Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much (a) Departmental Expenditure Limit and (b) Annually Managed Expenditure funding has been spent by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery in each financial year since its establishment.
Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) was formally established in December 2023. The outturn expenditure for the Commission in each financial year to date, including initial setup costs, is provided in the following table, broken down by Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) and Annually Managed Expenditure (AME).
Financial Year | Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) | Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) |
2022-23 | £0.77m | £0.00m |
2023-24 | £7.51m | £0.00m |
2024-25 | £23.34m | £5.16m |
2025-26 | £13.71m* | £12.41m* |
2026-27 | £4.41m** | £6.89m** |
*The full year Figures for 2025-26 remain provisional pending final audit and publication of the Annual Report and Accounts. Finalised, audited expenditure for completed financial years is also published within the ICRIR's and the Northern Ireland Office’s Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available on GOV.UK.
**Figures for 2026-27 represent actual year-to-date expenditure up to August 2026.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made on expanding Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts, as recommended by the Independent Sentencing Review.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
This Government is committed to enhancing support for victims of domestic abuse and improving the criminal court’s response to domestic abuse cases.
In our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, the Government committed to rolling out Domestic Abuse Protection Orders – our strongest order yet for domestic abuse - across England and Wales. We are also introducing a domestic abuse identifier at sentencing in criminal cases to enable police, prisons and probation to more consistently identify domestic abuse offenders. This Government has also made trauma-informed training available to all HMCTS court staff, helping them to better understand domestic abuse and apply trauma-informed practice in their interactions with victims.
We are actively considering how to expand the use of Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts in the criminal division as part of our wider work to improve outcomes for victims of domestic abuse, in response to recommendations made by the Independent Sentencing Review.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for publishing the eligibility requirements for the new named sponsorship routes.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The named community sponsorship route will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors later this autumn, with arrivals expected from autumn 2027 onwards.
Further details of the new route, including eligibility requirements, will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of the Barnett consequential arising for the Northern Ireland Executive from the additional 20% business rates relief for pubs, clubs and live music venues announced on 23 July 2026.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
The Barnett formula applies when UK Government departmental DEL budgets formally change, not when new policy or funding is announced.
Any Barnett consequentials for the Northern Ireland Executive resulting from changes to business rates revenues in England will be confirmed when business rates forecasts change at the next fiscal event.