Contributions
594 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Third sitting)I am not doing very well on my commitment at the start. I want to push back politely on the notion of factory reset, and that we are getting back to the original intent of the…06 Jul 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Third sitting)There are no surprises in this Bill to the parties of Northern Ireland. There is no period of time that is required to get ready, implement or reflect the changes brought forward…06 Jul 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Third sitting)I just want to give my reflections on the evidence that we heard from the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly. I do not agree that there is a chilling effect associated with…06 Jul 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Third sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. I promised myself this morning that I would not get into the mould of opposing every amendment that has been…06 Jul 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Third sitting)I think this is a constructive proposal. We have to be mindful of the concern that was raised last week in evidence: that Assembly authorities might be slow to consent or assent…06 Jul 2021HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI really shouldn’t, because Madam Deputy Speaker is waving too much at me. I have given careful consideration to new clause 42. In principle, I am prepared to support the notion…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillIt is fair to say that in this Parliament the Government have a strong majority, but they need to use it wisely and responsibly. I commend the Minister and the Lord Chancellor,…05 Jul 2021HANSARD Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI am grateful to contribute to this debate. On Second Reading I highlighted that the Bill, large as it is, contains about five clauses that apply to Northern Ireland, and we are…05 Jul 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (First sitting)Q Good morning. Mr Holder, will you reflect on your repetition that these provisions will bring us back to what was intended on the petition of concern? You have tried to…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (First sitting)Q Although expressly on the face of the agreement, it states that a special agreement may be established, but there is no requirement—it was not mandated to be so. Do you accept…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q Good afternoon, Mark. I do not agree with all of your evidence, but I certainly enjoy the fact that you have not lost your unique turn of phrase. I have been following very…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q Alex, I hope you do not mind, but the hon. Member for Belfast South asked you about the petition of concern and some of the equality and human rights aspects. Leaving aside the…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you for that. To draw on some of the issues that were brought out this morning, there was a suggestion from Professor Tonge, for example, that the petition of concern…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (First sitting)Q But, of course, we all know in Northern Ireland the good phrase, “cherry picking”, and you cannot outline the provisions of paragraph 13 without considering those of paragraph…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q This is perhaps slightly outside the scope of the Bill—Sir David, you can strike me down if you wish—but on the issue of a Bill of Rights, as you know, Mark, the agreement…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q Finally, Mark, you reflected on your disappointment with the Civic Forum. I think you know that we are probably in a different space from that, but as part of New Decade, New…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q Good afternoon, Emma. Members will know you well from your time here, but those of us from Northern Ireland will know that you have been integrally involved in numerous…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q Good afternoon to all three of you. Alex, you mentioned that you did not want to engage in suggesting solutions, or do not see that as your role. You highlighted the issue of…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q Good afternoon, Jonathan. I will reflect on the question from the hon. Member for North Down. Of course, the Assembly and Executive Review Committee is the sort of place where…29 Jun 2021HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill (Second sitting)Q You know that the European convention on human rights is there in the Belfast agreement, and the Human Rights Act in the UK was passed some months after and came into operation…29 Jun 2021