Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Defence to support community cohesion in Northern Ireland.

Building a safer, more reconciled society is a key priority. Northern Ireland Office Ministers engage broadly with ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues in Northern Ireland, including community cohesion. Fostering positive community relations in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK requires active leadership and close collaboration across Government, and across our society more broadly.

The Northern Ireland Office is proud to deliver the Connect Fund to support issues of shared interest across the UK such as community cohesion. The Connect Fund supports organisations such as Springboard Opportunities, a fantastic cross-community youth charity, who have received funding to deliver an initiative to evolve community cohesion strategies in Northern Ireland in collaboration with counterparts in England. I am delighted that the Connect Fund will continue to fund projects such as these, with applications opening for Connect Fund Round 3 at the start of next week.