Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what engagement his Department has had with business organisations in Northern Ireland on the practical challenges of complying with dual market access requirements, and what issues have been raised.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Dual market access is a unique trading advantage that can attract further investment in Northern Ireland.
I meet a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland - and recently visited the Camlin Group, Leckey and the Exact Group who all highlight dual market access as a source of competitive advantage for them.
As set out in the Government’s response to the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, we are committed to ensuring that businesses can realise these benefits and are taking forward an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ business support service that will support Northern Ireland’s trade within the UK and with the EU markets.
Asked by: Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat - Wimbledon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what support his Department is providing to help firms in Northern Ireland maximise the potential benefits of dual market access while managing regulatory and administrative burdens.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Dual market access is a unique trading advantage that can attract further investment in Northern Ireland.
I meet a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland - and recently visited the Camlin Group, Leckey and the Exact Group who all highlight dual market access as a source of competitive advantage for them.
As set out in the Government’s response to the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, we are committed to ensuring that businesses can realise these benefits and are taking forward an enhanced ‘one stop shop’ business support service that will support Northern Ireland’s trade within the UK and with the EU markets.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on re-profiling the Local Growth Fund allocation for Northern Ireland to increase the resource element.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Following the announcement of the Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland at the Spending Review in June 2025, I have had regular engagement with the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, as well as Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive, as we continue to work in partnership on the design and delivery of the Fund.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on NHS Dentist provision.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I regularly engage with the Northern Ireland Executive on the importance of delivering good quality, accessible healthcare in Northern Ireland. As Health and Social Care, including dental services, is a devolved matter, the Northern Ireland Department of Health (DoH) is responsible for these services.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to make additional funding available to the Police Service of Northern Ireland to meet the costs arising from the 2023 data breach.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to set a budget for Departments, and for the Minister for Justice to allocate funding to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The Government is providing the Executive with a record settlement over the Spending Review period, averaging £19.3bn per year. This is the largest in the history of devolution.
On 17 December 2025, the Northern Ireland Executive committed to providing £119m to the Department of Justice to fund the costs of the data breach.
Concerns about the implications of costs associated with the data breach should be raised via the existing mechanisms in the Department of Justice and the Department of Finance.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many requests have been (a) made by the ICRIR to An Garda Síochána since their establishment and (b) answered.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) is an independent body. As such, the Government does not hold this operational information and the Right Honourable Gentleman may wish to request it from the Commission directly.
Asked by: Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party - Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 on Question 95787 on the Prime Minister, what is the estimated total departmental spend by his department to supporting the Minister for the Union in their role since the office was established.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Office does not provide any direct financial support to the Minister for the Union.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the US ambassador on opportunities to attract increased US investment to Northern Ireland; and what steps his Department is taking to facilitate such investment.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government engages regularly with the US administration to promote investment opportunities in Northern Ireland and I met the US Ambassador in Northern Ireland in July. Recent major investments, like Bank of America’s Belfast expansion, bringing with it over 100 jobs, confirm the significant interest in Northern Ireland from US businesses and investors. The UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal provides an important framework to reduce trade barriers, ensuring Northern Ireland remains an attractive destination for American firms.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost to the public purse was of feasibility studies conducted by their Department for projects that did not proceed in the last five years.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) manages its projects in accordance with the principles of HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money to ensure the effective and efficient use of public funds.
Following a review of departmental records for the last five years, the Northern Ireland Office has no such costs to report.
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 had had with the PSNI on the time taken to process FAC renewals and applications.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
While I meet regularly with the Chief Constable and his senior team regarding national security, and a range of issues, I have a limited role in relation to certain appeals against the decision of the Chief Constable not to issue firearms licences. The issuing of firearms licences is a devolved matter.