Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's open consultation on Earned Settlement, due to close on 12 February 2026, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing transitional arrangements for migrants who entered the Skilled Worker route under previous rules with a legitimate expectation of settlement.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, has been subject to a public consultation which ran until 12 February 2026.
The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Transitional arrangements refer to temporary measures or rules put in place to manage the shift from one system, or policy framework, to another. Details of the earned settlement model, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following thd consultation.
The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what Barnett consequentials arise for Northern Ireland as a result of the £10 million per year funding announced to cover travel costs for children and young people with cancer in England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families across the United Kingdom.
Through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is committing up to £10 million a year to a new fund open to all children and young people in England with cancer and their families regardless of income, to support them with the cost of travelling to and from Principal Treatment Centres. This commitment sits alongside wider action to transform cancer care for children and young people.
Health is predominately devolved. Devolved administrations receive funding through the Barnett Formula, and it is ultimately for them to allocate, prioritise, and manage their budgets. However, the Department does work closely with our counterparts in the devolved governments to share expertise and identify new opportunities to improve health and social care delivery across the UK.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Department of Health and the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that families of children and young people with cancer in Northern Ireland can benefit from support comparable to the travel cost scheme announced for England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department knows that the cost of travel is an important issue for many young cancer patients and their families across the United Kingdom.
Through the National Cancer Plan, the Government is committing up to £10 million a year to a new fund open to all children and young people in England with cancer and their families regardless of income, to support them with the cost of travelling to and from Principal Treatment Centres. This commitment sits alongside wider action to transform cancer care for children and young people.
Health is predominately devolved. Devolved administrations receive funding through the Barnett Formula, and it is ultimately for them to allocate, prioritise, and manage their budgets. However, the Department does work closely with our counterparts in the devolved governments to share expertise and identify new opportunities to improve health and social care delivery across the UK.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking to secure an exemption for UK professional HGV and coach drivers from the Schengen 90 days in any 180 rule.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2021, UK nationals (including hauliers and coach drivers) have been bound to a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period (90/180 limit) for work and leisure journeys in the Schengen area. This limit is consistent with the approach taken by the EU to nationals of other third countries.
The 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory, including for visa-free travel for short-term visits. As such, it is not UK Government policy. Any amendments and exemptions to these rules are the responsibility of the EU and Member States. There have been no recent discussions with the EU on the potential impact of the 90/180 limit on UK professional drivers.
The Department for Transport is undertaking research to improve understanding of the effects of the 90/180 limit on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard international operator licences. The data is currently being processed, and the study’s findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Schengen 90 days in any 180 rule on UK professional drivers and the businesses that depend on them.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2021, UK nationals (including hauliers and coach drivers) have been bound to a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period (90/180 limit) for work and leisure journeys in the Schengen area. This limit is consistent with the approach taken by the EU to nationals of other third countries.
The 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory, including for visa-free travel for short-term visits. As such, it is not UK Government policy. Any amendments and exemptions to these rules are the responsibility of the EU and Member States. There have been no recent discussions with the EU on the potential impact of the 90/180 limit on UK professional drivers.
The Department for Transport is undertaking research to improve understanding of the effects of the 90/180 limit on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard international operator licences. The data is currently being processed, and the study’s findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with her EU counterparts on the potential impact of the Schengen 90 days in any 180 rule on UK professional drivers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 2021, UK nationals (including hauliers and coach drivers) have been bound to a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period (90/180 limit) for work and leisure journeys in the Schengen area. This limit is consistent with the approach taken by the EU to nationals of other third countries.
The 90/180 limit is a fundamental part of the EU’s conditions of entry for third country nationals to its territory, including for visa-free travel for short-term visits. As such, it is not UK Government policy. Any amendments and exemptions to these rules are the responsibility of the EU and Member States. There have been no recent discussions with the EU on the potential impact of the 90/180 limit on UK professional drivers.
The Department for Transport is undertaking research to improve understanding of the effects of the 90/180 limit on the international operations of GB-based HGV and coach businesses that hold standard international operator licences. The data is currently being processed, and the study’s findings will be published in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans her Department has to reform the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The High Income Child Benefit Charge is currently the best way to manage Child Benefit expenditure. By withdrawing Child Benefit from high-income families, it helps to ensure the sustainability of the public finances and protect our vital public services. As with all tax policy, the government will keep this under review.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of postal deliveries across Northern Ireland.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. Earlier this month, I met the CEO of Royal Mail, Alistair Cochrane, to press him on Royal Mail’s progress in improving quality of service. I will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if quality of service does not improve.
Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has powers to set and enforce Royal Mail’s quality of service targets. Royal Mail is required by Ofcom to publish its quality of service results on a quarterly basis.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will have discussions with Royal Mail to encourage timely deliveries in Lagan Valley.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. Earlier this month, I met the CEO of Royal Mail, Alistair Cochrane, to press him on Royal Mail’s progress in improving quality of service. I will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if quality of service does not improve.
Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has powers to set and enforce Royal Mail’s quality of service targets. Royal Mail is required by Ofcom to publish its quality of service results on a quarterly basis.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding the Northern Ireland will receive through Barnett consequentials from the support package for pubs further to her Department's press release entitled Government announces support package that backs British pubs, published on 27 January 2026.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Any Barnett consequentials for the Northern Ireland Executive resulting from policy changes will be confirmed at the relevant fiscal event.