Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government who authorised the payment to a civil servant as a result of offence allegedly caused by a royal portrait on display in the Northern Ireland Office; from which Department's budget that money came; whether that civil servant remains employed by the Northern Ireland Office; and if so, in what role.

It would not be appropriate to comment on an individual case. Any compensation payments made by the Northern Ireland Office would be dealt with in line with the guidance in Managing Public Money.

Information on employees’ personal data is sensitive, so I am unable to provide any details on staff members’ current employment or otherwise.