Asked by: Graham Allen (Labour - Nottingham North)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on income tax assignment to Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Building a Prosperous and United Community, the ‘Economic Pact’ signed by the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive in 2013, recognised the need to examine the potential to devolve additional fiscal powers to Northern Ireland.
As a result, the Executive is examining the treatment of a range of taxes. The Government will consider any proposals put forward.
Asked by: Graham Allen (Labour - Nottingham North)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of (a) 18 and (b) 19 year-olds in Northern Ireland were registered to vote on 30 June 2014; what the average number was of 18 and 19 year-olds in Northern Ireland so registered as a proportion of the mid-year population estimate made by the Office for National Statistics for 2014; and how that figure differs from (i) Electoral Commission and (ii) Cabinet Office estimates of the number of registered 18 and 19 year-olds in (A) Northern Ireland and (B) Great Britain in 2014.
Answered by Ben Wallace
On 30 June 2014, the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland had (a) 19,361 18 year olds and (b) 20,746 19 year olds registered to vote. Drawing on the mid-year population estimate for 2014 published by the Office for National Statistics, this would represent 82.8% of 18-19 year olds in Northern Ireland.
The Electoral Commission last assessed the completeness of the Northern Ireland electoral register in 2012 when survey sampling estimated that 51% of 18-19 year olds were registered to vote. An Electoral Commission report on the quality of the 2014 electoral registers in Great Britain assessed that 76% of 18-19 year olds were registered to vote.
The Cabinet Office has not made a separate assessment of the number of 18 and 19 year olds registered in either Great Britain or Northern Ireland in this period.
Asked by: Graham Allen (Labour - Nottingham North)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the First Minister on early intervention policies in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Getting Early Intervention right is crucial to breaking the inter-generational cycle of many social problems. By improving outcomes for children who have had a difficult start in life we can help them to meet their hopes and ambitions.
Early Intervention policies are a devolved issue in Northern Ireland.
The First Minister has not asked to discuss early intervention polices with my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland or me.