Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect St Lucia Barracks in Omagh against arson attacks.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Ministry of Defence owns a small area of the St Lucia site (known as the historic core), and the majority of the site is owned by the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure; it is for them to comment on any further steps they are taking to protect the site.
I would urge anyone with information about these attacks to contact the PSNI.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff network events took place in his Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing group held one event, a staff delivered Mental Health Presentation, on Thursday 15 May as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. It was attended by 25 staff members.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many permanent civil servants had contracts of employment terminated for poor performance in (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
No permanent civil servants have had their contracts of employment terminated for poor performance in the time frame given.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil cases have been lodged with the Northern Ireland Office in relation to the 2020 Supreme Court decision that the signing of interim custody orders by a Minister or official other than a Secretary of State was unlawful; when were the interim custody orders signed; how many of the claimants are deceased; how many cases have been determined; and at what cost they were determined.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Approximately 100 civil damages claims relating to Interim Custody Orders signed by a Minister or official other than the Secretary of State have been lodged with the Northern Ireland Office since the decision of the Supreme Court in 2020. Around a tenth of these have been brought on behalf of an individual who is deceased. The relevant date period for an ICO claim relating to the signing of an order by a Minister or official other than a Secretary of State is between 24 March 1972 and 5 December 1975. None of the claims have yet been determined by a judge.
Asked by: John Cooper (Conservative - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many permanent civil servants in his Department are staff without assigned posts; and how many are placed in an equivalent (a) people action team, (b) priority movers list, (c) redeployment register, (d) talent pool and (e) skills match hub in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
At any point in time, there is likely to be a small number of individuals who have been displaced due to restructures within their cost centres or, for example, have returned from a loan from another department and their role no longer exists. The exact number changes on a day-to-day basis.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Northern Ireland on waiting times for ADHD (a) medication and (b) treatment for children.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This Government is committed to working with the Executive to transform its public services and improve outcomes for people living in Northern Ireland, including children. That is why I and other UK Government Ministers regularly engage with Executive Ministers in Northern Ireland, including the Health Minister, to discuss plans to improve public services.
However, I also recognise that health is devolved in Northern Ireland and directly tackling waiting lists is a matter for the NI Health Minister and his department. I welcome the recent steps he has taken to improve waiting times. Improving outcomes in Northern Ireland will take time and we will continue to be an active partner and work supportively with the Executive as best we can.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking with the (a) Northern Ireland Executive and (b) Royal Portrush Golf Club to help create a lasting (i) sporting and (ii) economic legacy following the Open Golf Championship in July 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Royal Portrush will stage the 153rd Open Golf Championship next month, providing another outstanding showcase for golf in Northern Ireland. The 148th Open, held at Royal Portrush nine years ago, became the biggest sporting event ever held in Northern Ireland, delivering a combined economic and media benefit of more than £100 million to the region.
I visited Royal Portrush Golf Club in April which was an excellent opportunity to learn more about their preparations which are well underway. I would encourage the Right Honourable Member to share any suggestions he has to help create a lasting sporting and economic legacy from the Open with the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, and the Department for Business and Trade.
Economic growth is the number one priority of the Government. That is why we are working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to create a thriving, competitive and regionally balanced economy in Northern Ireland through increased investment, job creation, and higher living standards.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the East–West Council.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The East-West Council, established under the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, first met in London in March 2024. It will meet for the first time in Belfast later this month. This forum provides exciting opportunities for Northern Ireland as we prioritise building and strengthening connections across the United Kingdom, focussing on shared opportunities and addressing mutual challenges.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has taken steps to help support (a) businesses and (b) consumers in Northern Ireland to order from suppliers based in Great Britain in the period since the signing of the trade agreement with the EU on 19 May 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government’s renewed partnership with the EU will deliver a broader range of benefits for people and businesses across the UK, including the SPS Agreement which, once implemented, will help facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, reduce costs for businesses and improve consumer choice. These new arrangements will now be developed into a legal text over the coming months.
The Government also remains committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and to protecting the UK internal market. The Framework guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the UK market and also supports traders to do business. Many are taking advantage of the support provided by the Trader Support Service.
On 1 May 2025, the Government introduced important new arrangements for freight and parcels movements to ensure that goods can continue to move smoothly from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The new arrangements ensure that goods sent to or from consumers will not be subject to customs declarations or duty. We have also introduced a range of schemes to support businesses by removing unnecessary checks and paperwork; over 10,000 businesses are already signed up to the UK Internal Market Scheme.