Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent progress he has made on establishing the Castlereagh Foundation.

The UK Government committed in New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) to provide funding to establish the Castlereagh Foundation, a fund to support academic research through Universities and other partners to explore identity and the shifting patterns of social identity in Northern Ireland.

The Government amended the Identity and Language (NI) Bill in the House of Lords to enable the new Office of Identity and Cultural Expression to establish the Castlereagh Foundation. The UK Government will make funding available to the Office to establish the Foundation, in line with the NDNA commitment.

The Bill has completed its passage in Parliament and is currently awaiting Royal Assent.