Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights would have on the Good Friday Agreement.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is firmly committed to upholding the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and to protecting and respecting human rights. We have a longstanding tradition of ensuring that rights and liberties are protected domestically and of fulfilling our international human rights obligations. We do not believe it is necessary to leave the ECHR in order to deliver on our major priorities. The Government remains committed to a human rights framework that is up to date, and works for all the people of the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the lack of public consultation on the Relationships and Sexuality Education (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, given that public consultation was conducted in England prior to equivalent regulations being implemented.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In line with the Government's statutory obligations under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and in consultation with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the Government completed an equality screening, the outcome of which did not indicate a need to consult publicly on the policy. The Department of Education has confirmed it will consult on both the guidance and the provisions for the circumstances in which a pupil may be excused from the education or specified elements of that education.
Consultation with parents on Relationships and Sex Education is already common practice in Northern Ireland. The Department of Education requires each school to have in place its own written policy on how it will address the delivery of Relationships and Sex Education. A school’s Relationships and Sex Education policy should be subject to consultation with parents and endorsed by a school’s Board of Governors.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely impact of the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisations under the Nationality and Borders Act 2021 on tourism in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As is the case now, under the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, the UK will not operate immigration controls on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border. All those travelling to the UK will need to continue to meet UK immigration requirements, which will include obtaining an ETA if they are required to do so.
The Government remains committed to working with a wide range of relevant bodies to ensure the ETA scheme is understood and to mitigate any risks that it is, or is perceived to be, an increased barrier to tourism in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for the process of future budgetary allocations to departments of the Northern Ireland Executive.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In the absence of functioning devolved institutions, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has intervened to set a Northern Ireland budget for the 2023-24 financial year, which he did on 27 April in his statement to Parliament. It will be for the relevant Northern Ireland Executive departments to manage their funding within their budget allocations. The UK Government has introduced the Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Bill to ensure ongoing governance, should Northern Ireland remain without Executive Ministers beyond 5 June.
It remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to make these decisions and set a budget are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and (2) permanent secretaries of the Northern Ireland Executive, regarding budgetary allocations to each of the departments in the Executive.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Secretary of State and Northern Ireland Office officials engaged intensively with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to set the Northern Ireland Budget for the 2023-24 financial year, which he set on 27 April in his statement to Parliament. The Secretary of State also met political representatives in Northern Ireland to hear their views.
It remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to make these decisions and set a budget are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly. In the absence of these, it will be for each Northern Ireland department to manage its funding within its budget allocation.