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 discussions he has had with the (a) Northern Ireland Executive and (b) US Semiquincentennial Commission on how Northern Ireland’s status in the America250 programme will be used to promote economic opportunities in areas beyond the Greater Belfast area.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
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.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of 8th January 2026 to Question 103096, who is responsible for requesting the national security vetting for the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Responsibility for recruitment (including requesting national security vetting) for the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland lies with The Executive Office.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of a) the findings and b) recommendations of the Windsor Framework Article 2: Enforcement and Remedies paper produced by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, on 16 December 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
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.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many applications have been (a) received, (b) awarded and (c) refused under the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme; and in how many refused cases the applicant was in receipt of an occupational injury award, including (i) Civil Service Injury Benefit and (ii) an equivalent injury pension.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
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.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold discussions with Londonderry and Strabane Council on potential support for programming at the Londonderry North Atlantic (DNA) Maritime Museum.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
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.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many investigations are being carried out by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery; and how many of those investigations relate to the deaths of (a) members of the Armed Forces and (b) police officers.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
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.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether veterans groups were consulted on the six lawful and deliverable protections in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
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.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100839, if he will make an estimate of the number of people who are likely to be eligible for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
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.
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 Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of a rail connection to Belfast International Airport on economic growth across the United Kingdom.
Answered by Matthew Patrick - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
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.
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 discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential merits of a train connection to Belfast International Airport.
Answered by Matthew Patrick - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
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.