Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff network events took place in his Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing group held one event, a staff delivered Mental Health Presentation, on Thursday 15 May as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. It was attended by 25 staff members.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the use of export health certificates for products of animal origin moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK after the transition period.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has regular discussions with the DEFRA Secretary of State on a wide range of issues relating to implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Responsibility for the requirement for and recruitment of veterinary and other technical staff within Northern Ireland, including at points of entry from Great Britain, rests with the Northern Ireland Executive with whom we work closely.
Our commitment to unfettered access for Northern Ireland goods to the rest of the UK remains unequivocal and we have brought forward draft regulations that establish the definition of Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods, ensuring no changes in how Northern Ireland businesses move goods directly to the rest of the UK from 1 January 2021. In addition to this, the UKIM Bill will ensure that qualifying Northern Ireland goods can continue to be placed on the whole UK market, even where the Protocol applies different rules in Northern Ireland - and prohibit checks and controls as goods move from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to her Department for financial year 2018-19 for planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and how much of that funding has been spent.
Answered by Karen Bradley
HM Treasury has already allocated over £4.2 billion of additional funding to departments and the devolved administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This includes the £1.5 billion of additional funding HM Treasury announced at Autumn Budget 2017 for 2018/19. A full breakdown of how this was allocated to departments can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540:
This money will be paid out in Supplementary Estimates 18/19 later this financial year.
This funding was not allocated specifically for planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.