Asked by: Selaine Saxby (Conservative - North Devon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, What assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of extending the Contract for Difference scheme to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive Department for the Economy. The Department for the Economy (DfE) held a consultation on Design Considerations for its own bespoke Renewables Support Scheme in February 2023 which included seeking views on having a Contracts for Difference scheme in Northern Ireland. Consultation responses were recently published on 9 April 2024. DfE states that having considered the consultation responses, it will design a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme for Northern Ireland which builds upon the support schemes across Great Britain, Ireland, and Europe. Northern Ireland has a vital role to play in helping the UK reach net zero by 2050.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 redevelopment of Casement Park.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
EURO 2028 is a fantastic opportunity for the UK and Ireland to showcase world-class sport as hosts.
The UK Government is continuing to work closely with the Department for Communities regarding the cost and delivery of Casement Park. We remain committed to ensuring EURO 2028 leaves a lasting legacy across the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made in establishing and making operational the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery on 1 May, in particular with regard to (1) assuming responsibility for Northern Ireland Troubles reinvestigations from Operation Kenova and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and (2) replacing inquests.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As I set out in a Written Ministerial Statement on 17 April, I can confirm that the ICRIR’s operational functions will be commenced and the Commission will be able to receive requests and carry out reviews as planned on 1 May 2024 - the point at which the Legacy Act automatically ends current investigations and inquests. From this date, following a request in accordance with the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, the ICRIR will carry out reviews of Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries that occurred between 1966 and 1998.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the memorialisation strategy for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to the memorialisation measures set out in Part 4 of the Legacy Act and elsewhere. While our focus since Royal Assent of the Act has been on establishing the ICRIR, we know these wider measures are also essential to deliver for victims and families in Northern Ireland. Further to previous announcements on Public History and the project to digitise Troubles-related Government files, we will set out further details in due course.
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 is taking steps to prepare for potential legal challenges to the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 after the commencement of part 3 of that Act.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Challenges against the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 have been heard in the High Court in Northern Ireland. The Government welcomes the Court’s findings that the ICRIR is operationally independent from Government and has the necessary powers to carry out reviews in accordance with the state’s obligations with Articles 2 and 3 of the ECHR.
However, following consideration of all aspects of the judgment, the UK Government has lodged an application for an appeal with the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.
We remain committed to implementing the Legacy Act and delivering the ICRIR to provide better outcomes for victims and survivors of the Troubles by giving them more information about what happened to their loved ones.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff left his Department in each year since 2015.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The table below summarises the published Civil Service Statistics which includes the number of civil servants who have left the Northern Ireland Office since 2015.
The Cabinet Office has recently launched the new Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, which demonstrates our commitment to developing and retaining the key skills the Civil Service needs, both now and in the future.
Total Annual Leavers at 31st March of: |
|
2015 | 0 |
2016 | 10 |
2017 | 0 |
2018 | 20 |
2019 | 20 |
2020 | 20 |
2021 | 10 |
2022 | 20 |
2023 | 10 |
Total: | 110 |
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what information his Department holds on the (a) gender, (b) disability status, (c) sexual orientation, (d) marital status and (e) ethnicity of public appointments that it has made in each of the last five years.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
My Department collects diversity information in line with its equality duties and the requirements of the Governance Code on Public Appointments for all public appointments set out in the Schedule to the Public Appointments Order in Council.
Information collected on appointments and reappointments is published annually by the Cabinet Office in the Public Appointments Data Report and can be found on GOV.UK. The Commissioner for Public Appointments also includes data in his annual report which is published at:
https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/publications/annual-reports/
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) same and (b) opposite sex couples in Northern Ireland have converted their (i) marriage to civil partnership and (ii) civil partnership to marriage.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The General Register Office within the Northern Ireland Department of Finance is responsible for the administration of marriage and civil partnership law in Northern Ireland. They should be contacted for further information regarding this matter.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which department will answer questions on matters relating to the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Consistent with responsibility for the Windsor Framework, the Cabinet Office is responsible for the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 overall. Any matters relating to the constitutional position of Northern Ireland or devolution would be for the Northern Ireland Office to answer.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with Iain Livingstone on the publication timetable for the final report from Operation Kenova.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I met with Sir Iain Livingstone on 6 March 2024 and updated him on the Government’s plans to make transitional provision to clarify that final administrative tasks related to a criminal investigation (including, for example, report-writing and publication of reports, such as the Kenova report) can be retained and completed by their original owners on and after 1 May 2024.
As Kenova is operationally independent of the Government, I am not in a position to confirm the publication date of its reports.