Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2023 to Question 161241 on Broadband, if he will hold discussions with Invest NI on taking steps to highlight the availability of gigabit-capable broadband to potential inward investors.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Northern Ireland is leading the way for gigabit-capable broadband across the UK with over 90% coverage, made possible by a competitive commercial supplier market and substantial UK Government funding.
The broadband connectivity in Northern Ireland presents an excellent opportunity for investors. Many cyber technology, financial technology, and wider digital investors are already capitalising on this infrastructure, providing fantastic local employment across Northern Ireland.
The Department for Business and Trade is working with the Northern Ireland Office and Invest Northern Ireland on the Investment Summit taking place in Belfast. This will promote Northern Ireland as a leading destination to live, work, and invest. Many factors contribute to this, including brilliant connectivity infrastructure.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with hon. Members on the Centre for Brexit Policy's report entitled Mutual enforcement: the key to restoring Government in Stormont, published on 27 June 2023.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly speaks with a range of stakeholders in relation to the return of devolved government and will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the time taken for the Police Ombudsman to respond to correspondence from the hon. Member for East Londonderry on the case of David Caldwell in 2002.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The work of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is an important part of providing confidence in policing through an independent mechanism for investigating police complaints in Northern Ireland. The Ombudsman rightly operates independently from the Government. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment on a specific case, nor on the conduct of investigations.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he plans to have further roundtable discussions with party leaders in Northern Ireland on taking steps to help restore the Northern Ireland Executive with cross-community support.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly speaks with the Northern Ireland party leaders whether in roundtables, phone calls, or bilateral meetings, and will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months.
We will do everything we can to facilitate the return of devolved government, which is what people in Northern Ireland expect and deserve.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the impact of levels of cross community support for devolution in Northern Ireland on the effectiveness of devolved Government.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland deserves locally elected and accountable devolved Government. I share the frustration of the people of Northern Ireland that the institutions are not up and running, and firmly believe that working devolved government is the surest way of strengthening the Union.
I also believe that successful local governance in Northern Ireland has always depended on sufficient consensus. The Windsor Framework delivers the foundations for stability and it is now for the parties to move forward together.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans has he to review how funds from the Apprenticeship levy are distributed in the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Northern Ireland Executive receives additional funding as a result of the UK-wide Apprenticeship Levy, which it can choose to use in its devolved areas of responsibility, including apprenticeships policy. Apprenticeships policy is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive Department for the Economy.
That is why the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive, and a fully functioning Northern Ireland Assembly, is a key priority for the UK Government.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will have discussions with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive on the withdrawal of tenders for home maintenance contracts.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) is a non-departmental public body and the withdrawal of tenders for home maintenance contracts would be a matter for NIHE management in conjunction, as appropriate, with the Department for Communities as the accountable Northern Ireland department.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the roll-out of a pilot No Interest Loan Scheme in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Government has provided £3.8 million of funding to Fair4All Finance to pilot the No Interest Loan Scheme, which will help consumers in vulnerable circumstances to access affordable credit. These loans will be administered by Credit Unions, Community Development Finance Institutions and other lending organisations. HM Treasury are working with Fair4All Finance to facilitate the launch of the pilot in Northern Ireland and my officials will support HM Treasury in exploring the prospect of a quicker rollout in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent progress he has made on establishing the Castlereagh Foundation.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The UK Government committed in New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) to provide funding to establish the Castlereagh Foundation, a fund to support academic research through Universities and other partners to explore identity and the shifting patterns of social identity in Northern Ireland.
The Government amended the Identity and Language (NI) Bill in the House of Lords to enable the new Office of Identity and Cultural Expression to establish the Castlereagh Foundation. The UK Government will make funding available to the Office to establish the Foundation, in line with the NDNA commitment.
The Bill has completed its passage in Parliament and is currently awaiting Royal Assent.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he plans to reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member for East Londonderry of 28 October 2021 on Policing Ombudsman delays regarding a murder case in Londonderry.
Answered by Conor Burns
A response was issued from my office on 11 January 2022.