Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans she has for the form of further talks aimed at restoring devolution.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s statement to the House of 6 September set out our clear plan for restoring the Northern Ireland Executive as soon as possible. We intend to introduce primary legislation after the conference recess to provide for a limited and prescribed period in which there will be no legal requirement to set a date for a further election. Importantly, during this period, an Executive may be formed at any point without the requirement for further legislation. The Secretary of State will shortly be engaging in further discussions with the parties and the Irish Government, in accordance with the three stranded approach, with the intention of establishing a basis for moving into more formal political dialogue aimed at the restoration of the institutions. These discussions will also seek the views from the parties on when and how external facilitation could play a constructive role in the next round of talks.