Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure adequate funding for SEND in devolved nations.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Funding for special educational needs is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive. It is for the Department of Education to ensure special educational needs are adequately funded in Northern Ireland.
As set out in the recent Spending Review, this Government is providing the Executive with a record £18.2bn for 2025-26, the largest settlement since the start of devolution. That translates into over £1.5 billion more in 2025-26. It is now for the Executive to decide how to allocate that funding.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is continuing to implement the commitments made in the Safeguarding the Union command paper, and the first meeting of Intertrade UK was held on 28 February 2025.
A key focus for Intertrade UK will be to promote the full extent of the UK’s market to businesses and traders and to help to counter any misconceptions or confusion businesses and traders in Great Britain may have about providing goods and services in Northern Ireland.
We are also committed to seeking a veterinary agreement with the EU for the whole of the UK, which could deliver tangible benefits for businesses across the UK and smooth flows of trade.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Northern Ireland on tackling violence against women and girls.
Answered by Fleur Anderson
The UK Government has welcomed the Northern Ireland Executive’s Strategic Framework on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. At the end of January, I welcomed the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, to Northern Ireland for a two day visit including meetings with Executive Ministers, the PSNI, academics and frontline service providers. The Minister and I used this opportunity to reaffirm this Government’s support as we work towards our shared objective of tackling violence against women and girls.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on firearms licenses.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The issuing of firearms licences in Northern Ireland is a largely devolved matter, overseen by the Department of Justice, aside from where it touches on excepted matters. I meet regularly with the Justice Minister to discuss a range of issues. Similarly Northern Ireland Office officials meet with their counterparts at the NI Department of Justice to discuss firearms licencing on a regular basis.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on small businesses sourcing material.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Windsor Framework established a broad set of arrangements to support Great Britain-based businesses to move goods to Northern Ireland, including to small businesses based in Northern Ireland.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and are front and centre of the Government’s growth mission. The Government is committed to supporting the Executive as it works to generate economic growth. In support of that, I hold regular discussions with ministers and political parties in the Assembly, as well as with businesses and their representative bodies.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on supporting the Northern Ireland health service.
Answered by Fleur Anderson
Improving health outcomes across the UK is a priority mission for this Government. Although health is devolved in Northern Ireland, the Government has been clear that it wants to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to transform its public services and improve outcomes for people living in Northern Ireland.
UK Government Ministers regularly engage with Executive Ministers in Northern Ireland, including the Health Minister, to discuss plans to improve public services.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure small businesses can post parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without completing customs declarations.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Windsor Framework removes the need for customs declarations for the overwhelming majority of parcels sent by businesses in Great Britain to consumers in Northern Ireland and instead, parcel carriers will continue to collect standard commercial data required.
There are, of course, no customs declarations requirements for parcels sent between private individuals within the UK.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on trends in the level of teachers pay in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
It is for the Northern Ireland Department of Education to set pay policy for teachers.
This Government has provided a record £18.2bn funding settlement for 2025-26 to the Northern Ireland Executive. This represents a £1.5bn increase and the largest settlement in real terms spending in the history of devolution. It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to use this money effectively and deliver good public services for the people of Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Department for Economy on Northern Ireland growth deals.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The UK Government is investing £617m through the four City and Growth Deals which cover the whole of Northern Ireland.
My officials meet regularly with their counterparts from the Northern Ireland Departments of Economy and Finance to discuss delivery of the four Northern Ireland growth deals and to maximise the use of this funding for the long-term economic growth of Northern Ireland.
I have met with a range of stakeholders and delivery partners, including the First Minister, deputy First Minister and Minister of Finance to discuss the City and Growth Deals. I was delighted to recently sign the Mid South West Growth Deal’s Heads of Terms Document in Cookstown. The signing was a fantastic culmination of the collective efforts of the local councils involved and a demonstration of what can be achieved when we work together.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold further discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
This Government is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, through a joined up approach across the UK. We have discussed this issue with the First and deputy First Minister, and with a range of civil society organisations working to tackle violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland. We will continue to work collaboratively with the Executive, as they implement the new Northern Ireland Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls.