Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Wednesday 24th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)]

1. What recent progress has been made on implementation of the Stormont House Agreement; and if she will make a statement.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

4. What progress has been made on implementation of the Stormont House Agreement.

[Suella Fernandes (Fareham) (Con)]

11. What progress has been made on implementation of the Stormont House Agreement.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mrs Villiers]

An important part of the financial package offered by the UK Government under the Stormont House agreement includes £500 million to support shared and integrated education as a crucial means of building reconciliation in Northern Ireland. The financial package is of course contingent on the Stormont House agreement being implemented. The UK Government think this is one of the main reasons why we need to press ahead with the welfare provisions and the sustainable budget. It would be a huge setback for Northern Ireland to lose the rest of the Stormont House agreement, including the valuable funding for shared and integrated education.

[Andrew Stephenson]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the implementation of the Stormont House agreement is the only way to get things back on track in Northern Ireland, and that the Government should continue to do all they can to achieve that?

[Mrs Villiers]

I do agree. We are working hard and the Executive are making a degree of progress with a number of their obligations under the agreement, but it is vital that welfare reform, which was agreed in Stormont Castle and Stormont House, is implemented. It is a good deal for Northern Ireland. The reformed system provides real help for vulnerable people and rewards work. It is a better system than the one it replaces. Under Stormont Castle, the five political parties agreed top-ups from the block grant that would give Northern Ireland the most generous welfare system in the United Kingdom.