Northern Ireland Office
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The Northern Ireland Office (or NIO) is a department of the government, 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.
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[edit] Ministerial team
The current ministers (along with their primary responsibilities) at the NIO are:<ref>Media Centre - Ministerial Team. www.nio.gov.uk. Northern Ireland Office. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.</ref>
- 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
- Political development and criminal justice
- Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
- Department of Finance and Personnel
- Department for Social Development
- 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 Enviroment
- 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
[edit] References
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