Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what funding has been allocated to the work of the Expert Advisory Panel for public history of British policy during the Northern Ireland conflict; and whether the members of the Expert Advisory Panel are being paid.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Public History expert advisory panel is independent of Government. Its members are not paid to perform their roles. The panel will be reimbursed for associated costs, for example workshops and seminars in line with recommendations made in the Pilling Report 2009 and the panel’s terms of reference.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the informal implementation group for the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement set up with Sinn Féin is still in existence; and when it last met.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The group to which the Noble Baroness refers no longer exists.
Relevant documents relating to this issue are freely accessible in the National Archives at Kew, to which the Noble Baroness might wish to refer. The Government takes seriously its obligations under the Public Records Act 1958.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made in establishing and making operational the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery on 1 May, in particular with regard to (1) assuming responsibility for Northern Ireland Troubles reinvestigations from Operation Kenova and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and (2) replacing inquests.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As I set out in a Written Ministerial Statement on 17 April, I can confirm that the ICRIR’s operational functions will be commenced and the Commission will be able to receive requests and carry out reviews as planned on 1 May 2024 - the point at which the Legacy Act automatically ends current investigations and inquests. From this date, following a request in accordance with the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, the ICRIR will carry out reviews of Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries that occurred between 1966 and 1998.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the memorialisation strategy for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to the memorialisation measures set out in Part 4 of the Legacy Act and elsewhere. While our focus since Royal Assent of the Act has been on establishing the ICRIR, we know these wider measures are also essential to deliver for victims and families in Northern Ireland. Further to previous announcements on Public History and the project to digitise Troubles-related Government files, we will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which department will answer questions on matters relating to the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Consistent with responsibility for the Windsor Framework, the Cabinet Office is responsible for the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 overall. Any matters relating to the constitutional position of Northern Ireland or devolution would be for the Northern Ireland Office to answer.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Caine on 12 March (HL3032), to specify all the changes made to the protocol by the Windsor Framework; and whether Article 6 of the Acts of Union is affected by the protocol or the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government’s position on the Windsor Framework, and its interaction with Article 6 of the Acts of Union, is set out in full in the Command Papers of 27 February 2023 and 31 January 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Caine on 4 March and with regard to paragraphs 54 and 65 of the relevant Supreme Court judgment, whether they can confirm that the inconsistency between the Acts of Union and the protocol was not at issue before the Supreme Court because the Government did not lodge any cross appeal from the Court of Appeal’s decision that such inconsistency existed.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Supreme Court clearly set out in its judgement of 8 February 2023 the issues it considered and its reasoning for reaching the conclusions it did.
The Government’s consistent position on these matters is set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, which is that the Windsor Framework (which replaced the old Protocol) applies entirely consistently with Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the United Kingdom, including as expressed in the relevant statute today.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they submitted any cross appeal on the finding of the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal in the matter of an application by James Allister and others that the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland created an inconsistency with Article 6 of the Acts of Union.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In its judgement on appeal of this case on 8 February 2023, the Supreme Court did not make a specific determination on this point.
The Court rightly focused on the sovereignty of Parliament and affirmed, as Article Six of the Acts of Union itself recognised, ‘that it is the most fundamental rule of UK constitutional law’.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following publication of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper (CP 1021) on 31 January, when they intend to introduce legislation to fulfil the commitment in that paper to repeal all statutory duties relating to the 'all-island economy'.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I would refer the Noble Baroness to the answer I gave to Lord Dodds of Duncairn in response to WPQ UIN HL2621 on 23 February 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their Command Paper Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January, what changes will be made to Articles 5–10 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Command Paper ‘Safeguarding the Union’ builds on the progress under the Windsor Framework, strengthening the UK Internal Market and the Union into the long term. It remains the case that the decision as to whether Articles 5 to 10 of the Windsor Framework should continue to apply in Northern Ireland will be taken by the Northern Ireland Assembly later this year.