Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Jupp Excerpts

Wednesday 27th October 2021 Commons Chamber

[Brandon Lewis]

The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point, further highlighting the issues around the European Court of Justice. At present, we have a system where EU laws are imposed on Northern Ireland without the consent of anyone in Northern Ireland—he is absolutely right. The challenges and disputes about these laws are also settled in the Court, only one of the two signatory parties to the protocol, and that obviously came before the wider trade agreement. The CJEU sits at the apex of the system. In addition to causing an imbalance in the equilibrium of east-west and north-south arrangements, we believe the oversight is not necessary. To preserve the structure and the gains that we have seen through the peace process of 23 years in Northern Ireland, we believe they must be replaced by something much more in keeping with the intentions of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement and traditional international trade agreements.

[Simon Jupp (East Devon) (Con)]

3. What steps his Department is taking to address the legacy of the Troubles.

[Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central) (Lab)]

4. What plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to address Northern Ireland legacy issues. [R]

[The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Brandon Lewis)]

The Government will bring forward legislation to address the Northern Ireland legacy issues very soon, focusing on information recovery and reconciliation.

[Simon Jupp]

East Devon is home to many veterans who proudly served their country, risking everything while following orders. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that in his forthcoming legislation, we will stand by our promise to end vexatious claims against those who served in Northern Ireland?