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Order order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern | :00:00. | :00:14. | |
Ireland Mr Jake Berry. Number one please Mr Speaker. Thank you and | :00:15. | :00:21. | |
good morning Mr Speaker last week the Secretary of State and I've met | :00:22. | :00:24. | |
the parties to review the limitation of the Stormont house and crashed | :00:25. | :00:27. | |
agreement and the economic pact. Commitments within these include | :00:28. | :00:31. | |
evolving corporation tax, rate-setting powers of sustainable, | :00:32. | :00:37. | |
this has the potential to have a truly transformational impact on the | :00:38. | :00:43. | |
local economy. I thank my honourable friend for that answer and I | :00:44. | :00:46. | |
congratulate the ministerial team of the Department for the success in | :00:47. | :00:50. | |
the creation of the economic pact which has direct impact on Northern | :00:51. | :00:55. | |
Ireland. Can the Minister told the House what further steps can be | :00:56. | :00:58. | |
taken to ensure that the executive remains focused on how it can to | :00:59. | :01:03. | |
live in those objectives? Can I thank my honourable friend for the | :01:04. | :01:07. | |
question. The best thing we can do is celebrate that under the recent | :01:08. | :01:09. | |
spending review the Chancellor put in place measures to see a rise by | :01:10. | :01:18. | |
20-21 A 12% rise in real terms of funding of liberal capital projects | :01:19. | :01:22. | |
which means over ?600 million more available than if we have frozen the | :01:23. | :01:28. | |
funding at 2015-16. That is good news for the infrastructure of | :01:29. | :01:31. | |
Northern Ireland and will hopefully mean things like the a five and the | :01:32. | :01:35. | |
ASICs will progress and we can open up Northern Ireland for more foreign | :01:36. | :01:38. | |
investment. -- the a five and the ASICs. Because the Minister agree | :01:39. | :01:44. | |
with the trade union movement that the UK's exit from the European | :01:45. | :01:47. | |
Union will be damaging to economic development in Northern Ireland? And | :01:48. | :01:53. | |
does he, does he encourage the Secretary of State to argue for a | :01:54. | :02:02. | |
yes vote in the European exit? Mr Speaker I think there's a temptation | :02:03. | :02:08. | |
in front of me. I think what I would say is certainly up-to-date, met | :02:09. | :02:13. | |
Tilley mac membership of the European Union has been good for | :02:14. | :02:19. | |
Northern Ireland and supports the effort to reform. A reformed | :02:20. | :02:21. | |
European Union is where the United Kingdom wants to be, one that works | :02:22. | :02:26. | |
for the benefit of the United Kingdom and if we can achieve that | :02:27. | :02:29. | |
we can take advantage of being neighbours of Ireland, one of the | :02:30. | :02:32. | |
biggest economic partners of Northern Ireland to make sure the | :02:33. | :02:35. | |
coming though some strength to strength. Later this week I will | :02:36. | :02:41. | |
have the pleasure of visiting royal Portrush golf course in Ireland | :02:42. | :02:46. | |
which has been awarded the 2019 open golf championship for the first time | :02:47. | :02:51. | |
since 1951. But the Minister agree that this is a tremendous | :02:52. | :02:54. | |
achievement and opportunity for Northern Ireland and will he work | :02:55. | :02:59. | |
closely with the executive and ADB golf club to show a similar success | :03:00. | :03:05. | |
in Scotland last year which brought a into the economy? Thank you Mr | :03:06. | :03:10. | |
Speaker. I am struck by how much effort Northern Ireland has made in | :03:11. | :03:18. | |
trying to I suppose secure more than Ireland's is becoming the new home | :03:19. | :03:23. | |
of golf. The marketing and promotion of golf courses in Northern Ireland | :03:24. | :03:26. | |
is a Rostron. I know the Scottish Nasa list are insecure about | :03:27. | :03:33. | |
anything -- nationalists. What is good for Northern Ireland and golf | :03:34. | :03:37. | |
is us are good for golf in Scotland and it will go from strength to | :03:38. | :03:40. | |
strength and these major sporting events, whether in horse racing or | :03:41. | :03:44. | |
golf, brings in real money into the economy today. The chairman wishes | :03:45. | :03:51. | |
to undertake a practical inspection of the course. Thank you Mr Speaker, | :03:52. | :03:55. | |
I'm sure we look forward to visiting the opening 2019. Further to the | :03:56. | :04:01. | |
answer he gave on infrastructure, will the Minister undertake to speak | :04:02. | :04:09. | |
to the infrastructure commission and colleagues about linkages between | :04:10. | :04:12. | |
Northern Ireland transport wise and the rest of the UK? This is an | :04:13. | :04:17. | |
important issue in the development of the economy and spending is | :04:18. | :04:22. | |
vitally important and this would be a very very good way to ensure that | :04:23. | :04:29. | |
more investment comes. Myself and my right honourable friend are | :04:30. | :04:33. | |
determined that the air links are maintained and we have both in the | :04:34. | :04:35. | |
last two months had come the stations with British Airways for | :04:36. | :04:39. | |
example when they have purchased Aer Lingus to ensure there is no | :04:40. | :04:42. | |
degrading of the services provided to people from both the main airport | :04:43. | :04:47. | |
in Northern Ireland and I think that is something we will work very hard | :04:48. | :04:50. | |
and in partnership with the executive to maintain. We should | :04:51. | :04:55. | |
also maintain the figures are tremendous least successful. It is | :04:56. | :04:58. | |
the eighth successive month of growth according to the Ulster bank | :04:59. | :05:04. | |
PM. Over the year the claimant count is down 11,000 in Northern Ireland, | :05:05. | :05:08. | |
a fall of 22.1% outstripping the rest of the United Kingdom. I | :05:09. | :05:13. | |
welcome that needs an page in the two colleagues in the Northern | :05:14. | :05:18. | |
Ireland executive work for the excellent work going on in the | :05:19. | :05:20. | |
economy and the commitment for the new First Minister to make the | :05:21. | :05:23. | |
economy and grow the economy the first priority. Will the Minister | :05:24. | :05:30. | |
perhaps update the House that the Secretary of State and took to speak | :05:31. | :05:33. | |
to the Chancellor about the Northern powerhouse and linking Northern | :05:34. | :05:36. | |
Ireland into that, I think that is a very important initiative and I | :05:37. | :05:40. | |
welcome any news of progress on that front. As the honourable member | :05:41. | :05:46. | |
points out my right honourable friend has spoken to the Chancellor | :05:47. | :05:51. | |
and he is looking at this as we speak. I support this as a | :05:52. | :05:54. | |
Lancashire MP the links we have two the West and the Isle of Man the | :05:55. | :05:58. | |
ferry at the Asian for example is very important. I think we can work | :05:59. | :06:03. | |
to our mutual advantage on the Northern powerhouse. Further to the | :06:04. | :06:09. | |
question raised with the Minister care to comment by the study an | :06:10. | :06:16. | |
Irish thing can't which says that a British exit could reduce bilateral | :06:17. | :06:19. | |
trade flows from the UK and Ireland by some 20% and the impact is more | :06:20. | :06:26. | |
likely to be significant for Northern Ireland exporters to | :06:27. | :06:26. | |
Ireland. But the answer is no. Mr Speaker at the Minister said | :06:27. | :06:42. | |
that, the Minister will know the real concern in Northern Ireland by | :06:43. | :06:45. | |
the impact on withdrawal from the European Union, of trade investment | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
and funding, other members have mentioned this, and Emre Can Mick | :06:50. | :06:54. | |
and social report at the end of 2015 said a British exit -- and economic | :06:55. | :07:00. | |
and social report said that British exit would be disastrous. I have | :07:01. | :07:06. | |
discussions with ministers and indeed ministers in the sight of | :07:07. | :07:11. | |
Ireland and of course, an economic free zone that we are part in the EU | :07:12. | :07:15. | |
is important to our and certainly not only in England and Ireland the | :07:16. | :07:21. | |
ability for 34,000 businesses in Northern Ireland to trade without | :07:22. | :07:24. | |
barriers across the border of the South is worried important to | :07:25. | :07:31. | |
Ireland. That is why the Prime Minister wants to see a reformed EU | :07:32. | :07:34. | |
and Britain to remain in a reformed EU. The first thing we can do is | :07:35. | :07:39. | |
wait to see what those reforms are. The Minister will know there are | :07:40. | :07:41. | |
very serious concerns about the possible British exit, Imp | :07:42. | :07:47. | |
particular because it is the only part of the UK with a land border | :07:48. | :07:54. | |
with an EU country. -- input signal. Can the Minister reassure the | :07:55. | :07:58. | |
executives and the people of Northern Ireland of the mixed | :07:59. | :08:01. | |
messages on the British exit emanating from the ministerial team | :08:02. | :08:04. | |
in particular his views as opposed to the Secretary of State? First of | :08:05. | :08:12. | |
all the Rizla mixed message, like myself and my right honourable | :08:13. | :08:19. | |
friend are key for the E -- EU and when those reforms and maybe the | :08:20. | :08:22. | |
honourable member knows what those reforms will agree, maybe he has a | :08:23. | :08:27. | |
special hotline but when those reforms are presented to the south, | :08:28. | :08:30. | |
then we will be up to make a decision. For my part I believe in | :08:31. | :08:34. | |
the past and membership has been good for Northern Ireland. Question | :08:35. | :08:42. | |
number two. The cross-party talks in 2014 and 15 have brought us closer | :08:43. | :08:45. | |
than ever to consensus on the best way to deal with the legacy of | :08:46. | :08:49. | |
Northern Ireland's past. I'll be working with the parties and | :08:50. | :08:52. | |
representatives of victims and survivors and with the Irish | :08:53. | :08:56. | |
government try to build the support needed to enable legislation to be | :08:57. | :08:58. | |
brought forward to establish the bodies envisaged by the store bought | :08:59. | :09:06. | |
house agreement. Murdered by the provisional IRA, Ian Gallagher was | :09:07. | :09:12. | |
remembered last year at a public speaking competition organised in my | :09:13. | :09:16. | |
home constituency that we might remember and celebrate his life and | :09:17. | :09:20. | |
legacy, his courage and conviction, can I asked my right honourable | :09:21. | :09:23. | |
friend what steps she is taking with schools in Northern Ireland to deal | :09:24. | :09:27. | |
the legacy of the past and to bring about change in community relations? | :09:28. | :09:33. | |
Her predecessor was a great parliamentarian and I'm sure the | :09:34. | :09:37. | |
whole house will join her in thinking sadly of the atrocity that | :09:38. | :09:42. | |
led to his death. The UK Government strongly supports the programme is | :09:43. | :09:45. | |
taking part in Northern Ireland designed to build a shared society, | :09:46. | :09:49. | |
many impact on schools and colleges and it is vital that we do all we | :09:50. | :09:56. | |
can to break down divisions of the parser that sectarianism becomes | :09:57. | :10:00. | |
entirely a thing of the past in Northern Ireland as a way to address | :10:01. | :10:03. | |
the remaining difficulties faced in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of | :10:04. | :10:10. | |
State will be aware that there were no agreement sadly on how we move | :10:11. | :10:13. | |
the legacy issue forward. But there is money that has been set aside, | :10:14. | :10:18. | |
particularly for the proposed historical investigations unit. We | :10:19. | :10:23. | |
have 2000 unsolved murders in Northern Ireland, can the Secretary | :10:24. | :10:26. | |
of State make some of that extra is also available to the PSI's legacy | :10:27. | :10:32. | |
unit to ensure they can re-examine some cases which are pressing with | :10:33. | :10:34. | |
people getting older and they deserve justice. As he points out | :10:35. | :10:41. | |
the UK Government is committed significant sums to support dealing | :10:42. | :10:44. | |
with the legacy of the past as we have in relation to shared society | :10:45. | :10:52. | |
projects. Our starting point is that 150 million is for new bodies like | :10:53. | :10:59. | |
the ICL are. Remain open to dialogue on whether it would be possible to | :11:00. | :11:04. | |
use any money in advance. But it is vital. | :11:05. | :11:14. | |
Can the right honourable lady update the House on what is happening to | :11:15. | :11:20. | |
soldier Jay and other former soldiers who are involved in events | :11:21. | :11:22. | |
in Londonderry on the 30th of January 1972 and tell us whether | :11:23. | :11:24. | |
they continue to face prosecution? And can impress my right honourable | :11:25. | :11:27. | |
friend that this is not simply a matter for the judicial authorities. | :11:28. | :11:30. | |
This is a matter for her, it is a matter of public policy because it | :11:31. | :11:34. | |
is contrary to the interests of national justice men who have served | :11:35. | :11:37. | |
their country should still, 44 years on, be facing possible prosecution. | :11:38. | :11:43. | |
I fully appreciate his Kraken CERN -- his grave concerns about this | :11:44. | :11:47. | |
case but he will appreciate that matters relating to police | :11:48. | :11:51. | |
investigations and prosecutions are taken independently of politicians. | :11:52. | :11:54. | |
My understanding is that that investigation continues. Referring | :11:55. | :12:03. | |
to the Secretary of State's earlier answer, I have to say that it is all | :12:04. | :12:07. | |
very well, and I don't for a minute, as does no one in this House, doubt | :12:08. | :12:13. | |
her good intentions, but when will we actually be hearing some dates, | :12:14. | :12:17. | |
some details? When will the legislation she refers to actually | :12:18. | :12:19. | |
be brought to the floor of the House? Particularly in those aspects | :12:20. | :12:23. | |
of fresh start, where there is agreement. How long must the victims | :12:24. | :12:30. | |
continue to wait? We hope to bring foreign legislation fairly soon. -- | :12:31. | :12:36. | |
bring forward legislation fairly soon and those aspects that have | :12:37. | :12:40. | |
been agreed. The timing is less certain elation to the legacy bodies | :12:41. | :12:44. | |
because we were not able to build a consensus now necessary for | :12:45. | :12:50. | |
legislation. A key issues still to resolve is the way the veto in | :12:51. | :12:54. | |
relation to the national-security will operate. I'm determined to work | :12:55. | :13:00. | |
with all sides. We have to protect our national security interests or | :13:01. | :13:03. | |
we will do all we can to ensure that veto is expressed fairly in all | :13:04. | :13:08. | |
circumstances. As well as asking the Secretary of State to re-calibrate | :13:09. | :13:11. | |
her fixation on the national-security issue, can I also | :13:12. | :13:17. | |
ask concede you -- consider using the time for pre-qualities of | :13:18. | :13:23. | |
legislation when it comes forward? I think it is important to use this | :13:24. | :13:27. | |
period constructively to engage with Victors' groups in particular. I've | :13:28. | :13:32. | |
had useful discussions with the Victors' Commissioner. We will be | :13:33. | :13:37. | |
considering in June of course whether publication of the documents | :13:38. | :13:41. | |
as appropriate. It is vital that we press ahead and get this sorted. Mr | :13:42. | :13:55. | |
Speaker, the fresh start agreement reaffirmed the government's support | :13:56. | :14:00. | |
for the devolution of tax powers so long as the Executive is able to | :14:01. | :14:03. | |
demonstrate that its finances on a long-term sustainable footing. I | :14:04. | :14:09. | |
thank her for that answer. As well as tens of thousands of additional | :14:10. | :14:15. | |
jobs, increased output over the medium and long-term, we must not | :14:16. | :14:17. | |
that opportunity. Does she agree with me? I fully agree that the | :14:18. | :14:26. | |
devolution of corporation tax to Northern Ireland provides huge | :14:27. | :14:30. | |
opportunities to attract new business, to attract inward | :14:31. | :14:34. | |
investment and to boost the economy. She is right, though, that it needs | :14:35. | :14:37. | |
to be accompanied by broader economic reform, such as aids focus | :14:38. | :14:46. | |
on skills, universities etc. Whilst the devolution of corporation tax | :14:47. | :14:48. | |
will be important in growing the Northern Ireland economy, would she | :14:49. | :14:52. | |
agree that a vote to leave the EU would help the Northern Ireland | :14:53. | :14:56. | |
economy insofar as it would release ?18 billion every year for | :14:57. | :15:01. | |
expenditure on public services, would enable us to enter trade | :15:02. | :15:06. | |
agreements with growing parts of the world and would release us from the | :15:07. | :15:11. | |
stifling democracy of Europe? I'm afraid the honourable member is | :15:12. | :15:13. | |
tempting me to engage in arguments which are rightly a matter for | :15:14. | :15:16. | |
everyone in this country when they get to vote on that referendum. We | :15:17. | :15:20. | |
promised a referendum in our manifesto and that's what we're | :15:21. | :15:28. | |
going to deliver. Thank you. Does the Secretary of State agree with me | :15:29. | :15:31. | |
that existing cuts and then further cuts to university funding will | :15:32. | :15:36. | |
result in a significant production in suitably qualified graduates as | :15:37. | :15:39. | |
employees for the inward investment companies that we're trying to | :15:40. | :15:43. | |
attract? Will that not frustrate much of the benefit expected for the | :15:44. | :15:48. | |
reduction of corporation tax? There is no doubt that the Northern | :15:49. | :15:51. | |
Ireland Executive faces difficult decisions, as all governments do, in | :15:52. | :15:56. | |
a time when budgets are constrained. I believe it is important to focus | :15:57. | :16:00. | |
on these crucial economic areas like skills, universities and | :16:01. | :16:03. | |
infrastructure but maybe there is a real debate to be had about the way | :16:04. | :16:07. | |
higher education is funded in Northern Ireland but that, of | :16:08. | :16:10. | |
course, is a devolved matter for the devolved representatives. Number | :16:11. | :16:18. | |
four, Mr Speaker. With permission, I will answer questions four and five | :16:19. | :16:21. | |
together. Along with the Irish government and the Northern Ireland | :16:22. | :16:24. | |
Executive, the UK government recently announced the creation of a | :16:25. | :16:27. | |
joint agency task force to track all cross jurisdiction crime. This will | :16:28. | :16:33. | |
enhance law enforcement cooperation, including in relation to crime link | :16:34. | :16:39. | |
to paramilitaries. Can I welcome the announcement by my right robber | :16:40. | :16:42. | |
friend to do with the joint Task Force but could my right honourable | :16:43. | :16:45. | |
friend just confirmed that the fresh start agreement also contains | :16:46. | :16:50. | |
additional funding from the United Kingdom government to help tackle | :16:51. | :17:00. | |
continuing paramilitary activity? It does. The sum allocated is 25 | :17:01. | :17:05. | |
million on tackling related crime, 3 million on a new monitoring body, | :17:06. | :17:12. | |
but it also provides a substantial funding for more widely based shared | :17:13. | :17:15. | |
society initiatives which are crucial to ending the influence of | :17:16. | :17:18. | |
paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. We all know that | :17:19. | :17:22. | |
unfortunately many organised crime groups are in Ireland and take | :17:23. | :17:29. | |
advantage of the land border and commit the classic cross-border | :17:30. | :17:33. | |
crimes of smuggling and excise evasion. Often the proceeds of those | :17:34. | :17:38. | |
activities go towards funding dissident groups. Whatever it is my | :17:39. | :17:42. | |
right honourable friend at the ministerial team taking to introduce | :17:43. | :17:44. | |
preventative measures to eradicate such activities? -- what efforts is | :17:45. | :17:53. | |
my right elbow friend. There are huge efforts to prevent the border | :17:54. | :17:57. | |
being exploited by criminals. That will be enhanced by the new joint | :17:58. | :18:01. | |
agency task force, building on the excellent work already done by the | :18:02. | :18:04. | |
police service is both north and south of the border on this in | :18:05. | :18:11. | |
recent years. I'm wondering how concerned the Secretary of State is | :18:12. | :18:15. | |
at the lack of convictions for fuel smuggling and particularly fuel | :18:16. | :18:17. | |
laundering in Northern Ireland and the border regions. Everyone would | :18:18. | :18:22. | |
like to see more convictions on this. I think an aspect of the fresh | :18:23. | :18:29. | |
start agreement which is crucial here is the commitment by the | :18:30. | :18:34. | |
Executive to measures which will speed up the time it takes to bring | :18:35. | :18:38. | |
people to trial. One is more likely to get a conviction if trials take | :18:39. | :18:41. | |
place in a timely way. But as a crucial part of the Fresh Start | :18:42. | :18:46. | |
agreement and I'm sure its invitation will be taken very | :18:47. | :18:49. | |
seriously. This is a very serious discussion of cross-border crime in | :18:50. | :18:51. | |
Northern Ireland. We must hear Lady Hermon. Thank you very much indeed. | :18:52. | :18:58. | |
The Secretary of State in deed will know that the Treasury has already | :18:59. | :19:02. | |
announced the closure of a number of HMRC offices across Northern | :19:03. | :19:07. | |
Ireland. Since HMRC does a very valiant job in tackling cross-border | :19:08. | :19:11. | |
crime, what guarantees come Secretary of State give the people | :19:12. | :19:13. | |
of Northern Ireland that those efforts will not be reduced if those | :19:14. | :19:21. | |
offices are closed? I'm confident that the changes in relation to HMRC | :19:22. | :19:24. | |
offices will not affect the ability of HMRC to tackle cross-border | :19:25. | :19:29. | |
crime. We are going to have an enhanced effort on these matters, | :19:30. | :19:33. | |
not least because, as my honourable friend pointed out on this side of | :19:34. | :19:38. | |
the House, the proceeds of that kind of crime can end up in the hands of | :19:39. | :19:44. | |
terrorists. Question six. The Secretary of State and I have | :19:45. | :19:47. | |
regular discussions with Treasury ministers including the Chancellor | :19:48. | :19:52. | |
in relation to a VAT cut for the tour and hospital sectors. The | :19:53. | :19:56. | |
government has concluded that a VAT cut could not produce sufficient | :19:57. | :19:59. | |
economic growth to outweigh the revenue shortfall. A VAT cut would | :20:00. | :20:03. | |
need to be funded either by additional borrowing or raising | :20:04. | :20:06. | |
other taxes, both of which are likely to have a negative effect on | :20:07. | :20:13. | |
the economy. The case was successfully made for corporation | :20:14. | :20:16. | |
tax and rightly so to attract investment in Northern Ireland. | :20:17. | :20:21. | |
Surely a case could be made for tourism and hospitality in Northern | :20:22. | :20:24. | |
Ireland to reduce VAT, especially when it comes to the Gulf clubs, | :20:25. | :20:32. | |
where there is an anomaly. -- Gulf. I doubt they're many people in this | :20:33. | :20:35. | |
House that would like to see a reduction in the tax burden because | :20:36. | :20:39. | |
of our long-term economic plan and perhaps lifting the burden on | :20:40. | :20:42. | |
businesses elsewhere, such as the small business rate relief that is | :20:43. | :20:47. | |
also available in Northern Ireland, the corporation tax cut, the | :20:48. | :20:50. | |
freezing of NI contributions, we hope that at least on tourism | :20:51. | :20:54. | |
businesses in the hospitality sector, the cost of employing people | :20:55. | :20:57. | |
and the other burdens can be lifted and their formate their prices more | :20:58. | :21:01. | |
competitive to encourage more people to take up the great offerings of | :21:02. | :21:11. | |
tourism in Northern Ireland. Would he perhaps look at discussions | :21:12. | :21:17. | |
around the threshold, which might help small tourism businesses across | :21:18. | :21:22. | |
the UK and Northern Ireland? I wanted to hear Mr Foster's thoughts | :21:23. | :21:31. | |
on VAT injuries and hospitality. We will try again, Mr Speaker, thank | :21:32. | :21:34. | |
you. I heard what the Minister said about the rate of VAT. Would he | :21:35. | :21:38. | |
think it might be worth having a discussion around the threshold, | :21:39. | :21:42. | |
which might help small businesses in the hospitality sector in Northern | :21:43. | :21:45. | |
Ireland and the rest of the UK? I think you mix a very good point. I | :21:46. | :21:49. | |
will certainly write to the Chancellor and make his points clear | :21:50. | :21:53. | |
to him. Number seven, please, Mr Speaker. We have had no discussions | :21:54. | :22:00. | |
with the Northern Ireland Executive on the adequacy of women's access to | :22:01. | :22:05. | |
sexual health services. The department officials discuss sexual | :22:06. | :22:07. | |
health services with their counterparts on the Northern Ireland | :22:08. | :22:11. | |
departments as appropriate. Sexual health advice and services in | :22:12. | :22:13. | |
Northern Ireland is a devolved matter. The Minister will be aware | :22:14. | :22:18. | |
that women in Northern Ireland can and do travel to England for | :22:19. | :22:23. | |
abortions on the NHS. However, they can't access NHS abortions that have | :22:24. | :22:27. | |
to pay to go privately. Does he agree with me that there is an | :22:28. | :22:31. | |
inequality issue between women in Northern Ireland and women who live | :22:32. | :22:36. | |
in England? The honourable member points out a very interesting | :22:37. | :22:39. | |
anomaly and I have asked by officials to provide clarity. I do | :22:40. | :22:44. | |
know there is a court case pending or before the courts in Northern | :22:45. | :22:46. | |
Ireland on that very issue and I think it's very important we get to | :22:47. | :22:50. | |
the bottom of the differences between living in one part of the UK | :22:51. | :22:54. | |
and another and what NHS services are available to those people. In | :22:55. | :22:59. | |
the last 11 years, Northern Ireland has seen a 47% increase in new cases | :23:00. | :23:08. | |
of HIV while in the mainland it has fallen by 20%. The same thing | :23:09. | :23:11. | |
applies to other sexually transmitted diseases. Could I ask | :23:12. | :23:14. | |
the Minister what discussions he has had all will have with the health | :23:15. | :23:17. | |
ministers here in the mainland and in Northern Ireland to ensure that | :23:18. | :23:22. | |
there is a process to address it? I'm very happy to have discussions | :23:23. | :23:27. | |
with UK ministers on that subject and will write to the counterpart in | :23:28. | :23:32. | |
the Executive to make sure that we are doing our fair share and so is | :23:33. | :23:36. | |
the user heat of making sure we rent the spread of sexual transmitted | :23:37. | :23:42. | |
diseases. -- prevent. We continue to work with the | :23:43. | :23:46. | |
Executive towards rebalancing the Northern Ireland economy, including | :23:47. | :23:49. | |
collaboration on exports. Northern Ireland exports were valued at 1.62 | :23:50. | :23:56. | |
billion, the highest quarterly value since 2008. Penchee confirm the | :23:57. | :24:01. | |
government will continue supporting stronger trade link between | :24:02. | :24:04. | |
Hampshire and Northern Ireland, particularly given the strong | :24:05. | :24:11. | |
maritime condition? Our long-term economic plan is working to boost | :24:12. | :24:16. | |
trade within and outside the United Kingdom, as illustrated by the fact | :24:17. | :24:20. | |
that the claimant count is down again in Northern Ireland, in | :24:21. | :24:27. | |
figures announced to a. -- today. A fall of 40.2% has taken place in the | :24:28. | :24:33. | |
claimant count in Northern Ireland. This morning the enterprise, trade | :24:34. | :24:37. | |
and investment minister in Northern Ireland announced over 50 jobs in my | :24:38. | :24:42. | |
constituency, which is a start in an area of high unemployment, but with | :24:43. | :24:44. | |
the Minister use her influence in the Cabinet to ensure that when | :24:45. | :24:51. | |
there is overseas development visits and trade visits, to ensure that | :24:52. | :24:54. | |
Northern Ireland companies are included to bring inward investment | :24:55. | :24:58. | |
to Northern Ireland? I can certainly do that. It is vitally important | :24:59. | :25:03. | |
that in UKTI's work overseas in terms of bringing investment to the | :25:04. | :25:08. | |
UK that it champions the benefits of investing in Northern Ireland. That | :25:09. | :25:12. | |
is a great place in which to invest. It has a tremendous record in inward | :25:13. | :25:15. | |
investment and the UK government is determined to see that continue. The | :25:16. | :25:27. | |
government's events to mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme | :25:28. | :25:30. | |
will be held in Fleetwood, France and Manchester on July the 1st 2016. | :25:31. | :25:36. | |
Other regional events including in Northern Ireland are matter for the | :25:37. | :25:39. | |
regional authorities and local communities. Order. We are | :25:40. | :25:43. | |
discussing an important centre area of the Battle of the Somme. The | :25:44. | :25:47. | |
question from the honourable lady must be heard and so must the | :25:48. | :25:55. | |
answer. Thank you. In 1916, men from 36 Ulster division and the 16th | :25:56. | :25:59. | |
Irish division displayed great courage at the Somme, despite | :26:00. | :26:04. | |
suffering huge casualties of almost 2000 men in the first hours of July | :26:05. | :26:08. | |
the 1st stop does the Secretary of State have any plans to liaise with | :26:09. | :26:12. | |
the government of the Republic of Ireland to commemorate the sacrifice | :26:13. | :26:17. | |
from both sides of the border? The right honourable friend the crime | :26:18. | :26:23. | |
minister has committed to pass mutual respect and understanding. We | :26:24. | :26:26. | |
are working with the ministers and the Irish government to mark the | :26:27. | :26:30. | |
events of this decade. I have discussed these issues with a number | :26:31. | :26:33. | |
of officials and I meet regularly with the culture minister, where we | :26:34. | :26:40. | |
often attend together, both governments, in the numbers of those | :26:41. | :26:43. | |
people that died and I know my right honourable friend the Prime Minister | :26:44. | :26:47. | |
has visited the Somme to remember that and I think it is important to | :26:48. | :26:51. | |
note that both the South and the North had a shared experience and a | :26:52. | :26:57. | |
shared history in the First World War, both of them suffering fighting | :26:58. | :27:01. | |
for the cause of defeating what was then the Kaiser. We're most grateful | :27:02. | :27:08. | |
to him. I'm grateful to the Minister for his response, given some time. | :27:09. | :27:15. | |
As we reflect on the Somme and move towards the centenary of the | :27:16. | :27:19. | |
conclusion of the First World War, could the Secretary of State and the | :27:20. | :27:24. | |
Minister engage across government, to think of a suitable national | :27:25. | :27:28. | |
memorial restoration fund so we can give our cenotaph memorials across | :27:29. | :27:33. | |
this country up to standard? I think he makes a good point and the whole | :27:34. | :27:36. | |
of the government has heard his suggestion. It is important to | :27:37. | :27:39. | |
remember the end as well as the beginning of that tragedy that was | :27:40. | :27:45. | |
the First World War. Order. Questions to the Prime | :27:46. | :27:46. |