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759481

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2017
	answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
	answering dept id	203
	answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
	answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
	hansard heading	Brexit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to recruit more officials to assist with the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	10011
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2017 answer text <p>All departments are equipping themselves with the resources they need to get the best deal for the UK. The Department for Exiting the European Union now has over 450 staff based in the UK plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels. We regularly review headcount to ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with all aspects of the negotiations.</p><p><br>The Department is continuing to recruit the brightest and the best from across the civil service, the wider public sector and the private sector. Numbers are regularly changing and our aim is to have a streamlined Department, while hiring in the right skills and experience to get the best outcome for the UK.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 14/09/2017 10:23:42 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1687333

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2024
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Foreign Investment in UK: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department has taken to encourage international companies to (a) invest and (b) base themselves in Northern Ireland in the last six months.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	12941
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>International investment makes an important contribution towards Northern Ireland's prosperity.</p><p> </p><p>The Northern Ireland Investment Summit, led by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and Invest NI, welcomed over 180 global investors to the region in September. The Summit showcased Northern Ireland’s innovation, sector strengths and opportunities for inward investment to a truly global audience.</p><p> </p><p>We are already seeing new international investment in Northern Ireland’s key growth sectors as a result, along with established companies already based in Northern Ireland announcing that they will be expanding their operations in the region.</p><p> </p><p>My Department continues to work closely with the Department for Business and Trade to maximise opportunities to encourage investment. I attended the Global Investment Summit that the UK hosted in November and met with many businesses interested in setting and scaling up in the UK. My clear message to them was that Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom has all of the right ingredients for economic success: exceptional talent, unique opportunities, a tradition of creativity and a healthy spirit of private sector entrepreneurship.</p><p> </p><p>A key factor for international investment is of course business certainty. We thus welcome the restoration of devolved governance in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 13/02/2024 08:34:58 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1687335

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2024
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Barristers: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on trends in the number of barristers working in Northern Ireland since 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	12943
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2024 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Department of Justice. The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions on this issue.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 08/02/2024 14:09:15 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1581971

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2023
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to help ensure the implementation of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	135336
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2023 answer text <p>In the absence of Northern Ireland Executive ministers, the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2022 provides Northern Ireland civil servants with the clarity they require to take the limited but necessary decisions to maintain delivery of public services and operate in the public interest. Specifically, in clause 3, subsections (1) and (3) remove the need for Ministers or an Executive Committee to be in place to enable the exercise of departmental functions by senior officers in Northern Ireland departments if they deem it in the public interest.</p><p>The accompanying guidance to the Act, published on 19 December 2022, helps NI departments determine whether exercising a function is in the public interest and lists the principles that they should take into account when making such a determination. The Government cannot and should not anticipate the decisions that civil servants will need to take under this Act. Consequently, the Government does not intend to comment on which decisions NI departments should be taking forward.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 02/02/2023 17:32:09 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1581973

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2023
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Cycling and Walking: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to support the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure to spend 10 per cent of the transport budget on active travel.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	135337
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2023 answer text <p>Responsibility for transport policy is devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive and the Department for Infrastructure.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Government recognises the importance of active travel, and through the “Communities and Place” strand of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), will provide support for active travel enhancement, including proposals to undertake active travel needs assessments and explore active travel links.</p><p> </p><p>All 11 Northern Ireland councils have been invited by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to bid for UKSPF funding to deliver such programmes. These bids are currently undergoing assessment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 02/02/2023 11:43:14 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1582377

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2023
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Renewable Energy: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Contracts for Difference scheme to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	136692
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2023 answer text <p>Energy policy is devolved in Northern Ireland and is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive Department for the Economy.</p><p> </p><p>The Contracts for Difference scheme, which applies UK-wide, was not implemented in Northern Ireland. The reasons were set out by the Northern Ireland Executive Minister for the Economy in response to a written question (AQW 3094/17-22) tabled on 3 March 2020 and answered on 19 March 2020. The answer states that the Northern Ireland Executive considered that joining the scheme, which was introduced in Great Britain in 2014, would have placed a guaranteed additional cost burden on Northern Ireland consumers, on top of existing support that consumers already paid for the Renewables Obligations.</p><p> </p><p>When the primary legislation for Contracts for Difference was put in place at the outset, provisions were put in place for Northern Ireland to join at a later date if conditions were right.</p><p> </p><p>In developing its Energy Strategy, <em>The Path to Net Zero Energy, </em>the Department for the Economy carried out a consultation from December 2019 to March 2020. This consultation asked whether respondents agreed that the Department for the Economy should explore with the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy the possibility of extending the Contracts for Difference scheme to Northern Ireland. 92% of respondents answered ‘yes’ to this question and the Northern Ireland Executive’s Energy Strategy, <em>The Path to Net Zero Energy, </em>published in December 2021, confirmed that the Northern Ireland Executive is exploring whether the Contracts for Difference scheme should be extended to Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>It is vital that the Northern Ireland Executive is restored, so that locally elected representatives are in place to continue important policy development relating to energy and net zero on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland.</p><p><br> <br></p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 03/02/2023 14:15:19 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1586117

	registered interest
	date	17/02/2023
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Elections: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of voter ID measures on the levels of voter ID fraud in Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	146968
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2023 answer text <p>The Elections Act 2022 makes no changes to the voter ID measures in Northern Ireland with the exception of the addition of two new documents to the existing list of acceptable evidence that may be produced at the polling station. The two new documents are the Half Fare SmartPass and the biometric immigration document.</p><p> </p><p>The Electoral Commission will continue to report on their assessment of any electoral fraud following elections in Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 23/02/2023 10:06:17 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1605411

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2023
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Gender Based Violence: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	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.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	169287
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2023 answer text <p>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.</p><p> </p><p>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.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 27/03/2023 10:34:27 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1611149

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2023
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Elections: Proof of Identity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland on voter ID.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	180778
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>Electoral policy for Northern Ireland is a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.</p><p>Northern Ireland Office officials meet regularly with the Electoral Commission to discuss a range of issues, including the Northern Ireland voter ID system, which has been in place, with minor amendments, since 2002.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 24/04/2023 09:01:33 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1695738

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2024
	answering body	Northern Ireland Office
	answering dept id	21
	answering dept short name	Northern Ireland
	answering dept sort name	Northern Ireland
	hansard heading	Pensioners: Northern Ireland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will have discussions with Age NI on support for isolated pensioners in Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	18449
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2024 answer text <p>While policies on this matter are ultimately devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive, the Secretary of State is committed to continuing to engage with groups across all sectors of society in Northern Ireland to discuss how the UK Government can support them.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Mr Steve Baker question first answered 20/03/2024 14:23:31 answering member 4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon