Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government at what point in the discussions in Northern Ireland on the restoration of a devolved administration they will introduce direct rule from Westminster.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Government’s focus now is on the re-establishment of inclusive devolved government in Northern Ireland. This is clearly in line with what the people of Northern Ireland voted for in the Assembly elections in March 2017.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been clear that if we do not see resolution shortly the UK Government will need to take some tough decisions in the coming months. This would include, but not be limited to, setting a budget in Northern Ireland, responding to the Reaney recommendations on MLA pay, considering the prospect of a further election and ultimately other arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the failure of the political parties in Northern Ireland to reach an agreement on the restoration of a devolved administration, what assessment they have made of the introduction of direct rule for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Government’s focus now is on the re-establishment of inclusive devolved government in Northern Ireland. This is clearly in line with what the people of Northern Ireland voted for in the Assembly elections in March 2017.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been clear that if we do not see resolution shortly the UK Government will need to take some tough decisions in the coming months. This would include, but not be limited to, setting a budget in Northern Ireland, responding to the Reaney recommendations on MLA pay, considering the prospect of a further election and ultimately other arrangements.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the introduction of an amnesty for crimes committed during the Northern Ireland Troubles.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The Government has repeatedly made clear that we remain committed to the implementation of the legacy institutions in the Stormont House Agreement which provide the best way to address Northern Ireland’s past in a way that is fair, balanced and proportionate.
This Government has always held the view that amnesties are not the right approach and believes that justice should be pursued but acknowledges that others have different views on the best way forward.
We have a duty to victims and survivors to come forward with proposals to address the legacy of the past. The Government believes that the next phase is to consult publicly. A public consultation would provide everyone with an interest the opportunity to see the proposals and contribute to the discussion on the issues.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their definition of a victim for the purpose of legacy issues arising out of the Northern Ireland Troubles.
Answered by Lord Duncan of Springbank
The definition of a victim is laid down in legislation (Victims and Survivors (NI) Order 2006) which is now the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to deal with issues connected with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland should political parties there fail to reach agreement on the formation of an Executive.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
As set out in the Government’s General Election manifesto we are committed to the implementation of the legacy bodies in the Stormont House Agreement. Much progress has been made on taking these forward and the next phase is to move to public consultation. Following developments in the recent talks, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is reflecting carefully on the next steps for taking forward the legacy consultation.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the governing of Northern Ireland in the event of failure to reach an agreement in the present inter-party talks conducted by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Dunlop
We remain focused on securing the resumption of devolved government in Northern Ireland. However in its absence it is ultimately for the UK Government to provide for political stability and good governance in Northern Ireland. If talks fail in their objectives and no agreement is reached following the Easter recess, we will have to consider a range of options. The Government has, however, been clear that when considering the options available, any form of joint authority would be incompatible with the consent principle committed to in the 1998 Belfast Agreement.
As the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on 28 March, at a minimum we would seek to bring forward legislation to set a regional rate to enable collection of the rates to go ahead, and to take steps to provide further assurance around the budget for Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are satisfied that the current numerical strength of the Police Service of Northern Ireland is adequate to meet current demands.
Answered by Lord Dunlop
Staffing levels in the Police Service of Northern Ireland are a matter for the Chief Constable and PSNI’s budget is provided by the Department of Justice. However, we will always give our fullest possible backing to the men and women of the PSNI who do such a superb job. That is partly why this Government has provided specific Additional Security Funding totalling £230million in the last parliament and committed a further £160m in the current parliament.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government to what extent the Northern Ireland Executive will be involved in any proposals to alter the status of the land border between the UK and the EU.
Answered by Lord Dunlop
As the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have made clear, in putting into effect the decision of the people of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union the Government wants to ensure that the unique interests of Northern Ireland are protected. This is particularly the case in relation to the land border with the Republic of Ireland. In so doing we will engage fully with the Northern Ireland Executive.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current assessment of the significance of the possible changes in the status of the land border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for commercial life in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Dunlop
The open border for people and businesses has served us well and no-one wants to see a return to the borders of the past. There is a strong will – within this Government, among the Northern Ireland parties and in the Irish Government – to preserve the common travel area and to ensure we get the right deal for trade in goods and services with the European Union. We must now focus on securing a deal that is in the interest of both of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Eames (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider publishing the papers on legacy issues shared by the parties during the recent Stormont House discussions.
Answered by Lord Dunlop
The UK Government is committed to establishing the legacy bodies set out in the Stormont House Agreement. We are considering whether further drafting or documentation should be published as part of an engagement process on how to move forward on this issue.