Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of the 14 March 2025 to Question 37022 on Business: Northern Ireland, whether his Permanent Secretary briefed him prior to the announcement.
Answered by Fleur Anderson
I refer the Honourable Gentleman to my previous answer (UIN 37022).
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 34541 on Business: Northern Ireland, whether the Northern Ireland Office Permanent Secretary briefed him on Board meetings prior to the announcement of Transformation Funding.
Answered by Fleur Anderson
Officials advised the Secretary of State on the recommendations made by the interim Board to the Northern Ireland Executive on transformation projects. These projects and their respective funding allocations were announced by the Northern Ireland Minister of Finance on 4 March.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 34541 on Business: Northern Ireland, when the remainder of the Transformation Fund will be allocated.
Answered by Fleur Anderson
The Public Sector Transformation Board will run a further process to assess proposals from Northern Ireland departments and will make recommendations on those that are judged to have potential for transformation. Following a decision by the Executive, the remainder of the Government’s funding for transformation can be allocated.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he expects the issues surrounding the sale and movement of plants to be resolved.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring the smooth flow of goods across the UK internal market. Growers and traders in Great Britain can move plants to Northern Ireland using the Northern Ireland Plant Health Label (NIPHL).
We continue to work closely with the horticultural sector, including through the Horticulture Working Group which meets regularly, to maximise opportunities for trade in plants and plant products within the United Kingdom. The group will continue to identify and resolve issues related to the movement of plants and seeds between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework on an ongoing basis.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department are members of the Transformation Fund advisory board; and how many and what proportion of meetings they have attended.
Answered by Fleur Anderson
No UK Government Ministers are members of the Interim Public Sector Transformation Board. The Northern Ireland Office Permanent Secretary is a permanent member of the Interim Board, and has attended all official meetings of the Interim Board.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has received representations on the feasibility of proposals for the Dáil to sit in Northern Ireland; and whether he has made an assessment of the compatibility of those proposals with the Belfast Agreement.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
I have received no such representations.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the First and deputy First Minister on the continuing vacancy in the office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The appointment of a new Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland is a matter for the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Safeguarding the Union command paper, published on 31 January 2024.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and to taking all steps necessary to protect Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market. Commitments made in the Safeguarding the Union command paper support this objective, and the Government continues to make progress in delivering them.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework will consider the (a) operation and (b) output of the Northern Ireland Assembly Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
It will be a matter for Lord Murphy to consider the programme of work of the Review. In line with the Terms of Reference, the Review will be obliged to consult with a range of stakeholders, including Northern Ireland political parties, and can engage with the Assembly and its committee functions as it considers appropriate.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2024 to Question 13304 on Northern Ireland Office: Domestic Visits, what steps he is taking to ensure the process is followed.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Members of Parliament are notified in advance of Ministerial visits to their constituency. On a recent occasion, a typographical error in an email meant that the Honourable Member’s constituency office was not notified correctly. The Northern Ireland Office has since contacted the Honourable Member’s constituency office to convey apologies for this.