Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will take steps to clarify the funding that will be allocated through NIO direction to Northern Irish Departments for (a) NHS waiting lists in Quarter 1 2023/24 (b) air connectivity to Derry/Londonderry (c) Easter school holiday lunches and (d) rural community transport.
Answered by Steve Baker
In the absence of functioning devolved institutions, Northern Ireland Office officials continue to work with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive Department of Finance on the budget allocations for the 2023-24 financial year. Based on the Northern Ireland budget position for the 2022-23 financial year, the expectation is that balancing the 2023-24 budget will be extremely challenging.
The UK Government recognises that there will be impacts on people and businesses in Northern Ireland as a result of the difficult decisions needed in order for Northern Ireland Executive departments to live within their budgets. It remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to make these decisions are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and local Assembly. In the absence of these, it will be for the relevant Northern Ireland Executive departments to manage their funding, in accordance with powers provided under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2022.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the response of the Northern Ireland haulage industry to the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Steve Baker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland meets regularly with Northern Ireland stakeholders, including representatives of the road haulage industry to discuss a range of relevant issues, including following the announcement of the Windsor Framework.
The Windsor Framework restores the free flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a first-of-its-kind green lane that will enable goods destined for NI to move easily without burdensome customs bureaucracy.
Customs paperwork will be scrapped and replaced with data sharing of ordinary, existing commercial information. This information will be provided from sales invoices and transport contracts – information that businesses will already hold and use for the movement of goods.
In other words, the only data traders will need to move from Birmingham to Belfast is the same as if they were going to the Isle of Wight.
We have also secured complete unfettered access for NI goods on the UK market, with no export processes required.
Asked by: David Jones (Conservative - Clwyd West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland's road haulage industry on the Windsor Framework since 27 February 2023.
Answered by Steve Baker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland meets regularly with Northern Ireland stakeholders, including representatives of the road haulage industry to discuss a range of relevant issues, including following the announcement of the Windsor Framework.
The Windsor Framework restores the free flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland with a first-of-its-kind green lane that will enable goods destined for NI to move easily without burdensome customs bureaucracy.
Customs paperwork will be scrapped and replaced with data sharing of ordinary, existing commercial information. This information will be provided from sales invoices and transport contracts – information that businesses will already hold and use for the movement of goods.
In other words, the only data traders will need to move from Birmingham to Belfast is the same as if they were going to the Isle of Wight.
We have also secured complete unfettered access for NI goods on the UK market, with no export processes required.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of their Department's employees are recorded as having a disability.
Answered by Steve Baker
As of January 2023, of the 74.2% of staff working in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) who have completed their disability declaration information, 9.2% shared they had a disability. 4.9% of those who have declared their information have reported they ‘prefer not to say’. This data is completed anonymously by employees via our online HR system (SOP).
The Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022 maintains our focus on mainstreaming the delivery of inclusion and achieving our key priorities as outlined in the Declaration on Government Reform. We will continue to build a more inclusive Civil Service going further than the current Equality Act provisions by building on and expanding a previous focus on Protected Characteristics to deliver for all of our people. Incorporating a broader definition of diversity (such as socioeconomic, work experience and geographic backgrounds) and embedding activity in our strategic priorities will enable the successful delivery of our corporate objectives. Disability remains a focus of this work and we continue to identify and remove barriers affecting disabled colleagues.
Representation of disabled staff is increasing at all grades, whilst this trend is positive, we remain committed to improving the representation of disabled colleagues across our workforce and in particular at our most senior grades.
All main Government departments have Disability Confident Leader (level 3) status on the Government’s Disability Confident Scheme, the highest level of accreditation. The scheme gives employers the tools to recruit, retain and develop disabled people, and acts as a catalyst for continuous improvement.
The Civil Service Workplace Adjustment Service is well established, offering specialist advice and access to a review route for disabled employees experiencing difficulties in securing the adjustments they need. The service includes a Workplace Adjustment Passport to facilitate the seamless retention of adjustments on a change of line manager, job role or move between business areas or departments.
We will continue to target action where gaps persist.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the proportion of invoices his Department paid to small and medium-sized enterprises within five days in (a) the 2021-2022 financial year and (b) each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Steve Baker
All Government Departments publish payment performance quarterly showing the percentage of invoices paid in 5 days, the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days, and net debt interest liability. This is available on GOV.UK. The Northern Ireland Office’s payment performance is available at:
In addition, in accordance with regulation 113 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Contracting Authorities are required to publish annually the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days online. This is available as part of the annual report for 21/22:
Annual Report and Accounts 21/22
The Procurement Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will create a simpler and more transparent procurement regime that will further open up public procurement to SMEs. The Bill includes a new duty on contracting authorities to have regard to the particular barriers facing SMEs. Specifically, the Procurement Bill will imply 30 day payment terms into every sub-contract that is substantially for the purpose of performing a public contract. This will ensure SMEs at every tier of the public supply chain can benefit from faster payments, even if 30 day terms aren't explicitly written into the contract.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the Government will provide funding to churches and community groups in Northern Ireland to help them celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III; and whether any royal visits are planned to Northern Ireland during the Coronation celebrations.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Northern Ireland Office officials are working closely with officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in order to provide funding to Local Authorities for local screenings of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III at locations across Northern Ireland.
There is no additional central Government funding available specifically for other organisations since every effort is being made to ensure that any activities and programmes for the Coronation do not impose an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer. It should be noted Lottery distributors and Local Authorities have made funds available for community events and many communities will fund their own activities, as they have done to mark other significant milestones in our shared history.
Visits to Northern Ireland by members of the Royal Family are a matter for the Royal Household.
Asked by: Colum Eastwood (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of Easilink bus services in rural areas in Northern Ireland in the next financial year.
Answered by Steve Baker
Transport is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. The Department for Infrastructure has the responsibility for matters relating to the provision of rural community transport services in Northern Ireland.
In the absence of functioning devolved institutions, Northern Ireland Office officials are working with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive Department of Finance on the budget allocations for the next financial year. Based on the Northern Ireland budget position for the 2022-23 financial year, the expectation is that there will be impacts on people in Northern Ireland as a result of the difficult decisions needed in order for Northern Ireland Executive departments to live within their budgets.
It remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to make these decisions are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Assembly. In the absence of these, it will be for the relevant Northern Ireland Executive department, in this case, the Department for Infrastructure, to manage its funding including provision for rural community transport.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Department of Justice on steps to (a) reduce violence against women and girls and (b) encourage women and girls to report incidences of violence.
Answered by Steve Baker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently visited Women’s Aid Federation NI and the Foyle Family Justice Centre in Derry-Londonderry in support of their crucial work.
It is disappointing that Northern Ireland remains the only region of the UK without a dedicated strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. The UK Government supports ongoing work by Northern Ireland departments to develop strategies tackling violence against women and girls, and domestic and sexual abuse. It is vital that the Northern Ireland Executive is restored to implement these strategies.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding will be provided for the independent statutory inquiry into the preventability of the Omagh bombing in August 1998.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
On 2 February 2023, an independent statutory inquiry into the Omagh bombing is being established under the Inquiries Act 2005. Consideration of the Terms of Reference and other details, including funding arrangements, are ongoing and will be a matter for discussion with the Chair, when appointed. More information will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Windsor Framework on Northern Ireland's place in the Union.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Windsor Framework protects and strengthens Northern Ireland’s place in our Union and this will be reinforced by the changes we are making to domestic legislation.
As well as ensuring goods available on the shelves in Great Britain are able to move freely to Northern Ireland, the agreement safeguards Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market through agreements on medicines, VAT and State aid.
The agreement ensures that Northern Ireland will benefit from the same VAT and alcohol taxes as apply in the rest of the United Kingdom.
With the agreement, we have restored sovereignty by putting the people of Northern Ireland in charge and eliminating the democratic deficit.
Northern Ireland’s businesses have access not only to the UK market, but also to the European single market and the agreement provides Northern Ireland with excellent opportunities for economic growth. In so doing it supports the prosperity of both Northern Ireland and the whole of the UK.
As Tony Blair recently noted, political stability is the best way to protect the union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and by fixing the problems with the Protocol and restoring the delicate balance inherent in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, we have provided a sound basis for Northern Ireland to move forward economically and politically as an integral and prosperous part of the United Kingdom.