Gregory Campbell

As part of continued surveys and monitoring, RAAC planks have been discovered in the floor structure of the Upper Committee Corridor North. This is in addition to the RAAC previously identified in this area. An assessment of the condition of these planks by structural engineers has been instructed, in line with best practice guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), starting in July.

The House of Commons may suspend a Parliamentary pass temporarily pending the outcome of a criminal or disciplinary investigation. When an investigation is concluded and serious misconduct found against an individual, or a criminal conviction made involving a violent or sexual offence, then the individual’s pass is withdrawn. This response covers only passes that have been permanently withdrawn, as opposed to temporarily suspended.

As the House of Commons is not the direct employer of all passholders, information about disciplinary investigations and grounds for dismissal will not automatically be passed to Parliament for all passholders. This response therefore covers only employees of the House of Commons and Joint Departments, former Members of the House of Commons, and Members of the House of Commons who have been convicted of a violent or sexual offence and subject to recall, and any additional cases where the relevant information is shared with the House of Commons Administration. Equivalent data for the House of Lords Administration has not been included as it is a separate organisation.

The total number of passes withdrawn for security or serious misconduct since 5 July 2024 is five.

The recent interruption to network services was caused by a problem with the way Parliament-issued devices, such as laptops, connect to our network; this prevented users from accessing the corporate wi-fi network. During this period, users were advised of alternative ways to access services, by connecting to our Wi-Fi Connect service.

The issue has now been resolved and there should be no further impact to users but, as a precaution, wherever possible future work in this area will be scheduled to coincide with recess periods. A representative from the PDS Members’ Services Team is happy to meet with the Member to discuss this and any other issues arising from the outage.

The Digital Service manages all technical issues with the potential to have significant impact to Parliament through a dedicated “Major Incident” process. This is mobilised to help both triage and resolve the technical issue and also to manage the impact, including keeping users informed and implementing any workarounds to minimise disruption.

The toilets in T-block are closed due to the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), following guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers published in 2023 and surveys carried out by structural engineers in 2024.

A further programme of investigation, longer-term mitigation and limited replacement (where possible and practical) continues to be developed by Strategic Estates. This requires thorough and potentially disruptive surveys that are carried out around the business of the House (for example, during recess). The investigations and surveys will provide a comprehensive assessment of the issues and works required to reopen the toilets, and if it is feasible or practical to do so.

The next phase of the programme is currently expected to begin by Summer recess, starting with surveys and investigations; the surveys could continue until the end of Conference recess. The project is envisaged to run to the end of 2027, due to the complexity of the work involved.

This service was available as a temporary measure whilst the Despatch Box coffee bar was refurbished in October 2024.

There are no plans to reopen the Adjournment restaurant in the mornings. The Commission is working to reduce the cost of the catering operation. Opening the Adjournment in the morning is unlikely to be cost effective now the extended Despatch Box is available.

This Government is committed to transforming the lives of working women, and that includes going further and faster to close the gender pay gap.

The landmark Employment Rights Bill includes measures to change our workplaces to better support women, including improving access to flexible working; strengthening protections for pregnant workers and those returning from maternity leave; and giving employees basic rights from their first day in a new job.

The Bill also includes a requirement for large employers to publish action plans outlining the steps they are taking to tackle the gender pay gap in their own organisations.

The National Security & Investment Act 2021: Annual Report 2023-2024- published in September shows that the National Security and Investment system is continuing to operate well to protect sensitive sectors whilst continuing to support investment.

The Government is taking a number of steps to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NSI Act.

• The previous government published a Call for Evidence in November 2023 and a response in April 2024. The Call for Evidence sought feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on the scope of the regime, the notification process and government guidance and comms. The Government is currently considering its next steps, drawing on responses received.

• The Government will also review and produce a report on the Notifiable Acquisition Regulations 2021, which set out the areas of the economy in scope of the National Security and Investment Act’s mandatory notification requirements, as required by section 4 of the Notifiable Acquisitions Regulations.

• The Government will complete a Post-Implementation Review, as committed to in the NSI Act Impact Assessment, evaluating the effectiveness of the NSI Act. This is expected to be published in 2026.

The letter from Mr Campbell has been responded to. A letter was sent in reply to him on 10 October.

The Government recognises the invaluable contribution of emergency service workers to the people of the United Kingdom, and that the nature of that role means those workers will often find themselves in situations that may present a danger to their personal safety.

The Elizabeth Emblem is awarded to the next-of-kin of public servants who have died as a result of their public service. Full details on how to apply for this award, and detailed eligibility criteria, are available on GOV.UK.

While there are no current plans to review the criteria for the Emblem along the lines suggested, the Government is happy to consider the case for any new medal or award, subject to comprehensive assessment across relevant departments.

The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy sets out our key policies to drive growth and investment in every region across the UK. In addition to a range of sector initiatives, Northern Ireland will receive £30 million through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to drive transformative innovation in the Belfast and Derry/Londonderry corridor. We will also continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to establish the Enhanced Investment Zone. The Regional Investment Summit, taking place in October 2025 will showcase our regional economies and drive investment across the entirety of the UK.

Germany is the UK’s second-largest trading partner globally. We recognise the importance of resolving trade frictions between the UK and Germany where they occur. Our new UK-Germany Treaty, signed on 17 July, has economic growth and industrial collaboration at its heart. This will help drive trade between the UK and Germany through both a series of ‘Lighthouse projects’ and a broader implementation plan. For example, a new Business-Government Forum will connect the UK and German governments with leading businesses to identify opportunities and barriers to growth, with a focus on growth-driving sectors including advanced manufacturing, life sciences and financial services.

The £70 million Investment Fund for Northern Ireland launched in November 2023. The Fund has an investment period of five years, so the approximately £52 million remaining should be fully invested by November 2028.

The Industrial Strategy is a 10-year plan to back our strengths and realise Britain’s potential. Through the Industrial Strategy we are targeting investment towards our eight-growth driving sectors, creating new opportunities so British workers can upskill and fill vacancies and supporting businesses to scale up. The industrial Strategy identifies and accelerates the highest-potential opportunities in these sectors, tackling investment barriers and unleashing the potential of clusters across the country.

The £1.5bn Plan for Neighbourhoods will deliver up to £20million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities across the UK, laying the foundations to kickstart local growth and drive-up living standards. The Industrial Strategy does not provide direct funding to the Plan for Neighbourhoods but complements it with a package of measures to boost regional growth.

Ministers have regular discussions with private sector partners who can help deliver the Government's priority of economic growth across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. Private sector venture funding opportunities would not normally form part of such discussions as they are commercially sensitive and an investor's ability to identify such opportunities is part of their competitive advantage. Any investment partnerships with government are based on fair and open procurement by the British Business Bank, undertaken independently of ministers.

I understand that some GB based businesses have faced changes as a result of the updated General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). The Department has issued guidance for those who are selling to Northern Ireland, which we will continue to keep under review. We have engaged with businesses directly to ensure they understand their obligations arising from the GPSR, and to support them in trading freely across the entirety of the UK.

The Government is committed to upholding its obligations under the Windsor Framework, and to protecting the UK internal market.

The £70 million Investment Fund for Northern Ireland offers loans ranging from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments up to £5 million. The fund covers the whole of Northern Ireland, including rural, coastal and urban areas. 100% of the fund is allocated to businesses in Northern Ireland. Of the £70 million total, around £18 million has been deployed to 35 businesses to date, leveraging around £12 million of additional private capital.

The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and protecting the UK internal market.

With respect to the updated General Product Safety Regulation, as referenced in Question [18502], I understand that, for some businesses, the regulation has required changes. The Department has issued guidance for businesses selling to Northern Ireland and has continued to engage businesses directly to ensure that they understand the obligations.

None planned, as there is no DBT policy in relation to Govt contracts which differentiates treatment of UK residents who are entitled to a UK passport following the passing of the British Nationality Act 2024 from other UK residents.

The UK acceded to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on 15 December 2024.

This comprehensive agreement will support businesses by making it easier for them to trade with CPTPP, and all nations of the UK are expected to benefit.

It will reduce tariffs on some of Northern Ireland’s most-exported products to CPTPP countries, with tariffs of up to 30% eliminated on UK exports of machinery to Malaysia within five years.

Government analysis estimates that the UK’s accession could boost Northern Ireland’s economy by around £70 million annually when compared to 2019 levels, in the long run.

The Government offers free guidance, tools and training to help businesses improve their cyber resilience. This includes a new Cyber Governance Code of Practice to help boards and directors manage digital risks, and the Cyber Essentials scheme which helps in protecting businesses against cyber-attacks.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is working in close coordination with law enforcement, the Department for Business and Trade and other relevant government departments to support each of the affected retailers. This includes providing technical expertise and strategic guidance which assist with incident response and recovery. The NCSC is maintaining active engagement with the wider retail sector to share threat information and offer mitigative guidance aimed at reducing the risk from further incidents.

The Investment Fund for Northern Ireland aims to tackle an identified funding gap by increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses in Northern Ireland. The criteria for success includes number of investments, overall deployment of capital, amount of private sector capital leveraged, geographical spread of investments, ensuring distribution across the whole of Northern Ireland, and providing funds to firms that might not otherwise receive investment.

In addition, an interim evaluation of the fund will be commissioned during the first five years of the Fund’s operation, and we expect it to assess the gross value added, turnover growth rates, and finance additionality.

Promoting investment into Northern Ireland is a key priority for investment staff across the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Office for Investment, including the dedicated team of 10 based in Belfast (DBT NI). At present no dedicated member of staff is working specifically on The Open Golf Championship at Royal Portrush in July 2025, but staff are working on wider promotion of investment into Northern Ireland on an ongoing basis that seeks to take advantage of the focus that events like The Open can provide. DBT NI continues to work collaboratively with Invest Northern Ireland on a range of events and initiatives throughout the year.

My officials have been engaging regularly with businesses from across the UK on the updated General Product Safety Regulation in Northern Ireland. Since the guidance for businesses was published, officials have hosted numerous drop-in sessions for businesses, both before and after the Regulation took effect in Northern Ireland. The Department for Business and Trade will be publishing updates to the guidance to provide additional clarity to businesses, reflecting the queries and feedback we have received.

At end February 2025 DBT had 76 FTE from across the organisation based in our Belfast Hub. There are 10 people working in the trade and investment team, who all work collaboratively with Invest Northern Ireland on a range of events and initiatives throughout the year.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) has a dedicated Export Finance Manager (EFM) based in, and visiting businesses all around, Northern Ireland since 2012, along with Regional Heads who oversee the work of clusters of EFMs.

UKEF does not provide information about individual officials who are not senior civil servants.

The British Business Bank periodically publishes updated milestone figures on the Nations and Regions Investment Funds. Updated figures for the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland will be published by the end of Q2, which will include private sector investment.

The £10 million already deployed is solely from the fund, private sector investment is in addition to that. The fund expects to deploy the £70m over 5 years, until November 2028.

The Investment Fund for Northern Ireland was launched in November 2023 with the aim to deliver a £70 million commitment to smaller businesses in Northern Ireland, alongside investment from the private sector. Since its launch, the fund has deployed almost £10 million in debt funding and equity investment to local businesses at differing stages of their growth journey.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) produces audited details of businesses supported each financial year as part of its transparency protocols.

Details of all UKEF support for businesses for 2023/24 and previous years can be found online at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-export-finance-business-supported

The corresponding return of all businesses supported during financial year 2024/25 will be published in the summer.

UKEF does not publish a breakdown by UK nations and regions.

UKEF offers its full range of products and services to exporters across the UK, including Northern Ireland. Full details of the UKEF’s product and support offering can be found online at: www.ukexportfinance.gov.uk/products-and-services/.

UKEF also has a network of Export Finance Managers across the UK who are valuable points of contact for local businesses and can provide information on the range of support available. Contact details for the EFMs can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-an-export-finance-manager.

The UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is expected to support jobs and create opportunities for business growth in every part of the UK. An impact assessment was published regarding the UK's accession to CPTPP and the potential long-run economic impact of the agreement. The analysis detailed the prospective impacts on all the UK’s regions and nations and demonstrated that UK GDP could increase by £2.0 billion every year in the long run.

The Department for Business and Trade works closely with businesses in a range of sectors, including manufacturing, construction, aerospace, and automotive sectors, and will continue to.

Each Government department engages with relevant sectors where appropriate.