Oral Answers to Questions

Marie Tidball Excerpts

Wednesday 19th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Hilary Benn]

There are now 15,000 businesses that have registered under the UK internal market scheme, and 97% of lorries moving from GB to Northern Ireland do not face any in-person checks at all. The goods are flowing and moving. It is, in the end, for businesses to decide to whom they sell and from where they purchase, but the Northern Ireland economy is doing extremely well, which shows that the problems—and there are some—are not affecting its overall strength.

[Dr Marie Tidball (Penistone and Stocksbridge) (Lab)]

3. What steps he is taking with his counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive to help increase the number of film and television productions made in Northern Ireland.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Matthew Patrick)]

Northern Ireland’s creative industries are thriving and are an important source of growth, and I have discussed that topic with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers. Whether it is “Derry Girls”, “Game of Thrones”, “Trespasses”, “Blue Lights” or “Line of Duty”, which has just been renewed and will be filmed in Belfast, producers choose Northern Ireland for its world-class talent and studios. To coin a phrase, it is a sector that is sucking diesel.

[Dr Tidball]

UK Disability History Month begins tomorrow and I am delighted that the Creative Diversity Network now reports the doubling of the representation of disabled people on and off screen since 2018 to 9% across the UK. One such example is the phenomenal BBC film “An Irish Goodbye”, which stars Down’s syndrome ambassador James Martin and was filmed in Northern Ireland. What is the Minister doing to ensure a further drive to again double the presence of disability on and off screen?

[Matthew Patrick]

My hon. Friend speaks with enormous experience and I know that she wrote the impactful report, “Employing the change-makers”. I agree that expanding opportunities for disabled people to take part in the creative industries is important. As the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport often says, talent exists everywhere but opportunity does not. That is why I am pleased that the creative industries new entrants programme, delivered in partnership between Northern Ireland Screen, the BBC and the Northern Ireland Executive, is working to broaden access for disabled actors.