Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill

Debate between Baroness Winterton of Doncaster and Chris Heaton-Harris

2nd reading
Wednesday 22nd February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

The former Secretary of State has, in his own words, described the seriousness with which everyone takes Northern Ireland and its politics, and especially its people—and those people in Northern Ireland want their locally elected representatives to go back to work. So do I, and so, I believe, does everyone in the House, notwithstanding the tiny bit of work that we have to do with our European Union partners. This Bill will lay the groundwork for that to happen, and I therefore commend it to the House.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton)]

May I add my own warm welcome to our very special guest Dáithí and his family?

I now call the shadow Secretary of State.

Omagh Bombing

Debate between Baroness Winterton of Doncaster and Chris Heaton-Harris

Thursday 2nd February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind words. As we have seen in previous exchanges at oral questions and in other places, he cares passionately about these matters for all the right reasons and has more than a passing interest in them. I enjoyed meeting him recently to talk about issues in the Bill and I hope that we can continue those discussions, because it is fully my intention to improve it so that I can stand here, when it returns to the Commons, and answer all the points that have been made, knowing, hand on heart, that I am doing the right thing.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton)]

I thank the Secretary of State for his statement.