Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether it is his Department’s policy that Fresh Start agreement funding allocated to support shared and integrated education can be spent beyond 2026 if work on specific new school build programmes has already started.

The Government remains committed to the Fresh Start Agreement, which offered £500 million in capital funding over 10 years to shared and integrated education capital building projects and shared housing schemes.

The Agreement reflects the Government's sincere belief that greater integration within education is an essential aspect of the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland.

The Government continues to work with Northern Ireland Departments on funding arrangements and projects under the Agreement.