Contributions
921 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNorthern Ireland-related Terrorism Threat LevelMI5 has lowered the Northern Ireland-related terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland from “SEVERE”, meaning an attack is highly likely to “SUBSTANTIAL”, meaning an attack is…06 Mar 2024HANSARDTroubles: Legacy and ReconciliationMr Justice Colton handed down his judgment at 10.15 this morning. It is a very complex case. I am told that the judgment runs to over 200 pages, and I am yet to see it. It will…28 Feb 2024HANSARDTroubles: Legacy and ReconciliationThe right hon. Gentleman is quite right that this is a complex case that is likely to head to further action in the higher courts, but I want to consider the judgment carefully,…28 Feb 2024HANSARDTroubles: Legacy and ReconciliationI start by welcoming the return of the devolved institutions to Northern Ireland, following the publication of the “Safeguarding the Union” Command Paper earlier this month and…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionI thank my hon. Friend for his question, and I absolutely, 100% agree with his sentiment. It is a real pleasure to see the devolved institutions at Stormont up and running. You,…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionI have to congratulate my hon. Friend on making some excellent constituency points as well as highlighting the importance of good transport links across our Union. The need for…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionWe have ended the presumption of automatic alignment with EU law by making it clear that the very narrow set of goods rules that apply in Northern Ireland are subject to the…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionThe Government are fully committed to protecting and upholding Northern Ireland’s place in the Union, a commitment we reaffirmed recently in the Command Paper “Safeguarding the…28 Feb 2024HANSARDTroubles: Legacy and ReconciliationAs I say, this is a very complex case. The judgment runs to over 200 pages, which were first being reported on less than 90 minutes ago, so it will take some time to consider, but…28 Feb 2024HANSARDTroubles: Legacy and ReconciliationI humbly remind the hon. Lady that the original deadline, before we tabled amendments to the Act, then a Bill, in the House of Lords, was 1 May 2023, so there has been an extra…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionI am happy to join the right hon. Gentleman in welcoming the new East-West Council and its situation, and I also look forward to seeing the North South Ministerial Council…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionNorthern Ireland, being across the Irish sea, is in a geographic location that makes travel difficult to other areas of the United Kingdom. I understand the hon. Gentleman’s…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionI thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. First, getting the devolved institutions in strand 1 of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement running is of vital importance, because it…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionAgain, I pay tribute to the right hon. Gentleman for all his work to ensure that the devolved institutions—the Executive and Stormont—can come back together. He has achieved an…28 Feb 2024HANSARDThe UnionI thank the hon. Lady for her question, but I am afraid that she will have to refer to the answer I gave earlier. The Court judgment was handed down only earlier this morning; it…28 Feb 2024HANSARDOmagh Bombing Inquiry: Terms of ReferenceOn 2 February 2023, I announced that I would establish an independent statutory inquiry into the preventability of the Omagh bombing. The Real IRA-perpetrated terrorist atrocity…21 Feb 2024HANSARD Northern IrelandI thank my right hon. Friend for his question, which has been put before. It was put yesterday and it is a genuinely fair question. I can honestly say that this package of…01 Feb 2024HANSARD Northern IrelandYes, nothing that we are doing here changes that fundamental principle. The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to make that point and I hope I have clarified it for him properly.01 Feb 2024HANSARD Northern IrelandYes, and I think the right hon. Gentleman and the hon. Member for Foyle (Colum Eastwood) are making exactly the same point, and rightly so. They represent two communities that…01 Feb 2024HANSARD Northern IrelandI note my hon. Friend’s point. As I said yesterday, I hope he recognises what we are doing in this statutory instrument—making Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom a…01 Feb 2024