Northern Ireland

Question

15:06:00

Asked by

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to strengthen Northern Ireland’s position within the United Kingdom.

My Lords, before I answer the Question, I will take a moment to share my sympathies with all those who have been affected by flooding as a result of Storm Bert over the weekend. The storm and resulting flooding are, of course, very concerning and distressing for those affected, and I pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Caine, for his work on the flooding experienced in Northern Ireland last year. The Government are committed to delivering for all communities in Northern Ireland by resetting the relationship with the NI Executive and working collaboratively to transform public services and champion investment opportunities. This Government will work tirelessly to fully realise one of our greatest achievements, the Belfast/Good Friday agreement, and its vision for reconciliation, equality, respect for rights and parity of esteem, making Northern Ireland more prosperous, more inclusive and safer for everybody.

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her kind words and I associate myself with what she said about the flooding. A key commitment in Annexe B of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper in January is for the Government unashamedly to make the positive case for Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom. This was to be supported by papers setting out the considerable mutual benefits—political, economic, social, cultural and security—gained by Northern Ireland being an integral part of the union. Can the noble Baroness confirm that these remain firm government commitments? Can she update the House on the schedule for publication of these papers and the steps being taken to ensure their widespread circulation in order to counter the arguments of those seeking constitutional change?

My Lords, this Government believe that Northern Ireland is a core part of the United Kingdom. As regards our commitments and those made in Safeguarding the Union, we are not reneging on any of the Command Paper commitments but remain committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith and taking forward commitments in a way that best delivers for the people of Northern Ireland. I will come back to the noble Lord on the timetable for publication; we are still working.

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the constitutional future of Northern Ireland will be decided by the people of the region, as laid out in the 1998 Good Friday agreement negotiated by the British and Irish Governments and the majority of parties? That agreement enshrined reconciliation, parity of esteem and respect for political difference.

I absolutely agree with my noble friend: in accordance with the Good Friday agreement and the principles of consent, Northern Ireland will remain part of the UK for as long as its people wish it to be. At present there is no clear basis to suggest that a majority of people in Northern Ireland wish to separate from the United Kingdom. For our part, the United Kingdom Government are committed to upholding the Good Friday agreement, in letter and in spirit, and in that vein to respecting all constitutional ambitions for Northern Ireland as long as they are pursued by legitimate means.

My Lords, can the Minister tell the House how the east-west council set up under the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper and the new Council of the Nations and Regions can be used, together and separately, to promote the benefits of the union between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom? How is that work going to be evidenced in Northern Ireland itself, and how will it be used to dismantle the current trade and other barriers within the United Kingdom that have been imposed on the people of the area?

My Lords, the east-west council is one of the important structures of intergovernmental relations and institutions we will use to improve relations and collaboration on policy. The first meeting was in March 2024 and we will announce the date of the second meeting shortly. On the Council of the Nations and Regions, noble Lords will forgive me for the laugh but the Question following this one is on that council. It is a manifesto commitment and core to us resetting and normalising relations across the United Kingdom to deliver for the people of every corner of our country.

My Lords, does the Minister agree that Brexit has had a profound impact on politics in Northern Ireland, including on its relations with the rest of the United Kingdom? Young people often feel that they have been particularly negatively impacted. Does the Minister therefore not agree that reconsidering the Government’s policy on the EU youth mobility scheme would be very positively regarded by young people in Northern Ireland?

My Lords, I live in a place where 73% voted to leave. This Government have been very clear on our approach to Brexit and its clear impact on Northern Ireland. We need to make Brexit work for everybody, including young people, and find the benefits of Brexit. I look forward to further discussions in due course.

My Lords, in the interests of strengthening Northern Ireland’s position in the United Kingdom and restoring trust in the rule of law, can the Minister tell us when His Majesty’s Government intend to table legislation to repeal the Northern Ireland Troubles Act and to restore the rights to inquests, civil actions and the possibility of the prosecution of alleged murderers, which were removed under the Act but are enjoyed by everyone else in the United Kingdom?

I thank the noble Baroness for the work she has done in this area and for meeting me to discuss next steps. The Northern Ireland Office is working every day on this issue to make sure that there is genuine consultation for what will happen next. I look forward to updating the House and working with noble Lords across the House as we move forward to repeal and replace previous legislation and to make sure that, as we explore the legacy of the Troubles, we deliver for the people who were affected.

My Lords, the noble Baroness will know that no one in Northern Ireland had the opportunity to vote for the Labour Party—the governing party—because the Labour Party has decided that you cannot vote Labour. You can join the party, because the GMB took legal action. Can she tell me why the governing party has a sister party, the SDLP, which wants a united Ireland? How does that strengthen the union?

I am not sure that is a matter for the Government; rather, it is one for the Labour Party. I am more than happy to have a discussion with the noble Baroness outside the House.

My Lords, I refer to my interests in the register and, in particular, my chairmanship of InterTrade UK. The Acts of Union in 1801 were mostly predicated on trade, which is so important for Northern Ireland and, indeed, the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. Does the noble Baroness therefore share my concern that some small businesses in GB are already saying that they are not going to trade with Northern Ireland because of the EU product safety regulations?

I look forward to working in the coming months and years with the noble Baroness in her role as chair of InterTrade UK. The updated general product safety regulation largely formalises the reality of how businesses are already operating in the UK. The Department for Business and Trade has been working closely with businesses to help them get ready, and will shortly publish more guidance to support them further. This Government—and I—will keep a close eye on this going forward and continue to help businesses trade freely across the whole United Kingdom.

My Lords, the Minister referred to Brexit benefits; can she spell out for the House what those are?

For the record, I believe I said that we will make Brexit work for everyone and find the benefits of Brexit.

Will the Government publish a checklist of the measures in the Command Paper that have now been implemented, together with an indication of when the other measures will be implemented? In view of the slight confusion that has arisen, will the Government confirm that they have completely scrapped the legal duties that had been placed on Ministers to promote an all-Ireland economy, as the Command Paper pledged?

My Lords, I have the full list of where we have delivered, where we are in progress and where we are tied to EU reset and business readiness; I will speak to colleagues about making that publicly available. With regard to the all-Ireland economy, the Government are committed to protecting the UK-Ireland internal market and the Windsor Framework, including all aspects of the Northern Ireland economy. Section 10(1)(b) refers to the joint report between the UK and EU negotiators of October 2017, which refers—among other things—to the all-Ireland economy. The all-Ireland economy is a fact and is greatly to the benefit of the businesses and people of Northern Ireland, as is Northern Ireland’s trade with the UK internal market.

My Lords, we have had the Northern Ireland protocol and the Windsor Framework, and now we have the Safeguarding the Union document. All of those are supposed to assist with trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but we still have border checks, a border in the Irish Sea and no resolution to the veterinary medicines issue. When will the Government resolve these difficult issues for Northern Ireland?

This is a priority for this Government and we will work at pace, especially on the veterinary medicines issue. We have established a working group, which continues to advise the Government and which met again earlier this month.