Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about potential risks to national security resulting from the shortfall in Police Service of Northern Ireland officer numbers.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland meets frequently with the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice to discuss areas of mutual interest and concern.

A well-staffed and resourced PSNI is vital to the success and stability of Northern Ireland. It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to make decisions on the allocation of funding in line with its identified priorities and for the Northern Ireland Department of Justice to allocate funding to the PSNI.

The Government is providing the Executive with a record settlement over the Spending Review period, averaging £19.3bn per year. This is the largest in the history of devolution.

In addition to this, the Government is also providing the PSNI with £113 million over three years in Additional Security Funding to help address Northern Ireland’s specific security challenges and continue keeping people safe.