Government's Legislative Programme (Northern Ireland)

Friday 20th December 2019 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Julian Smith)]

The Government’s legislative programme for the first Session was outlined by Her Majesty on Thursday 19 December. This statement provides a summary of the programme and its application to Northern Ireland. It does not include draft Bills, Law Commission Bills or Finance Bills.

The Government are committed to delivering for all its citizens, wherever they live—the nations of the United Kingdom are safer, stronger and more prosperous when working together. The legislative programme therefore contains important reforms to domestic issues that will benefit people across the Union, as well as legislation that will allow the United Kingdom to seize the opportunities afforded by the exit from the European Union.

The Government’s priority in Northern Ireland is the restoration of the Executive at the earliest opportunity. Northern Ireland has now been without devolved government since January 2017. In that time, we have seen hospital waiting lists get longer, public services deteriorate, and frustration in Northern Ireland grow at the lack of an Executive. Talks to restore the institutions of the Belfast (Good Friday) agreement resumed on Monday 16 December. The talks are being held in accordance with the well-established three-stranded principle. This is the overriding priority for both the UK Government and the Irish Government. So the UK Government, working closely with the Irish Government in the normal way, will continue to intensify our efforts to put forward compromise solutions to the parties.

In the absence of an Executive, the Government are committed to taking action to ensure good governance in Northern Ireland, including, where necessary, through legislative measures.

The following Bills contained in the programme are likely to extend to Northern Ireland:

Agriculture Bill

Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Bill

Armed Forces (Legal Protections) Bill

Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill

Building Safety Bill

Counter Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) Bill

Domestic Abuse Bill

Employment Bill

Environment Bill

European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill

Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Bill

Fisheries Bill

Financial Services Bill

Health Service Safety Investigations Bill

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (European Union Withdrawal) Bill

Online Harms Bill

Medicines and Medical Devices Bill

National Security and Investment Bill

Pension Schemes Bill

Private International Law (Implementation of Agreements) Bill

Sentencing (Pre-consolidation Amendments) Bill

Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill

Telecommunications (Connectivity) Bill

Thomas Cook Compensation Bill

Trade Bill

Windrush (Compensation Scheme) Bill

In the absence of a devolved Assembly and Executive, we will continue to work constructively with Northern Ireland Departments to deliver legislation which has effect in Northern Ireland. Should the devolved institutions be restored then, in line with the Sewel convention and associated practices, the Government will work constructively with the Northern Ireland Executive to secure the legislative consent of the Northern Ireland Assembly where appropriate.

[HCWS10]