Northern Ireland Office

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Northern Ireland
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Assembly Members • Acts Elections: 1998 - 2003 - 2007 Northern Ireland Executive First & Deputy First Minister Departments and agencies Local Government Courts of Northern Ireland
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom Parliament Committees: Affairs - Grand Members: Commons - Lords Elections: 2005 United Kingdom Government Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State • Direct Rule
Organisations
British-Irish Council Electoral Commission North/South Ministerial Council
See also
Belfast Agreement (1998) St Andrews Agreement (2006) Elections in Northern Ireland Constituencies • Political parties
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The Northern Ireland Office (or NIO) is a department of HM Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for Northern Ireland affairs. The NIO is led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, currently Peter Hain. The NIO, based at Stormont, currently has all responsibility for the direction and control of the Northern Ireland Departments. If and when the power is again devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Northern Ireland Executive will assume these responsibilities. If the Assembly sits, the NIO would still maintain control over various non-devolved functions.

Present rule of Northern Ireland through the NIO in lieu of the Northern Ireland Executive is referred to as direct rule.

Contents 1 Ministerial team 2 Executive agencies 3 See also 4 References 5 External link

[edit] Ministerial team

The current ministers (along with their primary responsibilities) at the NIO are:^[1]

• Secretary of State for Northern Ireland — The Rt Hon Peter Hain, MP

Overall direction and control of the department

Responsibility for the overall conduct of the Northern Ireland political process

Responsibility for non-devolved matters which remain under the remit of the UK government

• Minister of State — The Rt. Hon David Hanson, MP

Political development and criminal justice

Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

Department of Finance and Personnel

Department for Social Development

• Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State — Paul Goggins, MP

Security, policing and prisons

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

• Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister for Children — Maria Eagle, MP

Department for Employment and Learning

Department of Education

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment

Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure

• Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State — David Cairns, MP

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Department of the Environment

Department for Regional Development

Although no longer a Minister with the department (he was previously Minister for Children), The Lord Rooker remains the Government's chief spokesman on Northern Ireland affairs in the House of Lords, along with The Baroness Farrington.

[edit] Executive agencies

The following executive agencies report to ministers within the Northern Ireland Office.

• The Compensation Agency
• Forensic Science Northern Ireland
• The Northern Ireland Prison Service
• The Youth Justice Agency

[edit] See also

• Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
• Northern Ireland Assembly
• Northern Ireland Executive

[edit] References

1. ^ Media Centre - Ministerial Team. www.nio.gov.uk. Northern Ireland Office. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.

[edit] External link

• Northern Ireland Office