Oral Answers to Questions

Kerry McCarthy Excerpts

Wednesday 30th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

5. What recent steps she has taken to help restore devolution in Northern Ireland.

[Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)]

14. What recent steps she has taken to help restore devolution in Northern Ireland.

[Karen Bradley]

Last year, I passed the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018, which creates a limited period in which an Executive can be formed at any time. I am actively encouraging the parties to use that opportunity to come together to make progress on restoring the Executive.

[Karen Bradley]

As Secretary of State, I clearly have a role in helping to facilitate those talks, but I cannot impose a solution on the parties in Northern Ireland. That must be something that they want to do for the good of the people in Northern Ireland. I am working to find that.

[Kerry McCarthy]

Environmental campaigners in Northern Ireland have raised concerns with me about the fact that the push towards ever-more intensive industrialised farming is continuing unchecked because of the power vacuum. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not seem to be interested. May I urge the Northern Ireland Office to take an interest in the environmental damage that is being caused by that trend?

[Karen Bradley]

The hon. Lady will know that DEFRA does not have jurisdiction over environmental policies in Northern Ireland; that is for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. I am sure the permanent secretary has heard her comments.