Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to hold a public inquiry into the Enniskillen bomb on 8 November 1987.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen was a horrific atrocity carried out by the Provisional IRA. The Government offers sincere condolences to all those who lost loved ones or were injured as a result of the attack and recognises that the long search for answers experienced by families has exacerbated their pain.

The Government has committed to reform and strengthen the Independent Commission on Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), including its powers, independence, and accountability, to ensure that it is human rights compliant and can build public confidence. The Government would therefore encourage those families to make a referral to the Commission to undertake an ECHR compliant investigation into the Remembrance Day bombing.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a response to the consultation Introducing fees in the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal; and what assessment have they made of introducing fees for employment tribunal and appeal applications.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The consultation “Introducing fees in the Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal” was published in January 2024 under the previous government. Given the consultation was conducted under a different administration, the Government does not intend to produce a response to this consultation.

The Government is currently considering its position regarding the introduction of fees for employment tribunal and appeal applications. Any such changes would be considered in the context of new employment legislation and the fees regime for all courts and tribunals.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent agreement, if any, they have had with the European Union about the issue of Northern Ireland veterinary medicine.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

After the summit with the EU on 19 May, the UK and the EU committed to negotiating an SPS Agreement, which will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses, and improving consumer choice. While we do not expect this Agreement to cover veterinary medicinal products, this remains a priority for Government and we remain committed to safeguarding supply to protect animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland. Officials continue to engage regularly with the EU, and the Government will be setting out its approach on this in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the European Court of Human Rights will have more involvement in matters of the United Kingdom following the UK–EU reset agreement announced on 19 May.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There will be no increased involvement for the European Court of Human Rights in the United Kingdom resulting from the package agreed at the UK-EU Summit held on 19 May.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office on 14 January (HC22186), whether the Ministerial Code permits Ministers to depart from international law when it is in the UK national interest.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Paragraph 1.6 of the Ministerial Code states that "The Ministerial Code should be read against the background of the overarching duty on ministers to comply with the law, including international law and treaty obligations, and to protect the integrity of public life."

As set out in Chapter 2 of the Ministerial Code, Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public. The Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a minister.