Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Economic Impact of Government Policies

Wednesday 7 January 2026 · 1 question

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Jerome Mayhew asked about the potential impact of Government policies on Northern Ireland's economy.
  • The Minister responded that Northern Ireland has the lowest unemployment rate in the UK.
  • Economic growth in Northern Ireland outpaced the rest of the UK in the year ending the second quarter of 2025.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jerome Mayhew Con Broadland and Fakenham
Economy Northern Ireland
Context

The question arises from concerns about the economic policies' effectiveness in Northern Ireland, especially regarding productivity and support for workers, families, and businesses.

Question

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Government policies on the economy in Northern Ireland?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Hilary Benn)

Northern Ireland’s economy is one of the strongest of any part of the United Kingdom: it has the lowest unemployment and its economic growth outpaced the rest of the UK in the year ending the second quarter of 2025. That performance is being supported by this Government’s policies, including significant investment in economic development and a record settlement for the Executive.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary did not address the specific concerns about lagging productivity or meaningful support for workers, families, and businesses raised by Jerome Mayhew.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)