Written questions by Easton.

What discussions he has had with the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Defence and Cabinet colleagues on the potential role of the Royal Navy in ensuring the safe passage of British-registered vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has been involved in discussions regarding the future ownership, management or financing of Northern Ireland public services or infrastructure by the Irish Government or its agencies.

The Northern Ireland Office has not participated in any discussions regarding the future ownership, management, or financing of Northern Ireland’s public services, including infrastructure by the Irish Government or any of its agencies.

Whether the Government is taking steps to support voluntary search and rescue organisations in Northern Ireland, including K9 Search and Rescue (NI); and whether he has had discussions with relevant departments on the provision of funding to assist such organisations in carrying out their work.

Co-ordination of land and inland water rescue is devolved, with search and rescue policy the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Department of Justice and co-ordination of land and inland water search and rescue operations falling to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. I have had no discussions on the provision of funding to assist such organisations but understand that the Northern Ireland Department of Justice provides approximately £100,000 of grant funding each year, which is shared across the current nine voluntary search and rescue organisations to help to sustain their capability.

What plans the department has to support the National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland.

I recently hosted the East West Council in Belfast where the Minister for Early Years noted the significant collaboration between all four nations of the UK to support the National Year of Reading. Education is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive. Decisions about the National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland are for the Northern Ireland Education Minister. This Government remains committed to working with partners across the United Kingdom to collaborate to share best practices and I look forward to seeing how this great initiative progresses throughout the year.

How many administrative letters to individuals under the on-the-runs scheme were issued broken down by year.

This information is publicly available at Appendix 4: Chronology of The Report of the Hallet Review: An Independent Review into the On the Runs Administrative Scheme, which can be found here.

What consideration he has given to ring-fencing any element of the Local Growth Fund allocation for Northern Ireland for community and voluntary sector services.

The Northern Ireland Office; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive have worked to provide community and voluntary sector organisations with the certainty they need to plan for this year. The RDEL element of the Local Growth Fund in 2026/27 will be split between economic inactivity provision delivery partners and Go Succeed, in the same proportion to funding received in 2025/26 under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This was agreed between the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. The record £19.3bn settlement for the Spending Review period - as well as the £370m announced at the Budget - provides the Northern Ireland Executive with the means to provide additional funding to support the voluntary and community sector, should they wish to do so.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on re-profiling the Local Growth Fund allocation for Northern Ireland to increase the resource element.

Following the announcement of the Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland at the Spending Review in June 2025, I have had regular engagement with the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, as well as Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive, as we continue to work in partnership on the design and delivery of the Fund.

Whether he plans to make additional funding available to the Police Service of Northern Ireland to meet the costs arising from the 2023 data breach.

It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to set a budget for Departments, and for the Minister for Justice to allocate funding to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. 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.On 17 December 2025, the Northern Ireland Executive committed to providing £119m to the Department of Justice to fund the costs of the data breach.Concerns about the implications of costs associated with the data breach should be raised via the existing mechanisms in the Department of Justice and the Department of Finance.

How many applications have been (a) received, (b) awarded and (c) refused under the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme; and in how many refused cases the applicant was in receipt of an occupational injury award, including (i) Civil Service Injury Benefit and (ii) an equivalent injury pension.

The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme is a devolved matter and is run by the Victims’ Payments Board on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive. Statistics on applications are publicly available on the Victims’ Payments Board’s website.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the introduction of neonatal care leave and pay in Northern Ireland.

I welcome the introduction earlier this year of neonatal care leave and pay in Great Britain, which will provide vital support to parents whose babies require specialist care in the first weeks of life, ensuring they will have additional time away from work at such a critical time.My ministerial team and officials regularly engage with the Northern Ireland Executive and we are aware of the ongoing discussions about the possibility of leave and pay for parents whose newborn babies require neonatal care being introduced in Northern Ireland.

What assessment he has made of the impact of being part of the UK on Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is a much valued part of the UK and brings an enormous richness to the life of our country. Northern Ireland also benefits hugely from being part of the UK.For example, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive a record settlement of £19.3 billion per year on average between 2026-27 and 2028-29. This is the largest in the history of devolution, and provides Northern Ireland with over 24% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK.As part of the UK, Northern Ireland will benefit from: £1.9 billion investment in Belfast defence manufacturing; access to £20 billion UK R&D spending; £2 million funding for Queen's University Belfast's Cyber AI Hub; access to £3 billion in UK-wide funding for the advanced manufacturing sector; £310 million over four years as part of the City and Growth Deals; and at least £30 million as part of the Local Innovation Partnership Fund.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the application of General Product Safety Regulation requirements on the cost of new vehicles in Northern Ireland; and what steps he is taking to help reduce the cost of vehicles in Northern Ireland, when compared to other parts of the UK.

The Government is committed to reducing barriers to trade between the UK and the EU, and to protecting the UK internal market. To that end, the Government has recently written to vehicle manufacturers to confirm that we intend to align requirements and ensure consistency between the type approval regimes that apply in Great Britain and the EU in order to reduce potential administrative burdens. On the specific point about the General Product Safety Regulation, we do not consider this will impact the cost of new vehicles in Northern Ireland.In relation to Northern Ireland, the Government meets regularly with individual manufacturers, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and has met the National Franchise Dealers Association to understand their concerns. To that end, I draw attention to the recent statement by the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in relation to measures being taken on Benefit-in-Kind taxation matters in relation to Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, which will mitigate the increase in tax from higher CO2 emission standards that will apply in Northern Ireland next year and the Government will shortly consult on introducing these standards in Great Britain.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU reset deal on businesses in Northern Ireland.

The Government's new strategic partnership with the EU will deliver greater prosperity and security for Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole. In particular, the new SPS Agreement with the EU will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, protecting the UK’s internal market, reducing costs for businesses and improving consumer choice. The Summit also marked the establishment of a new security and defence partnership that will help us work together with the EU on threats to national security and will support our defence industry, which has more than 9,000 aerospace, defence, space, and security jobs in Northern Ireland. In addition, we announced a closer law enforcement relationship with the EU that will help prevent crime and bring perpetrators to justice.

Whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on increasing the rate of construction of social housing.

Construction of Social Housing is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department of Communities. The UK Government has provided the Executive with a record £18.2bn for 2025-26. This includes an additional £1.5bn for 2025/26 and represents the largest settlement in the history of devolution. It is for the Executive to allocate money to the Department of Communities for social housing construction. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and I have met with the Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA, to discuss a range of issues, including social housing.

What estimate he has made of the potential impact of the implementation of the (a) Northern Ireland Protocol and (b) Windsor Framework on the number of businesses based in Great Britain that have ceased trading with Northern Ireland.

The Government is committed to the Windsor Framework and to protecting the UK internal market. The Framework guarantees unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the UK market and also supports traders to do business. Many are taking advantage of the support provided by the Trader Support Service. On 1 May 2025, the Government introduced important new arrangements for freight and parcels movements to ensure that goods can continue to move smoothly from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The new arrangements ensure that goods sent to or from consumers will not be subject to customs declarations or duty. We have also introduced a range of schemes to support businesses by removing unnecessary checks and paperwork; over 10,000 businesses are already signed up to the UK Internal Market Scheme. Furthermore, the Government’s renewed partnership with the EU will deliver a broader range of benefits for people and businesses across the UK, including the SPS Agreement which, once implemented, will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, reduce costs for businesses and improve consumer choice.

What discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on reports of businesses in Northern Ireland processing card transactions in euros, in the context of currency conversion charges for customers.

The decision on which currencies to accept for payment, including whether to process card transactions in euros or any other international currency, is a matter for individual businesses across the UK, including in Northern Ireland. Businesses are responsible for ensuring transparency in any associated currency conversion charges applied to customers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates the conduct of financial services firms in the UK and sets out rules to ensure customers are treated fairly, including in relation to payment services and foreign exchange disclosures. The Government continues to monitor developments and maintain dialogue with relevant regulators and stakeholders where appropriate.

What recent discussion he has had with Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on the potential impact of regulatory divergence between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom on the oversight of post-Brexit trade arrangements.

I speak regularly on a wide range of matters to Northern Ireland Executive Ministers and the Northern Ireland political parties. This includes discussion of the Government's commitment to safeguarding the UK internal market, handling divergence and encouraging economic growth, in line with the Government's manifesto and the five missions.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the findings of the Clonoe Inquest.

Following careful consideration, on 22 March 2025 the Ministry of Defence wrote to the Coroner to outline its intention to apply for a judicial review. In the Government’s view, the findings of the Coroner do not properly reflect the context of the incident, nor the challenging circumstances in which members of the armed forces served in Northern Ireland. The MoD has also confirmed that it is funding the veterans in question to seek a judicial review and it is continuing to provide them with welfare support.As I explained in the debate on this issue in the House on 2 April 2025, the almost universally opposed Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 Act has been found by the domestic courts to be unlawful in a number of respects. I am consulting widely, including with veterans, and plan to bring forward replacement legislation which is fair, balanced, proportionate and compatible with our international and domestic human rights obligations.

What steps he is taking to improve Northern Ireland’s (a) constitutional and (b) economic links with the rest of the United Kingdom.

In line with the Good Friday Agreement and the principle of consent upon which it rests, Northern Ireland will remain a part of the United Kingdom for as long as a majority of its people wish for it to be. The Government is committed to continuing to take forward Safeguarding the Union, and to protecting Northern Ireland's place in the UK internal market. In February we launched Intertrade UK, which will advise on opportunities to promote and boost trade across the UK, including strengthening East West trade. We are also committed to seeking a SPS/veterinary agreement with the EU, which could deliver tangible benefits for businesses across the UK and further smooth the flow of trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Government on the potential impact of border checks in the Irish Sea on the (a) availability and (b) shelf life of perishable goods in supermarkets in Northern Ireland.

The Windsor Framework protects the UK internal market by ensuring the smooth flow of trade across the whole of the UK. Certain checks are required on goods moving through the UK Internal Market System as part of a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to tackling criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks.