Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will have the power to compel witnesses.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The ICRIR currently has the power to require a person to provide information or produce any documents they have in their possession, for examination or testing. Failure to comply with this can result in a financial penalty of up to £5,000. This power will be carried forward into the new Legacy Commission (Clause 14 of the Northern Ireland (Troubles) Bill).
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy.
For the first time ever, this deal will open up exclusive access for UK beef to the US market. This is a major opportunity for NI farmers to sell their high quality beef to a market of over 300 million people, helping farmers grow their business.
The Government remains focused on making sure businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible. We are continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether their Department offers its staff shared parental leave from their first working day.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
No. The Civil Service Management Code states that, ‘Departments and agencies may only grant shared parental leave in accordance with the statutory requirements governing eligibility for this category of leave.’ However, some staff could qualify for statutory shared parental leave on their first day of service with a particular department because they already have service with another department.
As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.