Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Sammy Wilson Excerpts
Wednesday 11th March 2015

(9 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Theresa Villiers Portrait Mrs Villiers
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I do accept that. This Government will continue to do all they can to support and nurture that political settlement. That is a message that all parties need to hear, including Sinn Fein—that we should not take risks with political stability in Northern Ireland, because the consequences could be very grave.

Sammy Wilson Portrait Sammy Wilson (East Antrim) (DUP)
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Does the Secretary of State recognise that it is not just Sinn Fein, but their lapdogs in the Social Democratic and Labour party who have blocked welfare reform in Northern Ireland and put the Assembly in jeopardy? Will she spell out the consequences for corporation tax, the economic package and the long-term sustainability of the budget in Northern Ireland as a result of that irresponsible behaviour?

Theresa Villiers Portrait Mrs Villiers
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If this question is not resolved, if the welfare reform legislation remains permanently stalled, obviously the rest of the Stormont House agreement does not happen. That includes the financial package and the devolution of corporation tax, but we are not at that point yet. It is important to work intensively, and in the meantime the UK Government will do everything we can to continue to implement the agreement.