Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much it has cost so far to defend the legal case brought against them that argue that the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland breaches the Acts of Union.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As at 15 December 2022, the Government has spent £114,691.00 on fees associated with the legal challenges of Clifford Peeples and Jim Allister and others. This does not include the work done in relation to the Supreme Court process, as these fees have not yet been processed.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the Minister of State for Northern Ireland has stayed overnight in Northern Ireland since his appointment.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Since his appointment by the Prime Minister in October, the Minister of State has undertaken six official overnight visits to Northern Ireland. My Noble Friend will be pleased to note that the Minister travels frequently on official business.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland, and (2) the relationship between the IRA Army Council and Sinn Féin.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
An Assessment of Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland was commissioned in 2015 by the UK Government in order to provide a factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the PSNI on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland.
The Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) was established to report on progress towards ending paramilitary activity connected with Northern Ireland, and to report on and inform the implementation of the NI Executive’s Action Plan for Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality and Organised Crime. The Fourth Report of the IRC is available here:
It is a matter of public record that the structures of a number of paramilitary groups still exist in Northern Ireland - that includes the Provisional IRA.
The IRA, including the Provisional IRA, remains a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000. Where any criminality exists, I am clear that it should be dealt with fully by the police.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of progress on the commitments in the New Decade, New Approach agreement on the York Street Interchange scheme.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The New Decade, New Approach deal helped to restore a fully functioning Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive in January 2020. A key priority for the Executive was to begin the urgent task of strengthening public services and delivering essential infrastructure projects, including the York Street Interchange. In 2020, an assurance review into the scheme was commissioned. Following the reporting of the review in 2021, the Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister asked for further work to be undertaken on the project proposals to maximise ambition on what can be delivered for connectivity and communities.
Delivering essential infrastructure projects including York Street Interchange is, of course, primarily a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. The Government will encourage all parties to form an Executive as soon as possible following the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May.
The Government’s priority is for a strong, functioning Executive delivering a better, more prosperous, shared future for the people of Northern Ireland. To support this priority, the Government has provided the NI Executive with £15 billion per year over the next three years. This is the largest funding settlement for Northern Ireland since devolution and highlights once again the strength and security that Northern Ireland gains from being an integral part of the world’s fifth largest economy.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) support for, and (2) framing of the debate around, terrorists involved in the Troubles in Northern Ireland; and what steps they are taking to work with (a) communities in Northern Ireland, (b) the political representatives of those communities, and (c) representatives of victims of the Troubles, to reduce tensions and aid reconciliation.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government remains committed to addressing the legacy of the past in a way that focuses on reconciliation and helping society in Northern Ireland look to the future. Since the publication of the Government’s Command Paper in July, we have engaged bilaterally and multilaterally with stakeholders from Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland on our legacy proposals - including political parties, victims groups and other representatives from across the Northern Ireland community.
The Government continues to engage and reflect on the many different perspectives we have heard, while being clear that we will never accept any equivalence between those who perpetrated violence in Northern Ireland, and those who sought to uphold the law or abide by it.
The Government also continues to invest in social development across Northern Ireland, strengthening social cohesion and building stronger, safer communities, including through the £730 million PEACE PLUS programme announced in September 2021 to support economic stability, peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 14 July (HC Deb, cols 389–91) on prosecutions relating to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, what assessment they have made of the implications of their proposals for (1) Operation Kenova, and (2) any referrals for prosecution to the Public Prosecution Service arising from its investigations.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government recognises the positive achievements of Operation Kenova in terms of building relationships with victims and survivors, and helping them to understand the circumstances around what happened to their loved ones.
However, it is clear that with the passage of time, the chances of successful prosecution from even the most robust of investigations is vanishingly small.
That is why, as outlined in the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s oral statement of 14 July and in the command paper published afterwards, the Government wants to move away from a focus on criminal justice outcomes - which is delivering for nobody - and instead focus on effective information recovery and reconciliation measures.
The Government’s proposals are intended to inform ongoing intensive engagement with the Irish Government, Northern Ireland parties and other stakeholders with an interest in this issue. All elements of these proposals - including their practical application - are subject to ongoing consideration and discussion.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government in which areas (1) the European Parliament, or (2) the European Council, are co-legislators for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government do not recognise the concept of a co-legislator. The legislatures for Northern Ireland are the Assembly and the Houses of Parliament. The Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol gives effect to a limited group of technical EU legal rules considered necessary to facilitate trade and the movement of agrifoods.
The Protocol provides for forums in which forthcoming legislation can be discussed, including whether new areas of law should be applied. New pieces of EU legislation that amend or replace acts referred to in the Protocol are notified to the Joint Consultative Working Group. New EU legislation that is within the scope of the Protocol but does not amend or replace acts listed in the Annexes of the Protocol, does not apply unless there is a Joint Committee decision to add the new act.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which organisations are proscribed under Schedule 2 to the Terrorism Act 2000 due to their association with terrorism in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As set out under Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and published on gov.uk, the following groups linked to Northern Ireland Related Terrorism are proscribed:
Continuity Army Council
Cumann na mBan
Fianna na hEireann
Irish National Liberation Army
Irish People's Liberation Organisation
Irish Republican Army
Loyalist Volunteer Force
Orange Volunteers
Red Hand Commando
Red Hand Defenders
Saor Eire
Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Freedom Fighters
Ulster Volunteer Force
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive about the financing of the victims' pension scheme.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly meets with NI Executive Ministers about a range of issues, including funding for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Scheme. He met with Executive Ministers on 23 February and on 7 April about this specific issue, and he has written to the NI Executive offering access to NDNA funds that will help the Executive manage the cost of the scheme.
The UK Government welcomes the undertaking given to the Court on 12 April that the Executive will make the necessary funding available to ensure eligible victims receive the payments to which they are legally entitled.
There is nothing now standing in the way of the Executive delivering the scheme as set out in legislation, and we will continue to prioritise supporting the Executive’s delivery of this scheme.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the National Infrastructure Commission about infrastructure development in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Prime Minister announced the Union Connectivity Review on 3 October 2020. The review, which is chaired by Sir Peter Hendy CBE, aims to support the Government's work to build a stronger, fairer economy for the future by establishing how the quality and availability of transport infrastructures can support economic growth and quality of life across the whole of the UK. The review is considering transport connectivity between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland via road, rail and air, and across the Irish Sea.
Sir Peter Hendy is being supported by an advisory panel of experts, which includes a Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission. The terms of reference for the review also ask Sir Peter to consult widely with relevant government agencies, including the National Infrastructure Commission, alongside the devolved administrations, local authorities and their infrastructure commissions.
The Union Connectivity Review interim report was published on 10 March 2021 and the final report will be published in the summer. The Government will carefully consider the report and recommendations.