Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
What progress he has made on bringing forward legislative proposals on dealing with legacy issues in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Robin Walker
This Government has been clear that it will bring forward legislation to address the legacy of the Troubles that focuses on reconciliation, delivers for victims, and ends the cycle of investigations that is not working for anyone.
While the challenges presented by the pandemic have affected progress, work on this - including engagement with key stakeholders - continues to take place, and we remain committed to moving forward as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 15 January 2020, Official Report, column 1020, what the Government's definition is of vexatious prosecutions; and how legislative proposals will prevent vexatious or unfair prosecutions of veterans who served in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Julian Smith
The Government is committed to reforming the current legacy system in Northern Ireland in a way which provides reconciliation for victims and greater certainty for veterans. Nobody who has served in our armed forces should be subject to unfair prosecution in cases where no new evidence has been provided.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what date the next British Irish Intergovernmental Conference is scheduled to take place.
Answered by Karen Bradley
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 26 March 2019 (UIN 235262). At the last meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in November 2018, the UK and Irish Governments agreed to hold another meeting in the spring of 2019.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when she plans to lay before the House the relevant measures to extend the period under which the duty to call an Assembly election is removed as outlined in the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018.
Answered by Karen Bradley
I laid the statutory instrument that extended the period for Executive formation on 21 March. It came into force on 25 March and, as a made affirmative instrument, it will be subject to a debate and vote in Parliament in due course.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will publish who (a) she and (b) Ministers of her Department have met in meetings and engagements over the last 14 months; and if she will also publish on what dates those meetings were held.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The Government is committed to publishing details of ministers’ meetings with external organisations on a quarterly basis. Publications for the Northern Ireland Office can be found on Gov.UK.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what her planned timeframe is for the next British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.
Answered by Karen Bradley
At the last meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in November 2018, the two Governments agreed to hold another meeting in the spring of 2019.