Sorcha Eastwood MP: written questions
297 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Local Growth Fund: Northern IrelandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106685More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help address changes to the level of funding for community and voluntary sector organisations in Northern Ireland during the transition fro
Answer: The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is working in close partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Executive designing an Investment Plan for delivery of the new Local Growth Fund. The Local Growth Fund r...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Growth Fund: Northern IrelandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will conduct an impact assessment of the transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to the Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland, including on the loss
Answer: The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is working in close partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Executive designing an Investment Plan for delivery of the new Local Growth Fund. The Local Growth Fund r...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Growth Fund: Northern IrelandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what engagement his Department has undertaken to date with community and voluntary sector organisations in Northern Ireland on the design and delivery of the Local Growth Fund, a
Answer: The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is working in close partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Executive designing an Investment Plan for delivery of the new Local Growth Fund. The Local Growth Fund r...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Growth Fund: Northern IrelandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106682More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to the Local Growth Fund on community and voluntary sector or
Answer: The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is working in close partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Executive designing an Investment Plan for delivery of the new Local Growth Fund. The Local Growth Fund r...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 14 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105967More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any forthcoming additional support announced for pubs in England to mitigate increases in business rates will result in Barnett consequentials for Northern Ireland.
Answer: Any Barnett consequentials for the Northern Ireland Executive resulting from policy changes will be confirmed at the relevant fiscal event.
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordOnline Safety Act 2023Department for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98640More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of Ofcom's performance in enforcing the Online Safety Act 2023.
Answer: Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety under the Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom is responsible for scrutinising platforms’ risk assessments, requiring appropriate safety mitigations, and enforcing safety duties where necessary.Suicide devasta...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: Children and Young PeopleDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98639More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with Ofcom on protecting children and young people online.
Answer: Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety under the Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom is responsible for scrutinising platforms’ risk assessments, requiring appropriate safety mitigations, and enforcing safety duties where necessary.Suicide devasta...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: RegulationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98638More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of Ofcom’s effectiveness in responding to harmful suicide, self-harm and depression-related content online.
Answer: Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety under the Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom is responsible for scrutinising platforms’ risk assessments, requiring appropriate safety mitigations, and enforcing safety duties where necessary.Suicide devasta...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Media: RegulationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98637More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of self-assessments provided by social media companies on risks of hosting suicide, self-harm and depression-related content in the co
Answer: Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety under the Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom is responsible for scrutinising platforms’ risk assessments, requiring appropriate safety mitigations, and enforcing safety duties where necessary.Suicide devasta...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones and Social Media: ChildrenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98091More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77809, whether her Department's report into the impact of smartphones and social media on children will be published before t
Answer: The department is developing the evidence base around children’s online safety, to ensure our policy response is informed by the best research.As part of this, DSIT commissioned a feasibility study into research on the impact of smartphones and social med...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97425More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential long-term economic impact of the proposed Agricultural Property Relief reforms on the viability of farm businesses where land has to be sold to meet inheritance tax liab
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce t...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97424More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed Agricultural Property Relief reforms on the level of productive farmland and food security; and whether she has consulted the Secretary of State for E
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce t...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97423More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed Agricultural Property Relief reforms on farms in Northern Ireland.
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce t...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97422More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on family farms which are passed to multiple children, including where land has t
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce t...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97421More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will define active farming for the purposes of proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief, including whether this includes farmers who work in partnership with successors, or who have partially stepped
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce t...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97420More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief on the economic viability of small and medium-sized farm, including farms of around 110 acres in size in N
Answer: The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce t...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade: Northern IrelandCabinet OfficeTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95494More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to update digital systems and guidance to reflect Northern Ireland’s trading position under the Windsor Framework.
Answer: The Government has announced £16.6 million to strengthen the UK internal market and help Northern Ireland boost trade with Great Britain. A comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ regulatory support service will help businesses trade across the UK and EU markets an...
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigration: Republic of IrelandHome OfficeTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95493More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her earned settlement proposals would apply to the family members of Irish citizens.
Answer: The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation. Full details on earned settlement will be finalised following the conclusion of that public consultation.
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade: Northern IrelandCabinet OfficeTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95492More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to update (a) digital systems and (b) guidance to reflect Northern Ireland’s trading position under the Windsor Framework.
Answer: The Government has announced £16.6 million to strengthen the UK internal market and help Northern Ireland boost trade with Great Britain. A comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ regulatory support service will help businesses trade across the UK and EU markets an...
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordVAT: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95491More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to help improve awareness and acceptance of XI VAT numbers among businesses outside Northern Ireland.
Answer: I refer the member to the answer given to UIN 95354 on 04 December 2025
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordVAT: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95354More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to improve awareness and acceptance of XI VAT numbers among businesses outside Northern Ireland.
Answer: HMRC has published guidance on GOV.UK setting out the requirements for any business trading in goods between the EU and Northern Ireland and the need for an XI VAT number.
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPostal Services: Northern IrelandTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95353More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for his policies of parcels from Northern Ireland being incorrectly flagged for EU customs checks due to UK-wide system defaults.
Answer: The Government introduced important new arrangements for the movement of parcels moving to and from Northern Ireland, ensuring that goods can continue to move smoothly between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.HMRC does not carry out routine customs chec...
Answered 5 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRoyal Mail: Northern IrelandDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95352More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has discussed with Royal Mail updating international addressing systems so that Northern Ireland can be selected as a distinct region.
Answer: International addressing systems are operational tools, owned and maintained by Royal Mail, with their primary purpose being to ensure the accurate sorting, routing and delivery of customers’ mail. Royal Mail keeps this under review for its purposes. Roya...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPostal Services: Northern IrelandDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95351More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has discussed with Royal Mail updating the international addressing systems so that Northern Ireland can be selected as a distinct region.
Answer: International addressing systems are operational tools, owned and maintained by Royal Mail, with their primary purpose being to ensure the accurate sorting, routing and delivery of customers’ mail. Royal Mail keeps this under review for its purposes. Roya...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordInternet: Northern IrelandDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95350More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure .eu and .ie domain registration systems recognise Northern Ireland as an eligible territory.
Answer: The eligibility criteria are not the responsibility of the UK Government, and we have made no such steps.
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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