Contributions
439 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillI should probably start by formally begging to move that clauses 1 to 4 stand part of the Bill. If I do not say that, bad things will probably happen and we will not get to the…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillDame Eleanor, I had probably better not try your patience by going through them all. We have accepted a fairly large number of reporting requirements and we are happy to report…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillAs I understand it, if we repealed that, yes it would. However, I think the point has been made elsewhere that that is not necessarily the route we have to go down because those…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillI will give way once more, and then I really must make progress because I do want to get through my speech.09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillNo, I think I can probably reassure my right hon. Friend on that, but I would reaffirm to him that there are real technical concerns about the new clause and that those will have…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillAs I mentioned in my response to new clause 1, it is entirely probable that it would not be possible to achieve this by October at all and, when we made those changes more broadly…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillI will give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford), and then to the hon. Member for Belfast South (Emma Little Pengelly), but then I must make progress.09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillAbsolutely. This is also a free-vote issue, so if this passes a vote it will go into law and become part of primary legislation. Ministers would be bound by it and Government…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillI am not sure that I have time, but I could go through other technical concerns. That is only one of the potential issues—there are broader points that would need to be fixed. But…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillYes, I absolutely accept that there is great concern that by creating one list of amendments today we will, by omission, leave out some very important things indeed. I am afraid…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillIf the hon. Lady will possess her soul in patience, I will come to that important point later; I want to take matters in the order in which they arose in the debate, but I will…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillThat is a rare intervention from an Opposition Whip. I am delighted to hear that, as I am sure Labour Members are too. There will be free votes on issues of conscience on both…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillThis has been a difficult debate because it has laid bare some fundamental differences in approach. It has been, predominantly, a respectful debate between people who have…09 Jul 2019HANSARD Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillI hope that the commitments I have just made and the words I was able to adduce have reassured the right hon. Member for Belfast North and his colleagues, and that on that basis…09 Jul 2019HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillMy hon. Friend raises a very important point. At the moment, the talks are still ongoing. There is still breath and life left in the negotiating room. Again, it is worth while…08 Jul 2019HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillI did not say that the hon. Member for Belfast East went on and on, and nor would I ever do so. He is right to remind me of the pledge I was able to make from this Dispatch Box a…08 Jul 2019HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillI agree absolutely with the first half of the hon. Lady’s sentence. The sense of frustration and concern is not confined to Members on both sides of the Chamber this afternoon and…08 Jul 2019HANSARDNorthern Ireland (Executive Formation) BillAmen to that, Mr Speaker. I think that is the only way to follow that one. It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Ealing North (Stephen Pound). It is perhaps not his…08 Jul 2019HANSARDCity Deals: ScopeThe timeline for that is the same as the timeline for the rest of the city deal. Business cases have to be worked up and the business cases for all the projects have to work well.…03 Jul 2019HANSARDIstanbul Convention and Northern Ireland Law on Domestic AbuseI cannot yet categorically confirm any of those measures to be in or out, but it is certainly one of the points that was addressed by the prelegislative scrutiny Committee. It was…03 Jul 2019