Charlie Dewhirst MP: written questions

Written questions

• Northern Ireland Office: Government Communication ServiceNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24182More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2026 to Question 3763 and with reference to the Answer of of 19 January 2026 to Question 104195 on Government Communication Service: Staff, how many headcount staff in (a

  Answer: There are 17 communicators working across the Northern Ireland Office and its Arms Length bodies. All communicators are members of the Government Communication Service.

  Answered 9 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: MarketingNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24168More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4161, on Government departments: marketing, how much has been spent on branded goods and merchandise by (a) the department and (b) each of its Arm’s Leng

  Answer: The Northern Ireland Office does not use branded promotional merchandise with no expenditure recorded since the Government Chief Commercial Officer letter was sent. Information on branded goods and merchandise spent by its arm’s length bodies is not colla...

  Answered 10 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Special AdvisersNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24150More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, further to the answer of 3 June 2026, to Question 3339, on Special Advisers: Public Appointments, how many delivery advisers have been appointed to date, broken down by (a) special advisers, (b) Direct M

  Answer: A list of special advisers by department is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers which is laid in parliament. In respect of part (b) to (d), to date, no delivery advisers have been appointed within the Northern Ireland Office via D...

  Answered 15 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: EqualityNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24127More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what specific diversity and inclusion (a) days, (b) weeks and (c) months, were recognised and marked by (i) the department and (ii) each of its agencies, in the calendar year 2025.

  Answer: The Northern Ireland Office has a programme of activity guided by colleagues, which covers a range of topics through blog posts and information sessions. Subjects covered in 2025 were as follows: Mental Health Awareness Week, Black History Month, OCD awar...

  Answered 9 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: DatabasesNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24107More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, further to the answer of 22 June 2026, to Question 10189, on Databases: EU law, if they will list the data and reporting requirements that the department must make to the European Commission and its agen

  Answer: The UK and EU share information and data as part of our broader cooperation on trade, economy and security. The Northern Ireland Office does not share or transfer information and data outside of the United Kingdom. However, the UK acts in accordance with ...

  Answered 8 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Flint GlobalNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24088More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department’s (a) Permanent Secretary and (b) Ministers have had correspondence with Flint Global since July 2024.

  Answer: Since 2024, there has been no correspondence between Flint Global and Ministers or the Permanent Secretary.

  Answered 15 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: CommunicationNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24065More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what was the outturn spending by the department on communications, marketing and advertising in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

  Answer: The Northern Ireland Office publishes details of departmental spending over £25,000 on GOV.UK as part of its routine transparency data. A specific spend category for ‘Advertising, Marketing and Communications’ is available in these reports. This informati...

  Answered 10 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Unpaid WorkNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24047More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, further to the answer of 8 July 2026 to Question 14349 on Civil Service: Temporary Employment, if he will list each of the internship schemes that have been made available in the last 12 months through t

  Answer: The Northern Ireland Office has not recruited for any internship schemes in the last 12 months.

  Answered 8 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Industrial DisputesNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24027More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list each industrial dispute live within his Department, including the nature of the dispute and level of industrial action.

  Answer: There are currently no live industrial disputes within the Northern Ireland Office.

  Answered 10 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Facilities AgreementsNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 24005More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what was the total cost of facility time to the department in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26; and what was the headcount number of facility time staff in each; how many were 100% facility time;

  Answer: Direct financial support is not provided to trade unions by the Northern Ireland Office. Paid facility time is allowed only for statutory duties, such as accompanying members to formal meetings or taking part in collective bargaining, adhering to Cabinet ...

  Answered 8 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Remote WorkingNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 23983More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what is the percentage office workplace attendance requirement in each of the department’s offices, broken down by location; and whether attendance statistics are collated for each of those individual of

  Answer: The Northern Ireland Office follows the cross Civil Service expectation that all staff spend at least 60% of their time at a Government building or on official business, such as visiting stakeholders, unless they have an agreed workplace adjustment or oth...

  Answered 8 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Unpaid WorkNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 23962More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether any internship schemes managed by (a) his Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies are restricted to applicants on the basis of (i) ethnicity, (ii) social class and (iii) both.

  Answer: The Northern Ireland Office does not place any restrictions to applicants on the basis of ethnicity, social class and/or both. The Northern Ireland Office has not recruited for any internship schemes in the last 12 months.

  Answered 8 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Social MediaNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 23946More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department has spent on social media influencers since July 2024.

  Answer: Today’s media landscape is unrecognisable compared to even a decade ago, and the way the public receives information and communicates has changed drastically in this time. The Government has a duty to engage with the public where they are, using channels ...

  Answered 10 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: Senior Civil ServantsNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 23927More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in calendar year 2026 to date; in what specific venues; at what cost; and if there was any associated social or team-building activit

  Answer: During the calendar year 2026 to date, one Senior Civil Servant away day has taken place at Hillsborough Castle. No associated social or team-building activity was incurred at public expense. The total cost of the event was £3,898.

  Answered 15 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record
• Northern Ireland Office: BuildingsNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 23891More

  Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the percentage of desks provided for staff is as a proportion of the total number of assigned staff in his Department's (a) Northern Ireland and (b) London headquarters.

  Answer: It has been the practice of successive governments not to comment, on grounds of both national security and staff safety, on the physical capacity or staffing numbers for individual buildings of the government estate.

  Answered 8 Sept 2026

  Original Parliament record