To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Human Trafficking: Essex
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department will provide financial assistance for repatriation of the bodies of the people discovered in a shipping container in Essex on 23 October 2019 once their identities are confirmed.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

Once the identities of the victims of the tragic incident in Grays are confirmed we will liaise with the relevant embassies on how to provide support to the victims’ families.


Written Question
Barristers: Northern Ireland
Monday 28th October 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date he plans to visit Northern Ireland to confirm the appointment of new Queen's Counsel.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Lord Chancellor will consider the recommended appointments in due course.


Written Question
Police Service of Northern Ireland
Monday 9th September 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking as part of its planning for the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal to increase the number of officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland in line with the recent request by its Chief Constable; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Julian Smith

Policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and operational capability is a matter for the Chief Constable. The PSNI’s main budget is allocated by the Department of Justice from the Northern Ireland block grant.

The UK Government has provided the PSNI with the additional security funding it has asked for and needs to ensure that they have the resource (including officers) to tackle the SEVERE threat from Northern Ireland related terrorism (NIRT). This additional security funding boosts PSNI’s ability to tackle the terrorist threat while ensuring day-to-day policing isn’t compromised.

PSNI received £230m additional security funding in the last parliament and £160m in this one. In addition, the UK Government has provided PSNI with over £16.5m to help prepare for EU exit. This funding from the UK Government will continue to support PSNI to address the wider security pressures and contingencies arising from the NIRT threat and EU exit preparations and will enable PSNI to recruit 206 additional officers this financial year.


Written Question
Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses
Tuesday 3rd September 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 278405 on Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses and with reference to the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, if she will extend the review of the universal credit six month rule on terminal illness to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The in-depth evaluation announced by the Secretary of State on 11 July refers not only to Universal Credit, but across the range of benefits. My officials are in regular discussion with their counterparts in the Department for Communities, and this will continue during the evaluation.


Written Question
Alcoholic Drinks: Licensing
Tuesday 3rd September 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, what steps her Office is taking with the Northern Ireland Department for Communities to reform liquor licensing to support the hospitality and tourism sectors in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Julian Smith

Liquor licensing reform is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and as such is the responsibility of the Department for Communities in the absence of an Executive. Further information on this issue can be requested from the Department for Communities within the Northern Ireland Civil Service. It is issues such as this that highlight the importance of restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland so that decisions can be taken in the interests of the whole community.


Written Question
Tourism Ireland: Finance
Tuesday 3rd September 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 278925 and with reference to the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, how much funding was allocated to Tourism Ireland in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Julian Smith

Tourism is a devolved matter falling under the competency of the Department for Economy. Any funding decisions in relation to Tourism Ireland are a matter for DFE and requests for such information should be directed to DFE.


Written Question
Loughs Agency: Finance
Tuesday 23rd July 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the Government plans to provide funding to the Loughs Agency after the UK leaves the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by John Penrose

As the Loughs Agency is a cross-border body, core funding is provided by both the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland and the Department of Communications, Climate Control and Environment in the Republic of Ireland.

The Loughs Agency has also previously secured EU funding for a number of cross-border infrastructure projects. Decisions will be taken at the Spending Review on which future EU programmes the UK will seek to take part in.


Written Question
Tourism Ireland: Finance
Tuesday 23rd July 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the Government will continue to provide financial support to Tourism Ireland after the UK leaves the EU; what the level of current financial support is; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by John Penrose

Tourism, and the funding of Tourism Ireland, is a matter for the devolved Department for Economy. Decisions on funding should rightly rest with that Department and an incoming NI Executive.

For its part, the UK Government remains firmly committed to the principles of the Belfast Agreement, including supporting cross-border co-operation, embodied in organisations such as Tourism Ireland.


Written Question
Universal Credit: Terminal Illnesses
Monday 22nd July 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the permanent secretary of the Department of Communities in Northern Ireland on the extension of the review of the universal credit six month rule on terminal illness to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

Through extensive work at both ministerial and official level, the UK government and devolved administrations continue to work closely together.

With regard the Secretary of State’s announcement of an in depth evaluation of how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their life and those with the most severe conditions, as the Honourable lady is aware, the Social Security system in Northern Ireland is wholly the responsibility of the Northern Ireland administration. However, I can confirm that my officials have been in touch with officials from the Department for Communities. Furthermore, I can assure the Honourable lady that we will remain in contact with colleagues in Northern Ireland as the evaluation progresses.


Written Question
Libya: Freezing of Assets
Wednesday 3rd July 2019

Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department first became aware that HM Treasury had received tax receipts derived from the interest on frozen Libyan assets held in UK banks; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

It is the Government's long-standing policy that designated persons are not exempt from tax as a consequence of having their assets frozen. The Government's response of 24 June to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee report (into Government support for UK victims of IRA attacks that used Qadhafi-supplied Semtex and weapons) set out the releasable information the Government has about tax receipts derived from the interest on frozen Libyan assets held in UK banks. The Government's response says:

"As stated in the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation's letter to the Committee of 23 April 2019, OFSI's responsibilities do not include tracking tax liabilities on frozen assets. HMRC, as the department responsible for safeguarding the flow of money to the Exchequer is responsible for any records of tax liability. HMRC has reconsidered how we can help the Committee within the legal constraints governing our ability to share information. We have concluded that we can use aggregated information to answer the Committee's questions, provided that information cannot be tied back to individual persons or companies as a result. HMRC receives payments of tax from a small proportion of the entities designated under the Libyan regime. Around £17 million has been received in total since the start of the 2016-17 tax year. HMRC currently receives around £5 million each year."