Written questions by Swann.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 34541 on Business: Northern Ireland, whether the Northern Ireland Office Permanent Secretary briefed him on Board meetings prior to the announcement of Transformation Funding.

Officials advised the Secretary of State on the recommendations made by the interim Board to the Northern Ireland Executive on transformation projects. These projects and their respective funding allocations were announced by the Northern Ireland Minister of Finance on 4 March.

What steps she is taking to (a) support and (b) expand credit unions.

The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing products and affordable credit. We continue to engage regularly with this sector to understand the current barriers they face and consider further opportunities for growth. The Chancellor announced new measures to support the growth of the credit union and mutuals sector in her Mansion House speech on 14 November 2024. This included publishing a call for evidence on the potential to reform common bonds for credit unions in Great Britain, asking the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to produce a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025, and welcoming the establishment of an industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Business Council. Responsibility for credit unions in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Treasury officials engage with their counterparts in the Department for the Economy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 34541 on Business: Northern Ireland, when the remainder of the Transformation Fund will be allocated.

The Public Sector Transformation Board will run a further process to assess proposals from Northern Ireland departments and will make recommendations on those that are judged to have potential for transformation. Following a decision by the Executive, the remainder of the Government’s funding for transformation can be allocated.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 34165 on Food and Livestock: Transport, how many times the Border Control Post has contacted people responsible for a load in relation to (a) concerns and (b) concerns about non-attendance in each of the last twelve months.

Due to the intelligence led and dynamic nature of our biosecurity controls, and to ensure operations are not impacted, we are unable to share this data.

What steps her Department is taking to support parents with recent trends in the cost of daycare facilities.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.It is the department’s ambition that parents have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and childcare.Next year alone, the department plans to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, which is a more than 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements, so eligible working parents of children aged from nine months can access 30 hours of funded childcare.From the start of September 2024, eligible working parents have been entitled to 15 hours a week of early education and care from the term after their child turns nine months. So far, over 320,000 additional parents are now accessing a place. Going further, from September 2025, eligible working parents will be able to access 30 hours of early education and childcare a week, over 38 weeks of the year, from the term after their child turns nine months until they start school. The department has also taken action to protect parents from reported instances of very high additional charges on top of their entitlement, ensuring the funded hours remain accessible and affordable for parents. We have updated our statutory guidance, confirming that whilst providers can charge for some extras, these charges must not be mandatory.Parents may also be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare.The department also wants to ensure that parents are aware of and accessing all government funded childcare support they are eligible for. We are raising awareness of the government-funded childcare support available via the Childcare Choices website to stimulate increased take-up by eligible families, because this could make a significant financial difference to families.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 34165 on Food and Livestock: Transport, how many vehicles containing (a) live animals and (b) food products attended Sevington for further inspection in each of the last 12 months.

Due to the intelligence led and dynamic nature of our biosecurity controls, and to ensure operations are not impacted, we are unable to share data on inspection volumes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32525 on Airports, which airports are designated Level 3.

There are currently 9 Level 3 coordinated airports in the UK: London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London City, London Stansted, London Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Leeds Bradford.​ Leeds Bradford is Level 3 coordinated for summer season only, the other airports are Level 3 coordinated on year-round basis.

With reference to the NHS Central Alerting System notification entitled Shortage of Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) - Additional actions, published on 18 December 2024, what steps his Department his taking with the devolved Administrations to tackle shortages in pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies.

The Department has worked in close partnership with the devolved administrations in the management of this supply issue. The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to mitigate the supply issue that is affecting the whole of the United Kingdom. Through this work, we have managed to secure additional volumes of PERT for 2025 for the UK. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals, which was then discussed with and cascaded to all the devolved administrations. This directs clinicians to consider these unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.The Department has frequent conversations with representatives from the impacted patient groups, so that they are informed of the supply situation and the mitigation actions being taken.The Department will also continue to meet with suppliers, patient groups, and other relevant stakeholders across the supply chain to provide updates on the supply position and the actions being taken to address them.

When he expects the issues surrounding the sale and movement of plants to be resolved.

The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring the smooth flow of goods across the UK internal market. Growers and traders in Great Britain can move plants to Northern Ireland using the Northern Ireland Plant Health Label (NIPHL). We continue to work closely with the horticultural sector, including through the Horticulture Working Group which meets regularly, to maximise opportunities for trade in plants and plant products within the United Kingdom. The group will continue to identify and resolve issues related to the movement of plants and seeds between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework on an ongoing basis.

Which (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department are members of the Transformation Fund advisory board; and how many and what proportion of meetings they have attended.

No UK Government Ministers are members of the Interim Public Sector Transformation Board. The Northern Ireland Office Permanent Secretary is a permanent member of the Interim Board, and has attended all official meetings of the Interim Board.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2025 to Question 32722 on Reserve Forces: Retirement, whether the review will consider readmitting former reservists if the age of retirement is changed.

I am grateful for the contribution of our Reserve Forces who provide the UK with the ability to meet the threats we face at home and overseas, with the scale, skills, agility and connection to society that it needs, in a cost-effective way. Alongside the Strategic Defence Review’s interest in Reserves, and in tandem with the transformational work already underway in Defence, I am reviewing the Reserves landscape, in a meaningful and impactful way, to ensure that we are making the most of the unique skills our Reserves offer Defence.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many vehicles containing (a) live animals and (b) food products failed to attend a further inspection at Sevington in the last 12 months.

Due to the intelligence led and dynamic nature of our biosecurity controls, and to ensure operations are not impacted, we are unable to share this data. The risk of legitimate commercial loads not attending Sevington is mitigated by robust, data-backed enforcement options. Consignments called to Sevington for an inspection will have completed the necessary customs declarations and pre-notifications. These goods will not be legally cleared for sale or use within the UK until they have attended and been cleared at the Border Control Post (BCP). Where the BCP has concerns, for example due to non-attendance, there are existing robust provisions for contacting the person responsible for the load. These provisions are enforceable through the data collected in customs declarations and pre-notification. Meanwhile, vehicles suspected to be carrying illegal imports (e.g. those for which customs declarations and pre-notification have not been made or suspected to have been made in bad faith) will continue to be stopped and dealt with by Border Force at the point of entry to the UK, not sent to the BCP.

Whether he has received representations on the feasibility of proposals for the Dáil to sit in Northern Ireland; and whether he has made an assessment of the compatibility of those proposals with the Belfast Agreement.

I have received no such representations.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the mandatory retirement age for reservists.

As the Minister for Veterans and People, I have commissioned an internal review in Defence to ensure that we are making the most of the unique contribution our Reserve Forces offer. The review will examine the Reserves landscape and will include some aspects of their terms and conditions of Service, such as normal retirement age.

What is required for an airport to be designated as a level 3 airport.

For an airport to be designated as Level 3 slot coordinated, and therefore requiring the formal allocation of slots by an independent coordinator, the demand for operating services should exceed the airport infrastructure’s capacity for at least one scheduling period. Secretary of State approval is required to designate any airport as Level 3 slot coordinated.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the development of its international relations strategy.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has held official-level discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) on their proposal to develop an international relations strategy. We look forward to continuing that engagement with the NIE in due course as its Strategy is further developed.

What discussions he has had with the First and deputy First Minister on the continuing vacancy in the office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.

The appointment of a new Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland is a matter for the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Safeguarding the Union command paper, published on 31 January 2024.

The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and to taking all steps necessary to protect Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market. Commitments made in the Safeguarding the Union command paper support this objective, and the Government continues to make progress in delivering them.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had with their counterparts in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in the Northern Ireland Executive on the foot and mouth outbreak in Germany.

In response to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Germany, we are in contact with German counterparts to understand the latest situation and, as is routine procedure, we are working closely with the Devolved Governments to understand the risks to the UK and prevent an incursion from imported goods. On 21 January, the situation and the need for ongoing collaboration and vigilance was also discussed at a meeting between the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Hayman of Ullock; Andrew Muir MLA; and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Member for Leeds South (Hilary Benn).

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Government introduces import ban of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany to protect farmers after Foot and Mouth case, published on 14 January 2025, whether the import ban will apply to Northern Ireland.

The measures announced on 14 January 2025 apply to imports into Great Britain. For Northern Ireland the controls on meat and live animals will apply to a 3 kilometres protection zone and 10 kilometres surveillance zones surrounding the infected premises in Germany. Products from the zones cannot move to Northern Ireland. Meat from outside these disease control zones can move into Northern Ireland, as can personal movements of food products. Additional health requirements will apply for movement of live animals from outside of these zones. The measures in place to protect farmers in Northern Ireland are strong. Given the strict prohibitions on the imports of animals and products of animal origin from countries in which foot and mouth disease is present, goods which transit Great Britain when moving from Germany to Northern Ireland are also subject to the same restrictions as imports into Great Britain. Qualifying Northern Ireland goods will continue to have full unfettered access to the rest of the UK, these provisions are unaffected by these new control measures.