Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has attended a working group as part of the MultiParty Talks on Legacy.
Answered by Conor Burns
The UK and Irish Governments announced a joint engagement process to make progress on legacy issues following the British and Irish Intergovernmental Conference in June. As part of this process, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, together with the Irish Government’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, held a roundtable with the leaders of the Northern Ireland parties on 16 July.
Since then, the UK Government has facilitated numerous engagements with a range of stakeholders to discuss legacy issues with the two governments and representatives from the Northern Ireland parties. This process has been led by senior officials, who ensure that the Secretary of State is kept apprised of the issues raised and views expressed in these meetings, which were not attended by UK or Irish ministers. There has been no ministerial attendance by the UK or Irish Governments during these engagements. The Government has of course also been conducting its own bilateral engagement regarding legacy issues, and we have spoken to an extensive range of stakeholders.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meeting he has held with victims groups as part of the Multiparty Talks on Legacy.
Answered by Conor Burns
Since the Government published the Command Paper, we have engaged with stakeholders across Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Ireland on our proposals, including representatives from the victims sector and victims and survivors directly. This engagement has taken place both with the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland parties and bilaterally.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many meetings he has held with political party leaders as part of the Multiparty Talks on Legacy.
Answered by Conor Burns
As part of the joint engagement process announced by the UK and Irish Governments following the British and Irish Intergovernmental Conference in June, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, together with the Irish Government’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, held a roundtable with the leaders of the Northern Ireland parties on 16 July.
Since then, the UK Government has facilitated numerous engagements with a range of stakeholders to discuss legacy issues with the two governments and representatives from the Northern Ireland parties, while the UK Government has conducted its own bilateral engagements, including with the Northern Ireland parties.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to invite leaders from the Northern Ireland Executive to the Multiparty Talks on Legacy.
Answered by Conor Burns
The UK Government, as set out with the Irish Government at the British and Irish Intergovernmental Conference in June, has been engaging with the Northern Ireland parties regularly since the formal engagement process started.
This has included a roundtable with the Irish Government and the leaders of the Northern Ireland parties on 16 July, and numerous engagements with a range of stakeholders to discuss legacy issues with the two governments and representatives from the Northern Ireland parties.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many quarterly updates on progress have been published under the New Decade, New Approach Agreement, Annex F.
Answered by Conor Burns
We continue to work with the Northern Ireland parties and the Irish Government to arrange the second Implementation Review Meeting, as set out under New Decade, New Approach. We hope that a progress update can be agreed by consensus and published at that stage.
Progress to date includes the release of over £700 million of the £2 billion of funding agreed in the deal, a series of events marking the centenary of Northern Ireland, and the implementation of institutional reforms via the Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the legal text of the UK's proposed changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol has been shared with the Northern Ireland Executive.
Answered by Conor Burns
As part of the ongoing discussions with the EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol (the Protocol) we have shared a draft legal text with the EU which reflects the proposals in our Command Paper and provides the foundation for a new forward-looking Protocol that will govern the trading relationship between the UK and EU as far as it affects Northern Ireland. It is a negotiating document at the moment and therefore not public.
Ministers meet regularly with the Northern Ireland Executive First Minister and deputy First Minister to share information on the progress of our discussions with the EU on the Protocol.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Written Statement of 21 June 2021 on Northern Ireland update, HCWS105, whether it remains his policy to introduce legislation on language, culture and identity in October 2021.
Answered by Conor Burns
It is disappointing that the Northern Ireland Executive has not taken forward the balanced package of identity, language and culture legislation that was negotiated as part of the New Decade, New Approach agreement.
In the absence of progress, the Government is taking the necessary steps to introduce the legislation.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many quarterly updates on progress have been published under the New Decade, New Approach Agreement, Annexe F.
Answered by Conor Burns
Since the New Decade, New Approach agreement restored the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive in January 2020, there has been one implementation review meeting.
We continue to work with the Irish Government and the parties in the Northern Ireland Executive on the timing of the next meeting, which we expect to take place in the coming weeks.
We will use that engagement to agree the terms of an implementation report.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many implementation review meetings have been held since the New Decade, New Approach agreement was signed.
Answered by Conor Burns
Since the New Decade, New Approach agreement restored the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive in January 2020, there has been one implementation review meeting.
We continue to work with the Irish Government and the parties in the Northern Ireland Executive on the timing of the next meeting, which we expect to take place in the coming weeks.
We will use that engagement to agree the terms of an implementation report.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on citizens of Northern Ireland temporarily residing in England being unable to access the NHS Covid Vaccine Passport as their GP postcode is registered in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Conor Burns
Ministers regularly speak with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Northern Ireland Minister of Health and have raised the issue concerning NHS Covid Vaccine passports recently.
Both Ministers agreed on the need to resolve this matter as a priority and have instructed their officials to work at pace to implement data flow solutions. This is being resolved as a matter of urgency, however we will continue to monitor the situation to ensure all UK citizens are able to access their NHS Covid Vaccine Passport.