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Written Question
Northern Ireland Office: Apprentices
Wednesday 16th July 2025

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within his Department.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Office remains committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government’s commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.

As a department, the Northern Ireland Office annually recruits a Communication Apprentice through the Government Communications Service.

Written Question
Veterans: Civil Proceedings
Tuesday 5th November 2024

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Northern Ireland Executive on protecting veterans who served in Northern Ireland from vexatious claims in relation to their service.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I regularly discuss the Government's approach to the legacy of the Troubles with Cabinet colleagues and with the Northern Ireland Executive, and I am consulting widely on the repeal and replacement of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act, including with the veterans community.


The Government recognises the dedicated service of the vast majority of members of the Armed Forces, as well as police officers and members of the security services, who did so much to keep people in Northern Ireland safe during the Troubles. Any veteran who does go through legal proceedings will receive welfare and, where appropriate, legal support.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

"I do not want to pre-empt the rest of the hon. Gentleman’s speech—it is vital that victims groups should be at the heart of this process. I think he is going to come on to this, but I am just checking: what about the veterans? They play a key part …..."
Stuart Anderson - View Speech

View all Stuart Anderson (Con - South Shropshire) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

"I am honoured to speak in the debate and I understand the sensitivities, the emotion and the hurt that many people in the Chamber feel, given their personal experiences and those of loved ones. I shall try to temper what I say in my speech as a result.

I served …..."
Stuart Anderson - View Speech

View all Stuart Anderson (Con - South Shropshire) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

"I know—my right hon. Friend served the year before I was born—but many people would not remember exactly what happened then. Everyone in my patrol would describe those incidents in a different way. Dragging soldiers through the courts for what has happened is a stain on what we had.

The …..."
Stuart Anderson - View Speech

View all Stuart Anderson (Con - South Shropshire) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

"No, I certainly do not. As I said, I am trying to temper my remarks, but Labour is going to vote against the Bill for political reasons. [Interruption.] The hon. Member for Hove (Peter Kyle) turns around to look. There is not one Labour Member there. [Interruption. …..."
Stuart Anderson - View Speech

View all Stuart Anderson (Con - South Shropshire) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

"As I wind up, I want to make clear that this is not a personal attack on the hon. Member for Hove. He is here, but nobody else from his party is here and that is not acceptable. They could at least have come and put forward a reasoned argument …..."
Stuart Anderson - View Speech

View all Stuart Anderson (Con - South Shropshire) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

"I certainly laboured that point, but it is a point that really needs labouring. Does my hon. Friend agree that Labour is not the party of veterans, and that its action tonight will be seen across the veteran community?..."
Stuart Anderson - View Speech

View all Stuart Anderson (Con - South Shropshire) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 May 2022
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

"The point I made is that, throughout the whole debate in the many hours we have been here, only one Labour Member spoke from the Back Benches. I think that is offensive. It will resonate throughout the veteran community that Labour has not put its views across in this debate …..."
Stuart Anderson - View Speech

View all Stuart Anderson (Con - South Shropshire) contributions to the debate on: Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill
Written Question
Veterans: Mental Health
Monday 23rd May 2022

Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what contribution his Department is making in cross-Government efforts to improve the mental wellbeing of veterans.

Answered by Conor Burns

The Government remains fully committed to supporting veterans living in Northern Ireland and continuing to build on the good progress in delivering the Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans Strategy. We are delivering on the Government’s commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, in particular, to ensure that Northern Ireland veterans are treated similarly to their counterparts across the UK.

My Department established and sponsors the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office, which advocates for and assists veterans as they navigate services such as health and social care.

Arrangements for service delivery in Northern Ireland are slightly different from those in other parts of the UK. Many of the service delivery aspects, including health provisions, are devolved.