Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the savings accrued to the public purse as a result of the reduction in the pay of Members of the Legislative Assembly will be allocated to her Department.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The budget for the payment of salaries to MLAs is held by the Assembly Commission which is the corporate body of the NI Assembly. Any money that is unspent or savings realised throughout a year would be returned to the central Consolidated Fund for redistribution within the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the savings that will accrue to the public purse of the change in the pay for Members of the Legislative Assembly announced in her statement on 6 September 2018.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
On 6 September, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that she will, by way of determination, bring forward a two stage 27.5% reduction in MLA pay with the first reduction to come into effect from November.
The Northern Ireland Office has not undertaken any estimate of the savings that will accrue from this reduction. The budget for the payment of salaries to MLAs is held by the Assembly Commission which is the corporate body of the NI Assembly.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether she has taken steps to assess public opinion towards different potential border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
We are committed to there being no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which will mean no physical infrastructure at the border, or related checks and controls. Throughout engagements with a broad range of stakeholders both the Secretary of State and I have made that commitment very clear.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
What the Government's policy is on customs arrangements on the island of Ireland after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The UK as a whole will be leaving the Customs Union.
This Government is committed to delivering a Brexit that upholds the Belfast Agreement and the commitments that we have made to the people of Northern Ireland to avoid a hard border with Ireland and any border down the Irish Sea.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what her policy is on the recognition in Northern Ireland of same sex marriages performed in the UK.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
Marriage remains a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. The UK Government will continue to do all it can to support delivery of an effective, stable, power-sharing devolved Government, so that decisions on issues such as same sex marriage are taken by locally accountable politicians.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what her policy is on proposals to reduce the pay of Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly while that Assembly is not sitting; and what assessment she has made of the potential effect of such a reduction on Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly's (a) staff and (b) wider office costs.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland asked Trevor Reaney to provide advice on pay and allowances for Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. This advice was published on the Northern Ireland Office website on 20 December and includes an assessment of, and recommendations on, staff and office costs. As the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland told the House on 20 February, she is considering that advice carefully and will update Parliament when a decision has been made.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Irish Government on preventing a hard border in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
Northern Ireland Ministers and Government colleagues have regular conversations with the Irish Government on a range of issues, including our commitment to the avoidance of a hard border.
In the Joint Report published in December 2017, we reached a balanced set of commitments that reiterate both our commitment to avoid a hard land border, including any physical infrastructure or related checks and controls, and our clear position on preserving the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will meet representatives of the Love Equality Coalition to discuss moves to improve LGBT rights in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland intends to meet Love Equality in the coming weeks, subject to diary commitments.
Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with representatives of the DUP and Sinn Fein on cross-party attempts to improve LGBT rights in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has discussed a wide range of issues with the Northern Ireland parties, with the focus of initial engagement being the restoration of a fully functioning Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.