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  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps she is taking in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Executive to increase foreign direct investment to Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The successful G8 Summit and follow-up investment conference have highlighted Northern Ireland as a great place in which to invest.

    I continue to work in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Investment to attract Foreign Direct Investment to Northern Ireland building on the success of the Northern Ireland Investment Conference at which my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister made the keynote address.

    On 7 November I co-hosted, with Arlene Foster, the Northern Ireland Investment Seminar at Lancaster House for a number of High Commissioners and Ambassadors to explain the benefits for their respective countries of trade and investment in Northern Ireland. NIO and Invest NI officials are now meeting the trade and commercial officers from the Embassies with a view to inviting their respective Ambassador to lead a trade delegation to Northern Ireland on a visit co-hosted by myself and the DETI minister.

    The first two of these Ambassadorial visits will take place in September and October and it is envisaged that other visits will take place over the coming twelve months.

    Arlene Foster has also invited me to participate with her at SIAL 2014 which will take place in Paris in October. SIAL is the world’s premier food exhibition and will provide a good opportunity to promote the excellence of Northern Ireland produce to the international food industry.

  • Khalid Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Khalid Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Khalid Mahmood on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will publish witness statements given to the Downey trial.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    This is a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of female genital mutilation in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I am not aware of any recent cases of female genital mutilation being reported in Northern Ireland.

    Female genital mutilation is a horrific form of child abuse and violence against women and girls, and the Northern Ireland Executive has put in place a number of safeguarding structures, policies and procedures designed to protect females.

    The Civil Law Reform division of the Northern Ireland Executive Department of Finance & Personnel consulted on draft multi-agency practice guidelines on female genital mutilation earlier this year which were based on the Home Office’s Guidelines.

  • Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Jeffrey M. Donaldson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeffrey M. Donaldson on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to her Department remained unanswered (a) after 20 days and (b) after 90 days at 1 April 2014; and (i) how many and (ii) what the subject matter is of any such requests that remained unanswered after 180 days at that date.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    At 1 April 2014, there was one request remaining unanswered after 20 days and one request remaining unanswered after 90 days. There were no requests remaining unanswered after 180 days at 1 April 2014.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when she last held a meeting with the Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I was due to meet the Northern Ireland Social Development Minister in March but unfortunately the meeting had to be postponed. My private office has suggested further dates to his and is waiting to hear back.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent meetings she has had on First World War centenary commemorations in Northern Ireland.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The Northern Ireland Office plays a co-ordination role with the aim of ensuring that First World War commemorations are implemented in Northern Ireland in a manner which promotes reconciliation and enhances prospects for a peaceful, shared future.

    Officials from my Department sit on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Programme Board for First World War Centenary Commemorations. They also have regular contact with officials in the British Embassy Dublin, the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, and sit on the Northern Ireland First World War Centenary Committee chaired by Jeffrey Donaldson MP.

    I receive regular updates on this work and will attend a number of events being planned to mark this important centenary over the course of the coming months. These events will take place in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and France.

  • Khalid Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Khalid Mahmood – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Khalid Mahmood on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the families of all victims of crimes for which the beneficiaries of so-called comfort letters were convicted have yet been informed that such letters were issued.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    The administrative scheme established by the previous government operated as follows; the police (and in some cases the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland) checked whether sufficient evidence existed in each case at that time for named individuals to be questioned, arrested or prosecuted if they returned to Northern Ireland or any other part of the United Kingdom.

    If it was concluded that there was no prospect of any prosecution based on the evidence then available, the individuals were informed that they were not wanted by the police – the letters were only ever a statement of fact regarding an individual’s status with the police and prosecuting authorities at a particular point in time i.e. whether they were sought for arrest or not. Lady Justice Hallett has been appointed to investigate the administrative scheme and to provide a full public account of how it operated.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what meetings she has had with (a) the First Minister of Northern Ireland, (b) the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and (c) both the First and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    I meet regularly with the First Minister and deputy First Minister to discuss a range of issues and will continue to do so.

  • Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Graeme Morrice – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether her Department has any plans to end the employee trade union membership dues check-off system.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    My Department’s payroll services are provided by the Ministry of Justice. My understanding is that they have no current plans to end the employee trade union membership dues check-off system.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Ivan Lewis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what meetings he has had with (a) the First Minister of Northern Ireland, (b) the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and (c) both the First and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

    Mr David Cameron

    I regularly meet the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to discuss a range of issues and will continue to do so.

    I visit all parts of the United Kingdom regularly, including Northern Ireland. I last visited Northern Ireland on Thursday 10 – Friday 11 October 2013.