Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) when the next meeting of the British-Irish Council will take place; and (2) what will be the subjects for discussion.

The 34th British-Irish Council Heads of Administration Summit was due to take place in June 2020 hosted by the Scottish Government. In light of the unprecedented circumstances created by the Covid-19 situation, which has affected all eight of the Council’s Member Administrations, the Summit was postponed.

It is anticipated that the next summit will take place in late 2020, in keeping with the usual pattern. Discussions between the member administrations on the agenda, theme and form are ongoing. Arrangements will be informed by the latest public health advice at the time.

UK Government officials continue to remain active in progressing the work of the Council through remote working and virtual meetings across the 11 work sectors.