Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the welfare mitigation package for people in Northern Ireland will be extended beyond March 2020.
Answered by Julian Smith
The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is responsible for the delivery of the various mitigation schemes relating to welfare reform in Northern Ireland.
A decision to extend mitigations beyond March 2020 would be a matter for an incoming Minister for Communities in a restored Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to restoring devolved Government in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Julian Smith
Since May, the five main Northern Ireland parties have engaged in a series of cross-party talks, focused on the key issues that are central to restoring the power-sharing institutions. I am doing everything I can to support the political parties in coming to an agreement, including continuing having detailed discussions with everyone involved.
The report I laid before the House on Wednesday 4 September contains a fuller update on the progress towards restoring the Executive.
The people of Northern Ireland deserve strong political leadership from locally elected politicians. They do not deserve the current impasse.