Housing and homelessness policy and legislation are devolved matters. The Northern Ireland Executive is responsible for homelessness policy, legislation and services in Northern Ireland, including the development of its own homelessness strategies. MHCLG's homelessness strategy applies to England only.

We continue to engage with counterparts in the devolved administrations to share learning and discuss issues of common interest, including homelessness.

The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill will ensure a fair and transparent framework that gives all communities confidence in legacy processes and will allow victims, survivors and their families, including service families to obtain the answers they have long sought. Alongside this, we are putting in place robust, deliverable protections specifically designed to support the welfare of veterans, including protection from duplicating investigations.

This measure will ensure that the Legacy Commission and coroners conducting inquests will be required not to duplicate the work of any previous investigation or inquest unless doing so is essential, which is a very high threshold in law.

Prevent is part of CONTEST, the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, which aims to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK, its citizens and interests overseas. CONTEST addresses all forms of terrorism affecting the UK, except Northern Ireland-related terrorism (NIRT) in Northern Ireland, which is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland given the particular security context in Northern Ireland.

The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 placed Prevent on a statutory footing across Great Britain, and the Government keeps all aspects of counter-terrorism policy under review and continues to work closely with partners across the UK, including in Northern Ireland, to manage the threat from terrorism and support public safety.

Most recently, Youth Diversion Orders (YDOs), introduced in the Crime & Policing Bill, will offer a new counter-terrorism tool for police to manage the risks posed by young people involved in terrorism-related activity, including online. The new legislation will apply across the whole of the UK. Furthermore, alongside the Online Safety Act, the Home Office works to influence industry partners to increase action to tackle online content used to radicalise, recruit and incite terrorism by providing threat assessment, insight and support.

The Government has announced a cut in VAT on electricity bills to give millions of households breathing space on the cost of living. These changes to VAT apply and are funded for this winter (from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027).

The Windsor Framework provides the legal basis and mechanism for changes to VAT on goods in Northern Ireland, and the Government has begun discussions about with the European Union on applying this mechanism for these changes.

To ensure that households in Northern Ireland receive the same support as quickly as the rest of the UK, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive comparable funding to enable it to support households in Northern Ireland with the cost of living this winter.

The Government has announced a cut in VAT on electricity bills to give millions of households breathing space on the cost of living. These changes to VAT apply and are funded for this winter (from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027).

The Windsor Framework provides the legal basis and mechanism for changes to VAT on goods in Northern Ireland, and the Government has begun discussions about with the European Union on applying this mechanism for these changes.

To ensure that households in Northern Ireland receive the same support as quickly as the rest of the UK, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive comparable funding to enable it to support households in Northern Ireland with the cost of living this winter.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given on 5th August 2026 to UIN HL2396.

Since the Government's response to HL1217 on 30 June, further information on Northern Ireland arrangements has been published on GOV.UK. These arrangements include certain dedicated Tariff Rate Quotas that allow eligible steel products to move into Northern Ireland, and serve to protect UK-origin steel moving within the UK from tariffs. Further detail on moving steel to Northern Ireland is contained in the Steel Notice and Government has communicated these arrangements to industry, with support continuing to be available to traders through the Trader Support Service and HMRC.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland remains committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to discuss all issues of interest, including ensuring the stability of devolved government, with the aim of improving public services and the sustainability of public finances.

Several of the Northern Ireland parties have set out proposals for reform and the Secretary of State looks forward to discussing them further.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recognises the growing discussion among the people in Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland parties, about how the political institutions could work more effectively and collaboratively.

The UK Government remains open to discussing any proposals put forward by the parties that could command the widest possible support.

The Irish Government is a valued partner and co-signatory to the Good Friday Agreement. We remain in regular dialogue on a range of issues, through established fora.

Despite the recent disorder, and the security incidents in Belfast, Lurgan and Dunmurry, the Northern Ireland Related Terrorism (NIRT) in Northern Ireland threat level remains SUBSTANTIAL, following its reduction in March 2024.

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre keeps the Threat Level from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism in Northern Ireland under constant review and formally reviews it twice a year.

I wish to recognise the tremendous efforts of the PSNI and security partners, who work day in, day out to keep our communities safe.

Intertrade UK plays a vital role as an advisory body supporting intra-UK trade and strengthening the UK internal market. The Government continues to value Intertrade UK’s written advice on a wide range of internal market trade issues which it has provided consistently since becoming operational in 2025.

Intertrade UK was awarded £2.25m of funding to be split evenly over three financial years at the Autumn 2025 Budget, and is now implementing the first year of its work programme. The UK Government looks forward to seeing Intertrade UK implement the events and research elements of its programme throughout the rest of this year.

The Government is committed to retaining Part 4 of the Legacy Act, which includes the oral history and other measures stemming from the Stormont House Agreement.

The full implementation of Part 4 was difficult in the challenging context created by the Legacy Act’s other provisions, which were widely opposed by all Northern Ireland political parties, victims’ groups and key stakeholders. That is why this Government’s focus has necessarily been on addressing the problems with the Legacy Act by ensuring a reformed and strengthened Legacy Commission can deliver for victims. This in turn will create the space for Part 4 measures to make a meaningful impact.

While preliminary work on these measures continues, progress has been made on two related initiatives: an Official History relating to the Troubles, and a project to digitise and make freely available online Troubles-related records held by The National Archives. A first batch of approximately 1,000 records was published in April 2026 and we expect further announcements on these projects in the near future.

There have been no changes to duty free allowances between the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

Duty free allowances do not apply for travellers from the EU arriving in Northern Ireland. The enforcement controls required at the border to facilitate such allowances would run counter to the shared ambitions of the UK and the EU set out in the Windsor Framework and the principle of the frictionless movement of people and goods between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Travellers from the Netherlands to Northern Ireland are not treated differently to travellers arriving in Northern Ireland from any other member state.

Travellers can bring in for their personal use an unlimited quantity of goods from any EU member state into Northern Ireland without paying UK duties and taxes on arrival.

There are no duty free allowances between any member state of the EU and Northern Ireland. Travellers can bring in for their personal use an unlimited quantity of goods from any EU member state into Northern Ireland without paying UK duties and taxes on arrival.

For goods brought into Great Britain from a member state of the EU by a traveller for their personal use, duty free allowances apply.

The Government is committed to minimising the impact of the EU’s removal of its low value import (LVI) relief for businesses and consumers in Northern Ireland.

LVIs that are considered ‘not at risk’ will not face the new EU customs duty on LVI goods. As a result of the Windsor Framework arrangements, we estimate that c.99% of parcel movements into Northern Ireland, including low value imports, fall into this ‘not at risk’ category.

A small number of LVIs may be considered ‘at risk’ and subject to the applicable rate of EU duty. This will include business to consumer parcels that are not eligible to move under the UK Carrier Scheme, such as goods subject to sanctions, and business parcels that are not eligible to benefit from the UK Internal Market Scheme. In these cases, businesses can continue to claim waivers or reliefs through the usual means.

The processes for moving goods into Northern Ireland and the facilitations under the Windsor Framework are unaffected by the EU’s change to Low Value Imports.

The Government remains committed to an independent and objective examination of UK Government policy in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and progress continues to be made. Supported by the project’s independent expert advisory panel, the recruitment of a team of historians is now in its final stages, and we expect to make further announcements on this in the near future. The total budget for the project is £3.6 million over its life cycle. The estimated timetable for completion is five years.

This Government continues to support Northern Ireland within the Union. We remain focused on delivering real, tangible benefits of the Union for everyone in Northern Ireland. This includes delivering economic growth in every postcode, providing practical support for families in Northern Ireland and across the UK, and working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive for the benefit of the people of Northern Ireland.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided on 14 July (HL1786), which outlines how the referenced commitment is embedded throughout the continued work of the Government.

The implementation of several Government strategies have been accompanied by the publication of Northern Ireland-specific papers that evidence the mutual benefits of the Union and include long-term plans to support specific sectors. For instance, the launch of the Industrial Strategy in June 2025 was complemented by the publication of a Northern Ireland-specific paper. This paper analysed the Northern Ireland industrial sector, identified the key areas that add significant value to the UK as a whole, and outlined the long-term plan to support and grow the sector.

Through this approach, the Government is moving beyond high-level commitments to deliver tangible results that demonstrate the mutual benefits of Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.

In accordance with the Good Friday Agreement and the Principle of Consent, Northern Ireland will remain part of the UK for as long as its people wish for it to be.

There is no clear basis to suggest that a majority of people in Northern Ireland presently wish to separate from the United Kingdom.

As set out in the Northern Ireland Act 1998, the duty to call such a poll rests with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland alone.