Tag: Northern Ireland Office

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 24 May 2024.

NI Secretary, Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has announced the re-appointment of Vilma Patterson to the Boundary Commission for NI for a further five years.

Background

The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland’s role is to review the number, names, designation and boundaries of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland and to submit reports with recommendations to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for making appointments to the role of members to the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. The appointment is made in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986.

Biography of Appointee

Vilma Patterson MBE was formerly a Director and Shareholder of John G Duff (Annadale) Ltd and is a past member of the Training Committee for the Construction Industry Training Board for Northern Ireland. She was the founding Chair of the Women in Business Network and a former Board Member of the Women on the Move Network which works to support and encourage female entrepreneurship.

Ms Patterson has previously held a  number of appointments, including Chairman of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland, non-executive member of the Audit Committee of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and a Civil Service Commissioner for Northern Ireland. Vilma was also a Member and Chair of the Independent Monitoring Board for HMP Maghaberry 1996 to 2008, Chairman of the Association of Members of Independent Monitoring Boards for Northern Ireland and a member of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland from 2006-2010. From 2011 to 2013 she was a member of the Prison Service Pay Review Body and a Member of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body from 2015-2020.  She is currently a member of the Parole Commission for Northern Ireland.

Terms of Appointment

• This position is part-time for a period of five years ending on 30 June 2029.
• The position attracts a daily remuneration of £505.50 per day.
• The position is not pensionable.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the appointment process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

Vilma Patterson has declared that she has not been politically active in the past five years.

Regulation

The appointment is regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA).

Statutory Requirements

The appointment is made by the Secretary of State in accordance with Schedule 1 Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986.

The press release issued by the Department of Northern Ireland on 9 May 2024.

The visit highlighted the crucial work the Air Ambulance carry out and how the UK Government can continue to support the charity.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, has visited the Air Ambulance site in Lisburn to show the UK Government’s continuing support to this vital service.

Along with touring the base, the Secretary of State met some of the HEMs crew members and was able to hear how the service has impacted the lives of local people and the generosity that keeps the charity going.

The Air Ambulance works in partnership with Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the region.

The Secretary of State also heard how on average, every single day in Northern Ireland, two individuals find themselves in critical need of Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.

Secretary of State Chis Heaton-Harris said:

It has been a real privilege to visit the Air Ambulance site today and hear about the amazing work that is ongoing to help people all across Northern Ireland.

Over 4,000 people have benefited from this service since it started in 2017, and that is thanks to the generosity and kindness of those who fundraise and donate.

As the prime minister said during his trip here a few months ago, Northern Ireland faces a brighter future and today’s visit highlights the vital work that can be done when people work together.

Ian Crowe, Joint Vice-Chair of Air Ambulance Northern Ireland

Together with our Partners Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, we are delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to our operational base.

It is only with continued support of our donors that we can continue to be there for every patient that needs the service.

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 12 April 2024.

The Secretary of State, Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has today announced the new appointment to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has announced the appointment of Jim McCooe to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Mr McCooe will take up the appointment with effect from 1 May 2024 for a period of three years.

Background

The Equality Commission was established in 1999, as part of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. It took over the functions of the Fair Employment Commission, Equal Opportunities Commission, and Council for Racial Equality and Northern Ireland Disability Council.

The Commission is responsible for policing the Statutory Duty on all public authorities in Northern Ireland to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity across a range of areas including religion, political opinion, gender, race, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability and those with and without dependants. The Commission is funded and sponsored by The Executive Office.

Further information about the work of the Commission can be found at:  https://www.equalityni.org/Home

Biography of Appointee

Jim McCooe is currently a non-executive director and Chair of the Audit Committee at the Department for Health Northern Ireland. He also holds the Business Improvement Director position at Healthy Kidz. Formerly he was a senior executive at Lloyds Banking Group and held a number of board positions including Trustee of Halifax Foundation and Marlay Trust.

Terms of appointment

• This position is part-time for a period of three years ending on 30 April 2027.
• The position receives a fixed annual remuneration of £5,000.
• The position is not pensionable.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

Mr McCooe has declared that he has not been politically active in the past five years.

Regulation

The appointment process has been regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA) and all stages of the process were overseen by an independent panel member.

Statutory Requirements

The Secretary of State makes appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 12 March 2024.

Northern Ireland Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, is visiting Washington D.C. and New York ahead of the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

While there, the Secretary of State will conduct routine meetings with a number of US figures, and update them on the current political situation now that the Assembly and Executive are fully functioning.

He will also engage with several business organisations and promote Northern Ireland as a fantastic place to live, work and invest, highlighting the thriving creative industries and innovative spirit within Northern Ireland that global investors witnessed at last year’s Investment Summit.

The celebrations cover a number of days with events in both locations and will provide an opportunity to further build and expand on the US-UK relationship as well as capitalise on the momentum of the Secretary of State’s visit to Washington at the end of January.

Before departing for the United States, the Secretary of State said:

“I am absolutely thrilled to represent the UK Government in the United States this week as we begin the celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day.

“The UK and US do more together than any other two countries in the world. The special relationship is highly valued by this Government and we continue to appreciate the strong relationships we’ve formed from leader level down.

“I look forward to meeting with US representatives and business organisations to update them on the monumental achievement of the return of power sharing in Northern Ireland and to highlight the fantastic investment opportunities waiting to be seized.”

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 8 March 2024.

The statement follows the findings of the report that was published on the 8th of March.

Northern Ireland Secretary, Chris Heaton-Harris, said:

This statement is in response to the publication of the Operation Kenova Interim Report into the activities of an alleged agent known as ‘STAKEKNIFE’, which has just been published by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

There can be no doubt that the way Operation Kenova has conducted its work since being commissioned in 2016 has gained the trust of many families who have long been seeking answers as to what exactly happened when their loved ones were so brutally murdered by, and on the orders of, the Provisional IRA.

Over 3,500 people from all parts of the community were killed during the Troubles and tens of thousands more injured. Over 1,000 of those killed were members of the security forces. Their bravery, courage, dedication and sacrifice in seeking to uphold democracy and the rule of law must never be forgotten.

We must remember too that the vast majority of deaths during the Troubles, around 90 per cent, were perpetrated by terrorist organisations – in the substance of this report, by the Provisional IRA.

As this is an “interim” report, I will not comment at this time on behalf of the Government on the detail of the report. It contains several specific, very serious allegations that remain subject to consideration by the courts.

It would not be right for the Government to make any comment on the substance of the Interim Report until the conclusion of litigation related to it. I note the recent decisions made by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland in relation to files passed to them by Operation Kenova, which once again go to show how difficult it is to achieve criminal justice outcomes in legacy cases. Due to numerous related civil cases, however, that remain ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. There is also the prospect of appeals against any of the recent decisions made by the Director for Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.

I would like to put on record again my deepest sympathy with all the families who lost loved ones during the Troubles – including as a result of the actions of the Provisional IRA.

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 6 March 2024.

The statement follows the development that Northern Ireland-related Terrorism threat level has changed from severe to substantial.

MI5 has lowered the Northern Ireland-related Terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland (NI) from “SEVERE”, meaning an attack is highly likely to “SUBSTANTIAL”, meaning an attack is likely.

The decision to change the threat level is taken by MI5, independently of Ministers.

This is a systematic, comprehensive and rigorous process, based on the very latest intelligence and analysis of factors which drive the threat.

The fact that the threat level is being lowered is testament to the tremendous efforts of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and MI5 to tackle Northern Ireland related terrorism.

This positive step reflects the commitment of communities from across Northern Ireland to build a safer place to live and work.

As ever, the public should remain vigilant and report any concerns they may have to the police. There remains a small group of people determined to destabilise the political settlement in Northern Ireland through acts of terrorism.

The Government, police and intelligence agencies will continue to work tirelessly to address the threat posed by terrorism in all its forms. The threat level will be kept under constant review.

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 23 February 2024.

Minister of State, Steve Baker, visited the ART for LIFE exhibition at Ulster University to mark the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

The exhibition showcases works by talented artists living in Ukraine and Northern Ireland, who have dedicated their art to supporting Ukraine.

Mr Baker said: ”It was a deeply moving experience to view such amazing artwork by artists whose response to Russia’s illegal invasion was to create art and who have generously donated their pieces to help provide humanitarian aid to those affected by the war.

“The UK Government continues to stand with Ukraine, its democratically-elected government and its brave people at this awful time.”

The exhibition runs until February 26 at the Belfast campus.

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 21 February 2024.

The Lord Caine has welcomed the opening of the Limavady Shared Education campus.

A UK Government Minister has welcomed the opening of a new Shared Education facility in Limavady.

The Lord Caine, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, was in attendance at the official opening ceremony today (Wednesday) of the Limavady Shared Education Campus, bringing together Limavady High School and St. Mary’s High School for certain classes.

The project was constructed with support from the UK Government’s Fresh Start funding for integrated and shared education.

Speaking at the event, Lord Caine commended both schools for their “commitment to reconciliation and educational excellence” providing “state of the art facilities to enable young people to work together to reach their potential”.

He said: “The Government believes that greater integration within education is an essential aspect of the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland. This was affirmed as a commitment in the Belfast Agreement.

“The Government also wants every child in the United Kingdom to have a high quality education, and for parents to have a genuine choice of high quality schools.

“It is for these reasons that the UK Government made available capital funding to build integrated and shared schools as part of the Fresh Start Agreement.”

Welcoming the presence of both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, and the Education Minister, at the shared campus opening, Lord Caine encouraged the new Executive to “progress with the important work of transformation and improvement in public services, including education.”

He added: “The UK Government will continue to support and promote educational integration in Northern Ireland – for the future success of Northern Ireland rests on its young being able to grow up looking forward to a shared future, rather than back to a divided past.”

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 21 February 2024.

The UK Government has today (21 February) published the Terms of Reference for the Omagh Bombing Inquiry.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has today announced the Terms of Reference for the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, following agreement from the Chair of the Inquiry, Lord Turnbull.

Last year, the UK Government confirmed an independent statutory inquiry would be established into the preventability of the Omagh bombing in August 1998.

The atrocity, carried out by the Real IRA, killed 29 people and two unborn children, and injured 220 others.

The Terms of Reference are focused on the four grounds identified by the Northern Ireland High Court as giving rise to plausible arguments that the bombing could have been prevented.

The Inquiry will be established under the Inquiries Act 2005, with full powers, including the power to compel the production of documents and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath.

Details of the Terms of Reference were outlined by the Secretary of State via a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament today.

He said: “I want to first again express my deepest sympathy for all of those affected by the Omagh bombing in August 1998. It was a cruel atrocity carried out, not just on the people of Omagh, but on all those in Northern Ireland who supported the peace process.

“Following the announcement of the Inquiry in February 2023, and the appointment of Lord Turnbull as Chair in June 2023, I have now agreed with Lord Turnbull the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry. These are focused on the four grounds identified by the Northern Ireland High Court as giving rise to plausible arguments that the bombing could have been prevented.

“With the Terms of Reference now agreed, the Inquiry can press ahead with its work to comply with the judgement of the High Court, demonstrating the UK Government’s ongoing commitment to taking proper action on legacy related matters.

“The Inquiry Chair will now undertake a setting-up exercise to design the Inquiry as he sees fit, and he will announce further detail about the Inquiry in due course.”

Mr Heaton-Harris also called on the Irish Government to set out its own position with regard to the High Court ruling.

He said: “I urge the Irish Government to now explain what consideration it has given to the setting up of an investigation in Ireland to discharge its obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in line with the clear direction of the High Court.”

Note to Editors:

The Full Written Ministerial Statement regarding the Terms of Reference for the Omagh Bombing Inquiry can be found here.

More information regarding the Omagh Bombing Inquiry can be found here.

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 13 February 2024.

The UK Government has written to the NI Minister of Finance outlining the detail of the spending settlement worth in excess of £3.3 billion.

The significant, fair and generous spending settlement will allow the Northern Ireland Executive to stabilise public services, better manage public finances, increase opportunities for improved infrastructure and investment, pave the way for transformation of public services, and enable the delivery of a pay award (2023-24) to public sector workers.

The letter to Dr Caoimhe Archibald confirms that the UK Government package will:

• Provide a needs-based factor in the Barnett formula to be set at 24% from 2024-25. This reflects the different levels of need in Northern Ireland and ensures Northern Ireland receives the right level of funding for its public services into the future;
• Stabilise public finances with over £1 billion of funding made available;
• Tackle the acute situation that the health service in Northern Ireland faces by providing £34 million for hospital waiting lists;
• Enable flexibilities on debt repayment to support management of general pressures;
• Provide funding in 2023-24 to help address public sector pay;
• Increase the spending power of the Executive to pave the way for transformation by repurposing over £700 million of existing and new UK Government funds; and,
• Increase the Northern Ireland Executive’s annual capital borrowing limit by 10% in 2024-25 which will then increase annually in line with inflation.

In addition, the UK Government has committed to open discussions with the Executive on a new Fiscal Framework for Northern Ireland.

The UK Government remains determined to support the Executive to unlock the opportunities that this package presents. The package therefore contains built in commitments to ensure progress at pace for the people of Northern Ireland. This includes publishing and implementing a plan to deliver sustainable finances –  including delivery of a balanced budget for 2024-25 by raising a minimum of £113 million through locally generated income as outlined in discussions in December- as well as publishing a comprehensive and costed long-term strategic infrastructure plan setting out priority areas for action and how it will support prosperity and growth. It will be for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine if they will consider a different course of action as part of their sustainability plan to deliver the public services that Northern Ireland needs.

Welcoming the letter, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said:

“This package tackles the immediate budget pressures facing the restored Executive and allows it to take action to rapidly stabilise public services, while increasing opportunities for investment and improved infrastructure.

“It also paves the way for vital transformation of public services, and will deliver well-deserved pay awards for public sector workers.

“It is now for the Northern Ireland Executive to use this significant financial package to take forward the vital work of public service transformation and the commitment to deliver sustainable finances –  ensuring better outcomes in the day to day lives of the people in Northern Ireland.”

For a summary of the financial settlement see Summary: Financial Settlement between the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive (PDF, 93.7 KB, 2 pages)