Written questions by Allister.

When his Department plans to refurbish the Boer War Memorial at St Lucia Barracks in Omagh, County Tyrone.

The Department has no plans to refurbish the War Memorial at St Lucia Barracks, as the site is currently in the process of disposal. Responsibility for any future refurbishment will fall to the new owner. The memorial tablet to the fallen soldiers of the 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers is attached to a wall with listed status. It is itself considered to be part of that listed structure and therefore also protected. Monthly site inspections are conducted by our personnel to assess the buildings safety and security.

With reference to the debate on the NI Remedial Order on 21 January 2026 and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s recital of 800 legacy civil cases, how many of these are against the Ministry of Defence.

A total of 123 claims directed against the Ministry of Defence and other public bodies will be unfrozen under the Remedial Order. The Department is currently named as a defendant in 966 claims, including those restarting following the Remedial Order. However, itis not the primary or sole defendant in all of these cases.

What steps he is taking to inform veterans who served in Northern Ireland of the Victims Pension Scheme.

The Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme is advertised on https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/ The scheme is being promoted locally in Northern Ireland via the veterans’ support network and victims and survivors groups.

If he will initiate a judicial review against the findings of the Clonoe inquest.

The Ministry of Defence has carefully considered the findings of the Clonoe inquest. I can confirm that we have written to the Coroner outlining our intent to initiate judicial review proceedings.

What assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness of the application of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland and (b) adequacy of Armed Forces Covenant arrangements in Northern Ireland.

Our election manifesto commitment to put the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law highlighted the need to strengthen the rights of the Armed Forces community and thus improve current and former service life on a broader scope. Work is currently underway to develop policy in a range of areas relevant to the Armed Forces community. The Armed Forces Covenant applies across the whole of the UK including the Devolved Nations; its delivery is shaped by local and regional factors and jurisdictions. In Northern Ireland, government bodies and the charitable sector work together to provide practical support to the Armed Forces community, helping deliver the Covenant. Since 2015, Covenant delivery has been supported by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, an Arm’s Length Body of the Ministry of Defence and a charity. In 2023-24, the Trust awarded a total of £31.7 million to projects across the UK, including Northern Ireland, in support of the Armed Forces community. From 2022-23 to date, £3.26 million across 51 grants in total have been awarded to projects in Northern Ireland. A Covenant Legal Duty impact survey aimed at organisations subject to the Duty was completed in 2024. This included engagement with the Devolved Administrations. The survey was aimed at the whole of UK. Greater detail on the survey can be found in the Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2024, published in December 2024: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/676049f6cfbf84c3b2bcfacc/Armed_Forces_Covenant_annual_report_summary_2024.pdf We are making good progress in delivering the Covenant in Northern Ireland, where unique circumstances require a different approach to be taken from the rest of the UK. We will continue to work closely with our stakeholders in Northern Ireland to ensure that the Covenant remains effective.