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Hello, good morning and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage from | :00:08. | :00:12. | |
the House of Commons. In half an hour Theresa May faces the Labour | :00:13. | :00:15. | |
leader Jeremy Corbyn and backbenchers at the dispatch box for | :00:16. | :00:19. | |
Prime Minister's Questions. At around 12:50pm MPs will return for | :00:20. | :00:23. | |
the second day of debate on the Government's Bill to give the Prime | :00:24. | :00:25. | |
Minister the power to start the process for leaving the European | :00:26. | :00:29. | |
Union. The SNP amendment rejected the Bill at second reading has been | :00:30. | :00:33. | |
selected and will be voted on before the main vote on the Bill at this | :00:34. | :00:38. | |
stage. The voting is expected to start at around 7pm this evening. | :00:39. | :00:43. | |
Join me for a round-up of the day in both Houses of Parliament at 11pm | :00:44. | :00:48. | |
tonight. In a moment we will have questions to the Secretary of State | :00:49. | :00:50. | |
for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire. Before that there is | :00:51. | :00:53. | |
some private business dealing with waterways in the Fens. SPEAKER: The | :00:54. | :01:03. | |
clerk will read out the Bill for consideration today. The honourable | :01:04. | :01:12. | |
gentleman is ahead of himself but he can always have another go. The | :01:13. | :01:16. | |
questioners will now be read a second time. Objection taken. Second | :01:17. | :01:22. | |
reading, what day? Wednesday 8th of February. Wednesday the 8th of | :01:23. | :01:29. | |
February. Questions for the Secretary of State for Northern | :01:30. | :01:31. | |
Ireland, Mr Ian Blackford. Order time, question number one. Good | :01:32. | :01:43. | |
morning. Thank you very much indeed, all comments gratefully accepted. | :01:44. | :01:47. | |
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Mr Speaker, before I answer | :01:48. | :01:50. | |
this question, I would remind the House this is the final Northern | :01:51. | :01:54. | |
Ireland questions before the assembly election in March, critical | :01:55. | :01:57. | |
elections for the future of Northern Ireland and I would urge the parties | :01:58. | :02:00. | |
to conduct the campaign in a manner which allows for the speediest | :02:01. | :02:04. | |
return to partnership government. Only power-sharing government will | :02:05. | :02:06. | |
deliver the political stability which the vast majority of people in | :02:07. | :02:10. | |
Northern Ireland want to see and which remains the priority for this | :02:11. | :02:15. | |
government to secure. With permission, Mr Speaker, I will | :02:16. | :02:18. | |
answer questions one and three together. As my Right Honourable | :02:19. | :02:21. | |
friend the Prime Minister made clear, maintaining the Common Travel | :02:22. | :02:25. | |
Area is one of the Government's 12 priorities in negotiating exit from | :02:26. | :02:29. | |
the EU and it is the Government's intention to deliver a practical | :02:30. | :02:32. | |
solution and on the maintenance of the Common Travel Area while | :02:33. | :02:36. | |
protecting the integrity of the UK's immigration system. SPEAKER: Ian | :02:37. | :02:40. | |
Blackford. Thank you, Mr is bigger. A high border would be a disaster | :02:41. | :02:49. | |
for communities along the border, especially in economic terms. What | :02:50. | :02:51. | |
assurances can be offered that the Common Travel Area will be top of | :02:52. | :02:54. | |
the agenda in Brexit negotiations? Will it be more important than | :02:55. | :02:56. | |
restricting the freedom of movement in the rest of the UK? Will be part | :02:57. | :03:00. | |
of any trade deal done with the European Union? I have already | :03:01. | :03:04. | |
indicated the priority that is given to securing the Common Travel Area. | :03:05. | :03:08. | |
This is a very strong commitment that this government has given and | :03:09. | :03:12. | |
the point I have underlined on many occasions before. It is always a | :03:13. | :03:16. | |
shared intent both with ourselves, the Irish government and the | :03:17. | :03:21. | |
Northern Ireland Executive. Therefore it is with that approach, | :03:22. | :03:25. | |
and I think the shared will, that we look to the negotiations ahead and | :03:26. | :03:29. | |
getting the Common Travel Area secured and also seeing that | :03:30. | :03:32. | |
frictionless border that is equally so important to be politics and life | :03:33. | :03:37. | |
there. Mr Speaker, will the Common Travel Area be the UK's only area of | :03:38. | :03:41. | |
free travel with the EU? Or will it be free trade and free travel? | :03:42. | :03:48. | |
Welcome as I have said, the priority as set out in the 12 points that the | :03:49. | :03:53. | |
Prime Minister made in her speech was securing the Common Travel Area. | :03:54. | :03:57. | |
That has served us over so many years dating back to the 1920s. We | :03:58. | :04:03. | |
believe that it is really important that we seek to attain that. As well | :04:04. | :04:07. | |
as also getting that frictionless trade in goods as well, which is | :04:08. | :04:11. | |
also a key priority in addition. Mr Kevins Basta. I welcome maintaining | :04:12. | :04:24. | |
free travel across our islands. Joining the Commonwealth as an | :04:25. | :04:27. | |
associate member as suggested by the Senator during his visit to this | :04:28. | :04:34. | |
House yesterday. Obviously that is a matter for the Irish government. The | :04:35. | :04:39. | |
point he makes about strong friendly relationships between ourselves and | :04:40. | :04:43. | |
Irish government is well made. It was with that intent, with that | :04:44. | :04:46. | |
theme, that the Prime Minister met the Taoiseach earlier this week and | :04:47. | :04:50. | |
underlined the importance of continuing to work together to get | :04:51. | :04:54. | |
the best outcome for Northern Ireland and for the island of | :04:55. | :04:59. | |
Ireland. Would my Right Honourable friend agree that while this | :05:00. | :05:02. | |
government is committed to free movement of people and goods across | :05:03. | :05:06. | |
the whole of Ireland, it is also important that the European Union | :05:07. | :05:10. | |
should do its bit to see this as well? I think the European Union and | :05:11. | :05:16. | |
member states do recognise the significance of Northern Ireland, | :05:17. | :05:20. | |
recognise the significance of the politics on the island of Ireland, | :05:21. | :05:23. | |
the way in which we have seen investment, we have seen political | :05:24. | :05:26. | |
engagement from within the European Union, how we will continue to | :05:27. | :05:29. | |
underline that in the negotiations ahead and why I remain positive that | :05:30. | :05:33. | |
we can secure a good deal for Northern Ireland within the UK but | :05:34. | :05:40. | |
outside of the EU. Mr Speaker, given Ireland's immigration criteria and | :05:41. | :05:42. | |
how different they are to the UK's I don't quite understand how you are | :05:43. | :05:46. | |
going to stop European Union citizens travelling through Ireland | :05:47. | :05:51. | |
and on to the UK, could you spell it out for us? I would say to the | :05:52. | :05:56. | |
honourable gentleman, that actually there is broad alignment of policy | :05:57. | :06:00. | |
in relation to the Republic of Ireland and the UK. That has been | :06:01. | :06:03. | |
part of the bedrocks of the Common Travel Area and how that has existed | :06:04. | :06:08. | |
over many years. Indeed, how we have sought to create new visa issues in | :06:09. | :06:13. | |
relation to China that have allowed travel to Ireland and also to the | :06:14. | :06:16. | |
United Kingdom, and how cooperation between ourselves and the Irish | :06:17. | :06:19. | |
government is very good. Alan Browne. Thank you, Mr Speaker. | :06:20. | :06:26. | |
Following on from that, post-Brexit, Common Travel Area, no hard border. | :06:27. | :06:29. | |
A Polish family moves to Ireland, will they have free movement into | :06:30. | :06:33. | |
Northern Ireland, and if not how does that square with Ireland being | :06:34. | :06:37. | |
a member of the European Union? As I have indicated to the House | :06:38. | :06:41. | |
this morning we are committed to securing the Common Travel Area. | :06:42. | :06:45. | |
And, yes, we are also committed to dealing with issues of immigration, | :06:46. | :06:48. | |
which I think were very much at the forefront of the campaign. We will | :06:49. | :06:54. | |
be coming forward as the Home Office is working in relation to detail of | :06:55. | :06:58. | |
a new immigration policy, and I am sure will be a matter of debate in | :06:59. | :07:02. | |
this House in the future. Sammy Wilson. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The | :07:03. | :07:09. | |
Government has rightly sought to identify the issues that affect | :07:10. | :07:12. | |
different regions and sectors of the economy and the Bill goes into the | :07:13. | :07:16. | |
negotiating position. Regardless of the issue, however, the Common | :07:17. | :07:19. | |
Travel Area, can the Secretary of State give us an assurance that all | :07:20. | :07:23. | |
parts of the United Kingdom will leave the EU on an equal basis and | :07:24. | :07:29. | |
that no special arrangements, or different conditions, or special | :07:30. | :07:33. | |
circumstances will be afforded to Northern Ireland that would weaken | :07:34. | :07:36. | |
our position within the United Kingdom and treat us differently in | :07:37. | :07:40. | |
other parts of the United Kingdom? We are very clear as a government of | :07:41. | :07:44. | |
the strength of the union. How that matters to all of us. And, | :07:45. | :07:49. | |
therefore, the approach that we take is based on getting the best | :07:50. | :07:54. | |
possible deal for all parts of the United Kingdom. Yes, there will be | :07:55. | :07:57. | |
some specific factors in Northern Ireland that the honourable | :07:58. | :08:00. | |
gentleman is well aware of. We have talked about the border and there | :08:01. | :08:03. | |
are other issues as well. It is with that intent and with that focus, | :08:04. | :08:08. | |
therefore special status is the wrong approach, it is looking at | :08:09. | :08:11. | |
special factors and special circumstances and dealing with them | :08:12. | :08:16. | |
effectively. Alasdair McDonnell. Could I agree with the Secretary of | :08:17. | :08:20. | |
State that we are very impressed with the strength of the union too, | :08:21. | :08:23. | |
that's the European Union. LAUGHTER | :08:24. | :08:29. | |
Mr Speaker, there appears to be a very significant gap beyond the | :08:30. | :08:32. | |
Common Travel Area. There seems to be a gap between the wishful | :08:33. | :08:36. | |
thinking and reality of movement and goods. Could the Secretary of State | :08:37. | :08:39. | |
is what assessment he has made of the effect of an exit from the | :08:40. | :08:42. | |
customs union would have on the movement of goods and services | :08:43. | :08:47. | |
between the North of Ireland and the republic. | :08:48. | :08:48. | |
As the honourable gentleman will have seen in the Prime Minister's | :08:49. | :08:55. | |
speech we have a clear line in the negotiations to get the best | :08:56. | :08:59. | |
possible trading arrangements with the European Union and therefore we | :09:00. | :09:03. | |
are reflective as to how we do that, whether that is some form of | :09:04. | :09:07. | |
membership of a customs union or a bespoke customs agreement but the | :09:08. | :09:09. | |
honourable gentleman should be very intent on our desire to get that | :09:10. | :09:12. | |
deal and also to see if frictionless border between Northern Ireland and | :09:13. | :09:17. | |
the Republic of Ireland. May I welcome the Secretary of State's | :09:18. | :09:21. | |
comments about having an election that produces parties that want to | :09:22. | :09:26. | |
work together because that is exactly what will want to see. When | :09:27. | :09:30. | |
it comes to the Common Travel Area have we looked at the legal | :09:31. | :09:32. | |
implications, not just within the other departments, but how it is | :09:33. | :09:36. | |
respected by Europe itself? Does it really exist there and do they see | :09:37. | :09:42. | |
it as a law that stands in place? The honourable gentleman may be | :09:43. | :09:45. | |
interested to see that the ability for the Republic of Ireland and the | :09:46. | :09:48. | |
United Kingdom to make arrangements in relation to the Common Travel | :09:49. | :09:52. | |
Area is something that has been recognised in previous EU | :09:53. | :09:57. | |
agreements. And, therefore, I think it is with that approach that we | :09:58. | :10:01. | |
take to this in securing the Common Travel Area and underlining the | :10:02. | :10:05. | |
importance of it to our European partners and securing its future, | :10:06. | :10:08. | |
which I am positive we can do. Geoff Smyth. Number two, Mr Speaker. The | :10:09. | :10:17. | |
economy in Northern Ireland continues to grow, since 2010. There | :10:18. | :10:22. | |
are 54,000 more people in work and over the year the employment rate | :10:23. | :10:25. | |
has increased and the claimant count is now falling for the ninth | :10:26. | :10:31. | |
consecutive month. This party is committed to working with Northern | :10:32. | :10:34. | |
Ireland parties for political stability and key to bringing | :10:35. | :10:36. | |
further growth and investment in Northern Ireland. Geoff Smyth. 33.4% | :10:37. | :10:43. | |
of all exports from Northern Ireland go south across the border, 54.7% go | :10:44. | :10:48. | |
to the EU, meaning the EU will affect Northern Ireland more than | :10:49. | :10:51. | |
any other region in the UK. The previous answer was pretty vague, | :10:52. | :10:55. | |
somewhat specific steps will the Secretary of State take to ensure | :10:56. | :10:58. | |
those exports are protected in order to protect inward investment? | :10:59. | :11:05. | |
The specifics about the mechanism are for the negotiation. What we | :11:06. | :11:09. | |
should understand is that Northern Ireland produce high-quality goods, | :11:10. | :11:14. | |
have a high skilled employment base and it will be successful and we | :11:15. | :11:20. | |
will facilitate that. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Will the | :11:21. | :11:25. | |
Minister agree with me that the news from Northern Ireland is seen and | :11:26. | :11:29. | |
read and heard across the world, and isn't it important, therefore, that | :11:30. | :11:33. | |
the institutions do get up and running again straight after the | :11:34. | :11:36. | |
forthcoming elections to give confidence to potential investors | :11:37. | :11:40. | |
right across the world that Northern Ireland is indeed a great place to | :11:41. | :11:47. | |
invest? Thank you. Can I thank you for the question. I know my Right | :11:48. | :11:52. | |
Honourable friend is a very wise gentleman on issues of Northern | :11:53. | :11:54. | |
Ireland and makes a massive contribution. He is right to say we | :11:55. | :11:59. | |
can do much from Westminster, but it will be the parties in Northern | :12:00. | :12:01. | |
Ireland that need to take responsibility and need to come | :12:02. | :12:04. | |
together and guide the economic growth that is so needed in Northern | :12:05. | :12:06. | |
Ireland. As the Secretary of State noted, | :12:07. | :12:14. | |
there is an assembly election now to be followed by negotiations on Mr -- | :12:15. | :12:19. | |
ministerial responsibilities that uncertain times, can the Minister | :12:20. | :12:23. | |
for assurances that austerity will not be the rock on which peace | :12:24. | :12:31. | |
founders, will funding for other policy imperative Spieth? Will he | :12:32. | :12:38. | |
ensure that they can function properly on financial terms? This is | :12:39. | :12:42. | |
absolutely committed to developing an economy that works for everybody | :12:43. | :12:48. | |
everybody in the United Kingdom. We have implemented, or implementing, | :12:49. | :12:54. | |
and industrial strategy which is a massive part of Northern Ireland and | :12:55. | :12:59. | |
I welcome the consultation launched in Northern Ireland as well. The | :13:00. | :13:02. | |
economy in Northern Ireland is strong. There's a desire between the | :13:03. | :13:06. | |
UK Government and Republic of Ireland to make sure that we have a | :13:07. | :13:10. | |
constructive and positive relationship in future. My right | :13:11. | :13:16. | |
honourable friend would be aware that the main parties in Northern | :13:17. | :13:19. | |
Ireland have endorsed the devolution of corporation tax powers to the | :13:20. | :13:23. | |
assembly, which would have a transformative effect on the economy | :13:24. | :13:26. | |
of Northern Ireland. Does he agree that it would be a tragedy if the | :13:27. | :13:31. | |
chance to do so were lost due to the lack of a functioning executive and | :13:32. | :13:37. | |
assembly? The government believes that a reduced rate of corporation | :13:38. | :13:42. | |
tax to 12.5% in Northern Ireland could have a significant benefit for | :13:43. | :13:46. | |
jobs, investment and growth. I hope that we can return to the wider | :13:47. | :13:50. | |
progress that we want to make on this issue following the assembly | :13:51. | :13:53. | |
election and formation of a new executive. Does the Minister accept | :13:54. | :14:00. | |
that with unemployment in Northern Ireland at its lowest level since | :14:01. | :14:05. | |
2008, Northern Ireland has posted the highest increase of exports in | :14:06. | :14:09. | |
any region of the United Kingdom last year. But the executive was | :14:10. | :14:15. | |
making real, substantial progress in improving the economy of Northern | :14:16. | :14:21. | |
Ireland in the previous two years? I recognise all of those statistics, | :14:22. | :14:26. | |
and I think that it is important that we constantly reiterate the | :14:27. | :14:29. | |
positive position Northern Ireland is in. I want to see members of this | :14:30. | :14:35. | |
house, and the people of Northern Ireland want to see, the assembly | :14:36. | :14:38. | |
come back together and guidance and leadership to grow the economy. | :14:39. | :14:45. | |
Nigel Dodds? We share that aspiration, we want to see | :14:46. | :14:49. | |
devolution up and running and jobs and investment, he would understand | :14:50. | :14:53. | |
our frustration and the people of Northern Ireland's frustration and | :14:54. | :14:56. | |
anger that the good progress we were making has been put in peril, jobs | :14:57. | :15:01. | |
and investment, as a result of Sinn Fein's decision to cause an | :15:02. | :15:08. | |
unnecessarily election. Will he work with us to make sure that people's | :15:09. | :15:11. | |
jobs, investment in Northern Ireland, is improved? Mr Speaker, | :15:12. | :15:17. | |
I'm not going to get involved in the politics of Northern Ireland about | :15:18. | :15:20. | |
why it fell down but what is important is the people of Northern | :15:21. | :15:24. | |
Ireland want leadership from their politicians in Northern Ireland. I | :15:25. | :15:27. | |
can promise the honourable gentleman, the right honourable | :15:28. | :15:31. | |
gentleman, the Secretary of State and myself will do everything we can | :15:32. | :15:34. | |
to ensure a strong assembly offering leadership in Northern Ireland. Mr | :15:35. | :15:44. | |
Speaker, I start by asking for heartfelt apologies for a mistaken | :15:45. | :15:47. | |
statement last week when he said a member of the PS and I had been | :15:48. | :15:50. | |
killed. I'm sure that the host would agree that we want to see good | :15:51. | :15:57. | |
progress and wish him and his family well -- PSNI. A much bigger | :15:58. | :16:02. | |
day-to-day threat is the burden placed on businesses by the crushing | :16:03. | :16:06. | |
cost of energy in Northern Ireland. Electricity | :16:07. | :16:10. | |
generators are costing 50% more than the EU average with... Will you | :16:11. | :16:22. | |
urgently impress the need to rename these fat cat properties? Mr | :16:23. | :16:30. | |
Speaker, we will do everything we can to make sure that there is a | :16:31. | :16:33. | |
good economic link between the Republic of Ireland and Northern | :16:34. | :16:39. | |
Ireland address will stop the common economic connector is an important | :16:40. | :16:41. | |
part of that and we will work together to resolve the issue. Mr | :16:42. | :16:52. | |
Speaker, we are determined Northern Ireland's voice will be heard. All | :16:53. | :16:55. | |
of the devolved administrations will be fully engaged in the process of | :16:56. | :17:00. | |
preparing to leave the EU. We will continue to consult the devolved | :17:01. | :17:04. | |
administrations, including through the joint ministerial committee on | :17:05. | :17:09. | |
EU negotiations. Steven Gethin. Membership of the single market is | :17:10. | :17:12. | |
obviously critical in accordance with Northern Ireland. Given the | :17:13. | :17:17. | |
commitment to the Common travel area, will be Minister tell us what | :17:18. | :17:22. | |
blockages remain aside from political blockages to Scotland and | :17:23. | :17:25. | |
Northern Ireland remaining part of the single market? Mr Speaker, the | :17:26. | :17:32. | |
Prime Minister was, I think, very robust in the stance that she took | :17:33. | :17:36. | |
on wanting to see the freest and best possible trading arrangements | :17:37. | :17:43. | |
in the EU, to allow companies to trade within the EU. And I hope that | :17:44. | :17:47. | |
is something that the honourable gentleman would support. If the | :17:48. | :17:50. | |
honourable lady Faubert wrist and Edmonds will stand, I will call her, | :17:51. | :17:56. | |
otherwise I will not -- honourable lady for Bury St Edmunds. Does he | :17:57. | :18:02. | |
agree that Northern Ireland remains a great place to do business and we | :18:03. | :18:05. | |
should do all we can to ensure this continues after we leave the EU? I | :18:06. | :18:11. | |
do absolutely agree, Northern Ireland is a great place to do | :18:12. | :18:16. | |
business and there are some amazing companies, entrepreneurs, | :18:17. | :18:18. | |
businesses. That is why we want to see Northern Ireland continue to | :18:19. | :18:22. | |
grow and flourish and have an executive in place at the earliest | :18:23. | :18:28. | |
opportunity to achieve that. In a statement on January the 17th this | :18:29. | :18:32. | |
year, the secretary of state said that he would, and I quote, continue | :18:33. | :18:36. | |
to have engagements across the community with business, voluntary | :18:37. | :18:41. | |
and community sectors and, more broadly, to continue to listen to | :18:42. | :18:44. | |
and reflect upon the views of people in Northern Ireland. Can he tell us | :18:45. | :18:50. | |
what meetings he had with communities in Northern Ireland | :18:51. | :18:52. | |
since then and what meetings he plans between now and the assembly | :18:53. | :18:57. | |
election? We continue to have meetings with our community Round | :18:58. | :19:01. | |
Table, community sector Round Table, and only last week I met | :19:02. | :19:04. | |
representatives of the business community through my business | :19:05. | :19:08. | |
advisory group. I am clear on continuing to listen intently to | :19:09. | :19:13. | |
views across Northern Ireland and help inform our approach as we look | :19:14. | :19:17. | |
at negotiations with the EU ahead. Sinn Fein's decision to unilaterally | :19:18. | :19:22. | |
collapse the Northern Ireland Executive means they have excluded | :19:23. | :19:30. | |
themselves with any discussions on Article 50. Can the Secretary of | :19:31. | :19:34. | |
State continue to work closely with Northern Ireland parties, along with | :19:35. | :19:38. | |
the Brexit secretary, to ensure our voices heard steeply and fully on | :19:39. | :19:44. | |
that important matter? The joint ministerial committee met earlier | :19:45. | :19:47. | |
this week in a plenary session and I was pleased to see representation on | :19:48. | :19:53. | |
the behalf of Northern Ireland. We want that to continue. And for this | :19:54. | :19:59. | |
house we will continue to listen to views of honourable and right | :20:00. | :20:01. | |
honourable member is to ensure that we carefully reflect on Northern | :20:02. | :20:08. | |
Ireland's voice ahead. Although the fog of Brexit has cast the land into | :20:09. | :20:15. | |
shadow, life must go one. Further to the secretary of state's comments, | :20:16. | :20:18. | |
he will accept the JNC is currently the main body of consultation in | :20:19. | :20:22. | |
devolved institutions but this body has no authority. No orders. No | :20:23. | :20:30. | |
fixed rules. Will the secretary of state committed to formalising the | :20:31. | :20:35. | |
role of the JNC, the crucial body during the current negotiations in | :20:36. | :20:42. | |
these dark days? I say to the honourable gentleman that the joint | :20:43. | :20:45. | |
ministerial committee operates between each of the different | :20:46. | :20:49. | |
nations of the UK, and how it regulates those relations and how we | :20:50. | :20:52. | |
do see it as playing an important role, not just now but in future as | :20:53. | :20:56. | |
well, with European negotiations part of that seeking to ensure that | :20:57. | :21:02. | |
the voice is heard loud and clear. Of devolved administrations to get | :21:03. | :21:05. | |
the best arrangements for all areas of the UK. Question five, Mr | :21:06. | :21:13. | |
Speaker? Mr Speaker, I know the whole house will join me in | :21:14. | :21:17. | |
condemning the despicable shooting of a police officer in north Belfast | :21:18. | :21:23. | |
on Sunday the 22nd of January. Our thoughts are with the injured | :21:24. | :21:26. | |
officer who remains in hospital, and also with his family and colleagues. | :21:27. | :21:32. | |
I and my officials have regular discussions with the Justice | :21:33. | :21:33. | |
minister, the constable, and others as we work to | :21:34. | :21:42. | |
keep Northern Ireland safe and secure. My right honourable friend | :21:43. | :21:45. | |
will have the support of the whole house, I know, when he speaks so | :21:46. | :21:48. | |
warmly of the police officer who was brutally attacked recently. I know | :21:49. | :21:54. | |
he is working closely with intelligence services, military and | :21:55. | :21:58. | |
police to ensure security in the region. | :21:59. | :21:59. | |
Could he tell me more about what he is doing to take the security of an | :22:00. | :22:05. | |
important part of the UK? I commend the work of the police service in | :22:06. | :22:08. | |
Northern Ireland and security services and other agencies to keep | :22:09. | :22:13. | |
Northern Ireland safe. There is a severe level of terror threat in | :22:14. | :22:17. | |
Northern Ireland as this appalling incident underlines. I will continue | :22:18. | :22:23. | |
to work with all partners to secure that safe and secure Northern | :22:24. | :22:27. | |
Ireland we want to see, and spoke to the Chief Constable on this issue | :22:28. | :22:32. | |
only this morning. May I gently remind the house... Order! We are | :22:33. | :22:35. | |
discussing the security situation in Northern Ireland, a matter of | :22:36. | :22:41. | |
enormous importance and gravity. Perhaps we can respond accordingly? | :22:42. | :22:48. | |
Mr Vernon Coaker. May I join with the secretary of state in utterly | :22:49. | :22:52. | |
condemning the disgraceful, what was a terrorist attack, on a police | :22:53. | :22:57. | |
officer in Northern Ireland. In that light, can the secretary of state | :22:58. | :23:02. | |
tell me, and tell the house, what response he will make to the Chief | :23:03. | :23:07. | |
Constable's comments in the Belfast Telegraph this morning, where he | :23:08. | :23:11. | |
talked about the need to ensure that more people from the community have | :23:12. | :23:15. | |
the confidence to come forward and speak to police and security | :23:16. | :23:19. | |
services about these matters? I agree entirely with a number of | :23:20. | :23:23. | |
points that the right honourable gentleman has made. This was an | :23:24. | :23:27. | |
utterly despicable act, and an attack on the whole community. It | :23:28. | :23:32. | |
should be seen as such. The Chief Constable has made those points | :23:33. | :23:35. | |
about people feeling comfortable in coming forward and there is an | :23:36. | :23:39. | |
ongoing investigation which is very life. We are looking at confronting | :23:40. | :23:44. | |
paramilitaries. To see that people have the comfort to come forward | :23:45. | :23:52. | |
which needs to continue. What assessment has my honourable friend | :23:53. | :23:56. | |
made of the current security situation in Northern Ireland? My | :23:57. | :23:59. | |
honourable friend will wish to know that we have a severe level of | :24:00. | :24:03. | |
threat in Northern Ireland from terror. The appalling attack that we | :24:04. | :24:07. | |
saw on a young and brave police officer only in the last fortnight, | :24:08. | :24:12. | |
I think, underlines the nature of the attack and how they arrive those | :24:13. | :24:18. | |
who are there who would commit acts of violence against police, members | :24:19. | :24:22. | |
of the Armed Forces, and also prison officers and how we need to be | :24:23. | :24:25. | |
vigilant against the threat. Does the member for South down wish to | :24:26. | :24:31. | |
contribute on the next question? We may not get there, we will see! Mark | :24:32. | :24:37. | |
Durkan? May I join the condemnation on that deplorable attack on the | :24:38. | :24:43. | |
police officer. Let me pay quick tribute to my constituent opponent | :24:44. | :24:49. | |
and now former fellow Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness for the | :24:50. | :24:52. | |
calibre and tenure of his service and wish him well in his personal | :24:53. | :24:57. | |
battle. In terms of the question about meeting executive ministers, | :24:58. | :25:00. | |
does the secretary of state recognise that he will be meeting | :25:01. | :25:03. | |
ministers who have taken a pledge to uphold the rule of law, based on how | :25:04. | :25:09. | |
it is on impartiality and democratic ability, and will he meet the same | :25:10. | :25:18. | |
benchmark and remove commentary? I am clear on upholding the rule of | :25:19. | :25:23. | |
law, seeing that we support our agencies which have that | :25:24. | :25:25. | |
independence to be able to pursue evidence where they see it. Indeed, | :25:26. | :25:30. | |
the very life investigation which is ongoing to get to the bottom and | :25:31. | :25:33. | |
hold bows to account for this appalling act against this brave | :25:34. | :25:39. | |
PSNI officer doing his duty, upholding the law in the community. | :25:40. | :25:44. | |
It isn't the job faced by police in Northern Ireland, keeping people | :25:45. | :25:48. | |
safe, made harder by the tenancies of Northern Ireland courts to let | :25:49. | :25:53. | |
terrorists out on bail? Sometimes only weeks after an original arrest | :25:54. | :25:58. | |
has taken place? I think that there are important issues which need to | :25:59. | :26:03. | |
be examined and addressed in relation to the criminal justice | :26:04. | :26:07. | |
system. Bail is part of that but sentencing and the time it takes for | :26:08. | :26:11. | |
cases to proceed, which is something we will continue to work with the | :26:12. | :26:14. | |
executive, to see that progress can be made. Thank you Mr Speaker. The | :26:15. | :26:26. | |
honourable lady can scarcely be heard by anybody, let alone the | :26:27. | :26:35. | |
Minister. Lady Hermon. In dealing with the security situation in | :26:36. | :26:38. | |
Northern Ireland, the secretary of state would recognise how important | :26:39. | :26:42. | |
it is that the Northern Ireland Office sends out it very clear | :26:43. | :26:45. | |
message that the rule of law prevails in Northern Ireland. So, | :26:46. | :26:49. | |
would he kindly take the opportunity to put on the record his full | :26:50. | :26:54. | |
confidence in the independence and integrity of the Lord chief of | :26:55. | :27:01. | |
justice and indeed the DPP? I am very happy to do so, in clear and | :27:02. | :27:05. | |
unequivocal terms. It is essential that we uphold the rule of law | :27:06. | :27:09. | |
without fear or favour, and I absolutely support the work of | :27:10. | :27:13. | |
police and all of those responsible for taking it forward and seeing | :27:14. | :27:18. | |
those who are committing those acts we discussed this morning are held | :27:19. | :27:22. | |
to account and brought to justice. Thank you Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, on | :27:23. | :27:26. | |
Monday I met a woman whose mother was killed 46 years ago. Does the | :27:27. | :27:33. | |
secretary of state understand that there will be no real peace unless | :27:34. | :27:38. | |
we deal with the past? To that end, can I ask, will he commit to the | :27:39. | :27:45. | |
need to ensure the fullest possible public access to the papers relating | :27:46. | :27:49. | |
to the Kingsmill murders and deliver an effective route to the families | :27:50. | :27:54. | |
of those who lost loved ones in Bali Murphy, so that they can reach some | :27:55. | :27:59. | |
form of closure? I thank the right honourable gentleman and the message | :28:00. | :28:03. | |
that he gives, the raw pain and emotion which continues to be felt | :28:04. | :28:08. | |
by so many of those affected by the troubles, that is one I equally | :28:09. | :28:11. | |
recognise and see. It's important that we can make progress in | :28:12. | :28:15. | |
relation to the Stormont house legacy bodies and will continue to | :28:16. | :28:18. | |
make representations to the Irish government over a range of issues | :28:19. | :28:21. | |
and I note that point he raced with me this morning. Questions to the | :28:22. | :28:30. | |
Prime Minister? Mr Peter Heaton Jones. Question number one Mr | :28:31. | :28:34. | |
Speaker... Thank you Mr Speaker. I am sure that the whole house would | :28:35. | :28:39. | |
join me in offering our condolences to the families and friends of those | :28:40. | :28:42. | |
who lost their lives and were injured in the gun attack in Qu bec | :28:43. | :28:48. | |
city on Sunday. And in paying tribute to our former colleague. | :28:49. | :28:51. |