. The Bill has now started passage in the House of Lords.
On 9 June, the Irish Government published their General Scheme of the Legacy of the Troubles Bill 2026. This scheme sets out how the Irish Government will legislate to implement its commitments in the Joint Framework on the Legacy of the Troubles agreed with the UK Government last September. Alongside this, the new Legacy unit is now established within An Garda Síochána. This is an important step in obtaining answers for the many families who will benefit from this cross-border cooperation.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the a) Minister for Communities and b) Minister for the Economy in the Northern Ireland Executive about the adequacy of support for the brewing industry in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
Since his appointment, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has met with all the Northern Ireland Executive Ministers, including the Minister for Communities and the Minister for the Economy. Policies related to support for the brewing industry in Northern Ireland are devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive.
The brewing industry is a key sector in the UK economy, providing jobs and investment across the country, and the Prime Minister recently announced a 20 per cent discount to business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England. Any associated Barnett consequentials for the NI Executive will be confirmed at the next fiscal event.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for (a) staff and (b) Ministers broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
In the 2024-25 financial year, the Northern Ireland Office (including its Arm's Length Bodies and Inquiries) spent the following amounts on hotel accommodation:
Category | UK Stays | Overseas Stays | Total |
(a) Staff | £124,321.28 | £36,787.18 | £161,108.46 |
(b) Ministers | £1,692.00 | £829.00 | £2,521.00 |
*excludes our ALB: Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission figures
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the decision by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to quash the Parades Commission's determination regarding the Drumcree Parade, what engagement he had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland during the dispute; and what changes in the police assessment of the risk to public safety were communicated to him during that period.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland did not quash the Parades Commission's determination. Under Section 9 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, the Secretary of State was required to carry out a review of the determination which he, and subsequently the Courts, upheld. The Public Processions (NI) Act 1998 clearly outlines the factors that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland must consider when exercising his powers under the Act, including consulting the Chief Constable and Parades Commission as part of his decision making. The Chief Constable outlined that facilitating the parade would carry an unacceptable risk of serious injury, disorder, and public safety threats. The Secretary of State considered the necessary factors under Section 11 and subsequently prohibited the procession.
Asked by: Lord Hay of Ballyore (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the decision by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to quash the Parades Commission's determination regarding the Drumcree Parade, what factors informed that decision and what weight was attached to each one.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland did not quash the Parades Commission's determination. Under Section 9 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, the Secretary of State was required to carry out a review of the determination which he, and subsequently the Courts, upheld. The Public Processions (NI) Act 1998 clearly outlines the factors that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland must consider when exercising his powers under the Act, including consulting the Chief Constable and Parades Commission as part of his decision making. The Chief Constable outlined that facilitating the parade would carry an unacceptable risk of serious injury, disorder, and public safety threats. The Secretary of State considered the necessary factors under Section 11 and subsequently prohibited the procession.
Asked by: John Grady (Labour - Glasgow East)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to support community cohesion in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Recent events in Portadown have shown that despite the huge progress made in Northern Ireland over the last thirty years, deep trauma still exists and a number of contentious issues remain. The UK Government is investing more than £730 million into the PEACEPLUS programme to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and both I and my Ministerial colleagues meet regularly with the Northern Ireland Executive and the PSNI to discuss a range of issues in Northern Ireland, including community cohesion and reconciliation.
I know my Hon. Friend is also concerned about the issue of racism toward the Roma community, including those affected in his constituency.
I utterly condemn it. There is no place for racism of any kind in Northern Ireland, nor across the UK. Those who have chosen to make Northern Ireland their home and contribute to its social and economic development should never have to face any form of disgraceful racist abuse or prejudice.
Asked by: Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on tackling climate change in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
Climate change policy is devolved. However, Northern Ireland has the potential to be at the forefront of the UK’s clean energy industry. I recently visited CATAGEN, a company in Belfast developing cutting-edge Clean Aviation Fuel technology which they are selling to the global market, and I was deeply impressed with the level of innovation.
This innovation will drive sustainable economic growth in Northern Ireland and across our country, while tackling our climate change goals.