Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department made a cash payment to a civil servant as a result of offence allegedly caused by a royal portrait on display in the Northern Ireland Office.

It would be inappropriate to comment on any individual case. The Northern Ireland Office, takes its responsibilities under Fair Employment legislation very seriously; the requirements of which are set out in the 1989 Fair Employment Code of Practice. The NIO also operates in line with the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland’s Guide ‘Promoting a Good and Harmonious Working Environment’. A portrait of the Queen, as head of state, is on display in the public area of Stormont House alongside a balanced set of images celebrating and reflecting the work of the Northern Ireland Office.