Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the Northern Ireland Audit Office's comments in February that "Northern Ireland's planning system is not working efficiently and, in many aspects, is failing to deliver for the economy, communities or the environment"; and what impact this is having on the Levelling Up agenda.

As the Noble Lord is aware, planning policy is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure has responsibility for regional planning policy and legislation.

We note the concerns raised about the performance of the planning system in Northern Ireland in the Northern Ireland Audit Office report. The concerns raised in the report highlight the need for functioning devolved institutions as envisaged and enabled by the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, delivering on key issues like ensuring Northern Ireland has an effective planning system that meets the needs of businesses and the public.

The UK Government is committed to growing and levelling up the Northern Ireland economy, which is why more than £3.5bn has been provided in recent years, in addition to the Northern Ireland Executive’s block grant, through the New Deal for Northern Ireland, City and Growth Deals, PEACE PLUS and the New Decade, New Approach financial package. Furthermore, following the 2021 Spending Review the Government is providing the largest funding settlement to the Northern Ireland Executive since devolution in 1998, totalling £15 billion on average per year, for the next 3 years. This means that public spending is able to be maintained at some 21% higher per capita than the UK average.