Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have inserted any conditions to their financial commitment to Casement Park to ensure that terrorist organisations cannot use the facility.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government is supporting the Northern Ireland Executive with its plans for building world class infrastructure in Northern Ireland, across all sporting codes. That is why we have provided up to £50 million of capital funding over four years to support the redevelopment of Casement Park.
Under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, it is a criminal offence to invite support for a proscribed organisation or to arrange, manage, or assist in addressing a meeting known to support its activities.
Asked by: Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have carried out an investigation or assessment of whether the Gaelic Athletic Association has links to terrorist organisations.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Northern Ireland Office has not carried out any such assessment or investigation.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the Minister for Communities in the Northern Ireland Executive on Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann being held in Belfast.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the Communities Minister, on a range of priorities. Northern Ireland Office officials have engaged directly with Comhaltas on the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast this summer.
The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will be a great opportunity for Northern Ireland. As one of only three UK cities with UNESCO City of Music status, I am delighted that Belfast will host the world's largest celebration of Irish music and culture. This event will attract global visitors, providing a chance for the city to showcase its rich and diverse cultural offering. The decision by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to bring the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann back to Belfast in 2027 is also very welcome news.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to support the Northern Ireland Executive with Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the Communities Minister, on a range of priorities. Northern Ireland Office officials have engaged directly with Comhaltas on the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast this summer.
The Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will be a great opportunity for Northern Ireland. As one of only three UK cities with UNESCO City of Music status, I am delighted that Belfast will host the world's largest celebration of Irish music and culture. This event will attract global visitors, providing a chance for the city to showcase its rich and diverse cultural offering. The decision by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to bring the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann back to Belfast in 2027 is also very welcome news.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what evidence his Department submitted to the Office for National Statistics' review of the ethnicity harmonised standard, including in relation to the recording of Sikhs and Jewish people as ethnic groups.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
A review of the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection is underway by the Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team.
A public consultation between October 2025 and February 2026 sought views from a wide range of users, including Government Departments and public bodies, to understand user needs for ethnic group data. This was supplemented by a programme of engagement activity, including with representatives of all government departments.
ONS have committed to providing an initial response to the public consultation in April, and a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026 will include more detailed information on the departments that responded to the consultation.
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 had discussions with the Northern Ireland Justice Minister on possible changes to classifications and statutory sentencing in drugs misuse policy.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I have not had any such discussions.
Drug classification and the supporting legal framework remains a reserved power, primarily managed through the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. This is the responsibility of the Home Office.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Officials from the Northern Ireland Office regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on National Defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the Government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat.
As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing Government, the private sector and the public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.
The Northern Ireland Office is actively supporting this work across a number of directorates including discussions with defence industry representatives, businesses and academia to better understand the contribution of the defence sector in Northern Ireland. This work is led by the Director for Security, International and NI Politics, and the Director for Growth, Public Service Transformation and NI Fiscal Sustainability.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff within his Department are reliant on a visa for employment.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The information requested regarding how many staff within the Department are reliant on a visa for employment is not held centrally. Right to work checks are carried out for all new employees as part of the recruitmenton process.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department was invited by the Office for National Statistics to provide evidence or input into its review of the ethnicity harmonised standard.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
A review of the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection is underway by the Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team. A public consultation between October 2025 and February 2026 sought views from a wide range of users, including Government Departments and public bodies, to understand user needs for ethnic group data. This was supplemented by a programme of engagement, including with representatives of all government departments.
ONS have committed to providing an initial response to the public consultation in April, and a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026 will include more detailed information on the departments that responded to the consultation.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for what policy reason the day of birth would be removed from electoral ID cards in Northern Ireland under the Representation of the People Bill.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The day of birth will be removed from the electoral ID to ensure that electoral identity cards are used to prove one’s identity in order to vote, rather than as a secondary form of identification, for other purposes.