Written questions by Eastwood.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of UK Shared Prosperity Fund spending on (a) upskilling and (b) reskilling programmes; and what oversight and accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure these funds are effectively deployed.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) provides a total of £3.5 billion of funding, with all places in the UK receiving an allocation via a funding formula. Through the People and Skills investment priority, places can choose to fund projects that help reduce the barriers some people face to employment, and support them to move towards employment and education. Places can also target funding on skills to support employment and local growth, including upskilling and reskilling programmes. As of September 2024 £1.1 billion of UKSPF funding had been spent across the investment priorities, of that, over £268 million of funding had been used for People and Skills projects. The UKSPF has a light-touch and flexible delivery model. In England, Scotland and Wales, lead local authorities determine how to allocate their UKSPF allocation in line with local circumstances and priorities. In Northern Ireland, MHCLG works with a Partnership Group of local partners to implement the fund. MHCLG receives progress reports from places on a six-monthly basis. Places are also required to publish information on UKSPF delivery and activities being funded in their area. MHCLG is also undertaking a programme evaluation to measure overall fund impact.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the total amount of multiply funding that has been allocated for Northern Ireland; how that funding has been distributed; and how that funding compares to that previously provided by the European Social Fund.

Over the course of 2023-25, approximately £8.75m of Multiply funding has been allocated to projects in Northern Ireland. £5.9m was allocated to the Department for the Economy, who are leading a partnership of all eleven NI councils, the three universities, and four of the six further education colleges to deliver a suite of linked activities, including vocational mathematics (linked to traineeships and apprenticeships), maths for speakers of other languages, engaging mature learners, and support that helps children and parents learn numeracy together. The remainder of the funding is being used by community and voluntary organisations to address numeracy barriers that may prevent the economically inactive people they support from returning to employment. Comparable data for the European Social Fund is not available.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish a breakdown of how the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has been allocated in Northern Ireland for financial year 2025-26 including spending by (a) sector, (b) region and (c) projects.

My officials meet regularly with representatives of the voluntary and community sector and local authorities through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Northern Ireland Partnership Group, as well as officials from the Northern Ireland Executive Departments of Finance, Economy and Communities, to seek views and insight on funding allocation, local priorities and alignment with other provision and policies in Northern Ireland. I met with Northern Ireland Executive ministers to discuss the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and with the Northern Ireland Partnership Group and project deliverers to hear first-hand the impact that the fund is having on people and communities across Northern Ireland. Taking account of partner feedback and to avoid a hiatus in delivery of support for people and businesses, my department determined the most appropriate approach to funding for 2025-26 was to invite continuation applications. This has avoided a significant delay in delivery that new funding competitions would have created. UK Shared Prosperity Fund project information for Northern Ireland is published on gov.uk. This will be updated for 2025-26 funding allocations following the conclusion of the selection process.

Communities and Local Government, what engagement she has had with (a) community groups, (b) local authorities and (c) the Northern Ireland Executive on the reallocation of (a) UK Shared Prosperity Fund and (b) skills funding in Northern Ireland.

My officials meet regularly with representatives of the voluntary and community sector and local authorities through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Northern Ireland Partnership Group, as well as officials from the Northern Ireland Executive Departments of Finance, Economy and Communities, to seek views and insight on funding allocation, local priorities and alignment with other provision and policies in Northern Ireland. I met with Northern Ireland Executive ministers to discuss the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and with the Northern Ireland Partnership Group and project deliverers to hear first-hand the impact that the fund is having on people and communities across Northern Ireland. Taking account of partner feedback and to avoid a hiatus in delivery of support for people and businesses, my department determined the most appropriate approach to funding for 2025-26 was to invite continuation applications. This has avoided a significant delay in delivery that new funding competitions would have created. UK Shared Prosperity Fund project information for Northern Ireland is published on gov.uk. This will be updated for 2025-26 funding allocations following the conclusion of the selection process.

Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department plans to allocate for (a) upskilling, (b) re-skilling and (c) local economic development for women in Northern Ireland beyond financial year 2025-26.

The government will set out its future vision for local growth at the multi-year spending review. In the meantime, we will continue to engage with Northern Ireland partners, including Northern Ireland Executive, to inform plans beyond 2025-26.

What steps he is taking to raise awareness during Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month of the signs and symptoms of cancer in April 2025.

NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including those that are most common in teenagers and young adults. Further information on cancer signs and symptoms is available on the NHS.UK website.The Department is committed to improving outcomes for teenagers and young adults with cancer. That’s why we have relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement in England, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience. The taskforce will ensure that the unique needs of children and young people, including teenagers with cancer, are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan for England, due to be published later this year.As part of this work, the Department is committed to directly engaging with patients and their families to discuss their experiences. We are working with taskforce members to assemble a Patient Experience Panel, made up of young people with lived experience of cancer and their families, which will feed directly into the work of the taskforce.

Whether her Department has made recent progress on setting a date for the second meeting of the Motor Insurance Taskforce.

The Department will announce a date for the next meeting of the Motor Insurance Taskforce in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help support a transitional justice process in Syria.

Throughout our engagement with the interim authorities and our international partners, we have maintained that a clear path towards transitional justice will be an essential element for the success of a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition. Our programming directly supports grassroots organisations working on gender-sensitive and victim-centred approaches to transitional justice, as well as documenting crucial evidence. We also support the operations of United Nations bodies, such as the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, working with Syrians to achieve their aspirations for justice and accountability.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policy of pausing indefinite Leave to Remain applications for Syrian families in the UK recent reports of sectarian and revenge violence in Syria.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office withdrew the Country Policy Information Notes and guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions. However, we continue to register new claims from Syrians in the UK who wish to claim asylum.The Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) are continuing to monitor and review the situation in Syria. CPIT are gathering evidence from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.The pause is being kept under constant review and when there is a clear basis upon which to make decisions, we will resume the processing of them.

Whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's recommendation of relugolix-estradiol-norethisterone for routine NHS use to treat endometriosis will extend to Northern Ireland.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England. NICE published final draft guidance on 13 March 2025 that recommends relugolix-estadiol-norethisterone as an option for treating symptoms of endometriosis in adults of reproductive age who have had medical or surgical treatment for endometriosis. NICE currently expects to publish final guidance in April 2025. Health is a devolved matter and decisions on the availability of medicines in Northern Ireland are a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/national-institute-health-and-care-excellence-nice

If he will support the ratification of the World Health Organisation Resolution to include chronic kidney disease in its priority list of non-communicable diseases.

The United Kingdom actively engaged in negotiations on the World Health Organization (WHO) resolution, Reducing the Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) through the Promotion of Kidney Health and Strengthening Prevention and Control of Kidney Disease, in advance of the 156th WHO Executive Board in February 2025. The Executive Board recommended adoption of all resolutions considered to the World Health Assembly, including this one, subject to ongoing budget discussions. If adopted, the resolution will apply to the UK as a Member State of the WHO. We remain committed to tackling NCDs, including kidney disease, domestically and internationally.

Whether he plans to engage with (a) Kidney Care UK and (b) other patient representative organisations ahead of the World Health Assembly's debate on kidney health.

The Department has met with Kidney Care UK and will be arranging further meetings with civil society organisations on the full range of health topics to be discussed in advance of the World Health Assembly in May 2025.

Media and Sport, if she will (a) digitise and (b) publish historic Northern Ireland command papers from 1921 onwards.

Northern Ireland Command Papers are a matter for the Parliamentary Archives.

Whether he is taking steps to facilitate the construction of Casement Park.

I have met with the GAA to discuss the redevelopment of Casement Park and look forward to meeting with the Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA. I will continue to engage with all involved in this Executive-led project, as all parties assess the options available.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of progress made on the construction of Casement Park.

I have met with the GAA to discuss the redevelopment of Casement Park and look forward to meeting with the Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA. I will continue to engage with all involved in this Executive-led project, as all parties assess the options available.

On what evidential basis he said that Northern Ireland courts had determined that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery independence has adequate (a) powers and (b) independence to undertake human rights compliant investigations.

The Court of Appeal recognised the structural independence and wide powers of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The Court was clear that ICRIR has the capability to replicate investigations that were previously with the police and the Ombudsman, and to fulfil human rights obligations in those cases. The Government has committed to introducing legislation to further strengthen ICRIR’s independence and powers, and to ensure that ICRIR can discharge the State’s ECHR obligations in all cases where that is required, including cases that would otherwise be inquests, and to restore inquests that were previously halted.

If she will consider reducing the rate of VAT on hospitality.

To support hospitality businesses, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with Rateable Values below £500,000, from 2026-27. Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, the Government has prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £171 billion in 2024/25. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing VAT on hospitality.

To support hospitality businesses, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with Rateable Values below £500,000, from 2026-27. Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, the Government has prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £171 billion in 2024/25. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Minister for Communities on the construction of Casement Park.

I have met with the GAA to discuss the redevelopment of Casement Park and look forward to meeting with the Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA. I will continue to engage with all involved in this Executive-led project, as all parties assess the options available.

What his expected timeline is for (a) receiving and (b) responding to the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry.

Sir Wyn Williams is committed to progressing matters as swiftly as he can. Now that the final Phase of gathering oral evidence is complete, Sir Wyn will look to deliver his report on what happened, what went wrong and why. He said in December 2024 that publication would take “many months”. Once the report is published, the Government will respond in due course.