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Written Question
Northern Ireland Government
Tuesday 1st February 2022

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2021 to Question 87781 on Northern Ireland Government, how much of the more than £700 million released so far has been allocated to each programme under the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

Answered by Conor Burns

As the Hon Gentleman has highlighted, by the end of this financial year the Government will have released £710 million from the New Decade, New Approach financial package. This is composed of £200 million to resolve the nurses’ pay dispute, £50 million to support ultra-low emission transport, £93 million for the transformation of public services, over £7 million for the Northern Ireland Medical School, £10 million to address “Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances”, and £350 million to put the Executive’s finances on a sustainable footing.


Written Question
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Thursday 8th July 2021

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Department's announcement on 29 June of a Framework for Multiparty Talks on Northern Ireland Legacy issues, whether he plans to bring forward proposals for addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland's past before the House rises for summer recess.

Answered by Robin Walker

It is clear that the current system for dealing with the legacy of the past is not working for anyone. It is failing to bring satisfactory outcomes for families, placing a heavy burden on the criminal justice system, and leaving society in Northern Ireland hamstrung by its past.

This is why the UK Government - along with the Irish Government - has begun a process of intensive engagement with the Northern Ireland parties and all relevant stakeholders and civil society, including victims groups, with a view to making progress on this issue as soon as possible.

The UK Government has committed to bringing forward proposals, and to introducing legislation to address the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, as soon as possible.


Written Question
UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland
Thursday 27th May 2021

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his letter to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of 7 October 2020, when the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals for a longer-lasting regime to define Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods.

Answered by Robin Walker

The Government has introduced significant and robust protections as part of the UK Internal Market Act. This enables “qualifying” goods to continue to be placed on the whole UK market and prohibits checks and controls as goods move from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK. To ensure these measures were in place from 1 January and to avoid disruption, this approach provides protection to all goods in free circulation in Northern Ireland.

The Government is developing a longer-lasting regime in discussion with Northern Ireland business. As we have done more broadly, it is right to take sensible, practical steps to phase in our approach in a way that is supported by business.


Written Question
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Monday 14th December 2020

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to correspondence from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee relating to matters raised at the oral evidence session on Wednesday 16 September, dated 11 September 2020, which (a) victims’ groups and (b) individuals he has consulted since that date as part of that period of sensitive engagement with key stakeholders, and on which dates those meetings took place.

Answered by Robin Walker

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and officials from the Northern Ireland Office regularly meet representatives from civic society, including victims groups, community representatives, religious leaders and individuals from across academia and the peace and reconciliation sector. Engagement on the subject of legacy is ongoing.

The Government is committed to publishing details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis. Publications for the Northern Ireland Office can be found on Gov.UK.



Written Question
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Monday 14th December 2020

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for North Dorset during his oral statement on 30 November 2020, Official Report, column 59, on what date stakeholder engagement on forthcoming legacy legislation was paused by his Department; and on what date this engagement was resumed.

Answered by Robin Walker

In the Spring, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and officials met a number of victims groups and other key stakeholders to discuss legacy issues. Following these discussions, it was clear that the full and sensitive engagement required on this difficult subject would be difficult to deliver effectively while the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic were ongoing.

Notwithstanding this, a degree of engagement has and continues to take place where possible. The Secretary of State remains committed to engaging with all parts of the community in Northern Ireland, including victims groups, in order to make progress on legacy issues.


Written Question
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Monday 14th December 2020

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for North Dorset during his oral statement on 30 November 2020, Official Report, column 59, which civil society (a) organisations and (b) individuals (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in his Department have met as part of the legacy engagement process in each of the last nine months.

Answered by Robin Walker

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and officials from the Northern Ireland Office regularly meet various representatives from civic society, including community representatives, religious leaders and individuals from across academia and the peace and reconciliation sector. Engagement on the specific issue of legacy is ongoing, where possible within the constraints imposed by current circumstances.

The Government is committed to publishing details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis. Publications for the Northern Ireland Office can be found on Gov.UK.


Written Question
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Monday 14th December 2020

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his Answer to the hon. Member for Luton South during his oral statement on 30 November 2020, Official Report, column 69, when he plans to bring forward legislation based on the proposals and framework outlined in Written Ministerial Statement HCWS168 published on 18 March.

Answered by Robin Walker

The Government has been clear that it will bring forward legislation to address the legacy of the Troubles in a way that focuses on reconciliation, delivers for victims, and ends the cycle of investigations, which has failed victims and veterans alike.

We have also made clear our commitment to working with all parts of the community in Northern Ireland as part of this process. While the challenging circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic have had an impact on our ability to engage effectively and sensitively, we remain determined to make progress on legacy issues as quickly as possible.


Written Question
Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland
Monday 23rd November 2020

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to Annex A of the New Decade New Approach Agreement, what recent assessment he has made of (a) the merits of and (b) progress on establishing the Independent Fiscal Council.

Answered by Robin Walker

The Fiscal Council is an important new part of the governance of Northern Ireland. It has the potential to make a huge contribution to fiscal sustainability in Northern Ireland over the long-term and strengthen Northern Ireland’s fiscal performance. The Northern Ireland Department of Finance is leading on developing the Terms of Reference for the Fiscal Council. The Northern Ireland Finance Minister has recently updated the Assembly that his department is now actively refocusing on this issue.

In his engagement with Executive ministers, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has consistently emphasised the need to press ahead with an Independent Fiscal Council as a priority in his regular communications with members of the Executive and at both previous meetings of the Joint Board.

The UK Government will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to agree terms of reference that reflect our joint ambitions for this new institution and get it up and running as soon as possible.


Written Question
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Wednesday 21st October 2020

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October to Question 102124 on Terrorism: Northern Ireland, if he will publish the (a) community groups, including victim support groups, (b) religious leaders, (c) academics and (d) representatives of civic society met by Ministers and officials; and on what dates those meetings took place.

Answered by Robin Walker

The Government is committed to publishing details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations, including those listed, on a quarterly basis. Publications for the Northern Ireland Office can be found on Gov.UK.


Written Question
Terrorism: Northern Ireland
Thursday 15th October 2020

Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to Written Ministerial Statement HCWS168 on Addressing Northern Ireland Legacy Issues, published on 18 March 2020, on what dates (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have met representatives of the Irish Government to discuss legacy issues since 18 March 2020.

Answered by Robin Walker

Ministers and officials regularly meet with counterparts in the Irish Government to discuss a range of issues, including legacy.

The Secretary of State and officials from the Northern Ireland Office last met with the Irish Government’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and his officials on 8th October 2020.

The UK Government remains committed to making progress on legacy issues, and engaging with the Irish Government, as well as the Northern Ireland parties and key stakeholders, on the way forward as quickly as possible.