Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to remove the Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to the Windsor Framework and to protecting the UK internal market. In accordance with the law, the Government last month initiated the consent vote process in the Northern Ireland Assembly so that it may make its democratic decision on the continued application of Articles 5-10 of the Windsor Framework. The outcome of that vote is a matter for MLAs to decide.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had any discussions with the government of the Republic of Ireland regarding whether it plans to send Garda to the border between the Republic of Ireland and the UK.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Tánaiste last spoke about this issue on 1 May, and the Tánaiste confirmed there would be no deployment of officers from An Garda Síochána to the Northern Ireland/Ireland border.
During this exchange, both UK and Irish Governments confirmed their commitment to the Common Travel Area and are focused on securing its external border.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland to encourage them to hold a public inquiry into the Omagh Bombing.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
We all remember vividly where we were when we heard the news of that awful atrocity in August 1998, and I pay tribute to Michael Gallagher and the other Omagh families who have pursued their case with great dignity and tenacity.
The Government is doing everything in its power to ensure that the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, under the expert guidance of Lord Turnbull, provides answers. Along with the significant powers provided to it under the Inquiries Act 2005, the Inquiry will need the cooperation of Irish agencies to be as effective as possible.
I raised this directly with the Irish Foreign Minister and Tánaiste at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on Monday 29 April, and I am pleased that he committed to full Irish Government co-operation with the Omagh bombing inquiry. The Government’s focus is on ensuring that the inquiry has every chance of success, and the Irish Government’s role in that is crucial.
At the last two British-Irish Intergovernmental Conferences, the Secretary of State and I pressed the Irish Government to cooperate fully with both the Omagh inquiry and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to provide information for victims and families who desire it. The Secretary of State also wrote to the Tánaiste in January, challenging the Irish Government’s own approach to addressing legacy issues, including the number of Troubles-related prosecutions brought in Ireland since April 1998.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland about (1) recognising any historic role it may have had in the forming, funding and training of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and (2) how it may have dealt with terrorist activity during the Troubles.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
It is clear that the Irish Government has legitimate questions to answer regarding its record of dealing with legacy matters in its own jurisdiction. The coroner in the Kingsmill Inquest found, “the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland was “exploited by terrorists” and allowed for “… planning, training, organisation, weapons storage and retreat at a safe physical and legal distance from the authorities that would be faced with investigating terrorist acts in Northern Ireland”.
It is clear that, for many families, effective information recovery will also require the cooperation of the Irish Government and its agencies. The Government continues to encourage the Irish Government to cooperate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery to help facilitate the provision of information to families who request it, including most recently at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 29 April 2024.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland concerning the coroner’s findings on the 1976 shooting in Kingsmill.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
The Kingsmill massacre is an appalling example of the pain and suffering inflicted by the Provisional IRA during the Troubles. The families have fought for many decades to get information and accountability from those responsible. The Government hopes that the findings delivered by the coroner have brought some form of comfort to the families affected.
The coroner, in his findings, expressed gratitude for the assistance the inquest received from the Irish authorities. It is the Government’s view, however, that such cooperation should not be limited to high-profile cases. It is disappointing that the Irish Government has, to date, declined to commit to cooperating with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery to help facilitate the provision of information to families who request it. The Government continues to encourage the Irish Government to cooperate with the ICRIR, just as it has done in the Kingsmill inquest and Operation Denton.
I made these points directly to the Irish Government at the most recent meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 29 April.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the judgment of the High Court in Northern Ireland on 28 February, whether they will proceed with implementation of the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
We remain committed to implementing the Legacy Act and delivering the ICRIR to provide better outcomes for victims and survivors of the Troubles by giving them more information about what happened to their loved ones.
The Government has considered all aspects of the judgment, including those in relation to Article 2 of the Windsor Framework. The Government has considered all aspects of the judgment, and is applying for an appeal with the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to make cross-community consent mandatory in all Stormont decisions.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
The principle of cross-community consent applies to matters for which the Northern Ireland Assembly is responsible. Trade is not one of those matters. This approach is entirely compatible with the Belfast Agreement.
We remain fully committed to the Agreement which ensures that the future of Northern Ireland is decided by the democratically expressed wishes of the people of Northern Ireland and reaffirms our commitment to the principle of consent.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what active steps they have taken to promote Northern Ireland’s position within the UK.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
As the Government’s Northern Ireland manifesto at the last elections stated clearly: “As Conservatives and Unionists, the preservation of a secure and prosperous United Kingdom is our overriding goal. That is why we will never be neutral in expressing our support for the Union and Northern Ireland’s place within it”. Northern Ireland benefits immensely from being part of the United Kingdom while the United Kingdom as a whole is stronger and better together.
This Government firmly believes the Union is strongest when all its people can see and feel its benefits in their everyday lives. Northern Ireland benefits hugely from being an integral part of the world’s sixth largest economy.
The financial advantages of being in the Union can be clearly seen in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, for example through the range of tax measures announced such as full expensing, that will help support local businesses. The National Insurance cut, combined with the increase in the National Living Wage, will mean a pay boost for nearly one million people in Northern Ireland. From January, 800,000 workers in Northern Ireland will benefit from £311 back into their pocket due to the National Insurance cut. The Belfast area has recently secured £3.8 million UK Government funding to become one of the UK’s 10 5G Innovation Regions which will benefit local creative industries, advanced manufacturing, and transport and logistics.
The UK Government was also proud to host the Northern Ireland Investment Summit, showcasing the opportunities across Northern Ireland for global investment, and highlighting the benefits of the Windsor Framework. This Government governs for the whole of the country, ensuring that the Union delivers for all citizens across every part of the UK.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland concerning long waiting lists for cancer treatment and operations.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
The Government is acutely aware of the pressures facing the health service in Northern Ireland, including on cancer treatment.
A fully functioning devolved government is the best way to deliver the necessary reforms to transform healthcare and cut waiting lists. That is why the Government is doing all it can to restore the Executive as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has introduced appropriate measures to protect the delivery of all public services and my officials continue to engage regularly with the Northern Ireland Department of Health.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to protect Northern Ireland's constitutional position within the UK in any agreement they have with the EU on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
There has never been a question over Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the UK as a result of the Northern Ireland Protocol. The Protocol also makes clear that Northern Ireland remains part of the UK internal market and customs area.
However, I fully acknowledge that the Protocol, in its current form, is causing real problems in Northern Ireland. The Belfast Agreement requires both Unionists and Nationalists to be part of a power-sharing Government, but the Protocol is acting as a barrier to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and a functioning assembly. There is also trade disruption, significant costs and bureaucracy for traders and areas where people in Northern Ireland have not been able to benefit fully from the same advantages as those in the rest of the United Kingdom.
That is why the Government is engaging in constructive dialogue with the EU to find solutions to these problems while proceeding with legislation, which aims to fix the practical problems the Protocol has created. At the core of the solutions, we will ensure the integrity of all parts of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland’s position within it.