Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick Excerpts

Tuesday 7th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Sir Oliver Heald]

My hon. Friend makes an important point about the way in which the process should work, and it has been the aim of the reforms to achieve that, but I am happy to discuss the issue further with him.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

Does the Secretary of State recognise that current human rights legislation adheres minimally to the provisions contained in the Good Friday agreement for Northern Ireland and therefore that the Human Rights Act 1998 should be retained?

[Sir Oliver Heald]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for that. As she knows, we have made an announcement that there will not be an imminent change, because, although we have a mandate for that, we want to find out what the outcome of the Brexit negotiations is, and that is, in itself, a major constitutional change.