Live Northern Ireland Questions House of Commons

Damian Moore who will talk about the

security situation in Northern

Ireland.

Order. Questions to the Secretary of

State for Northern Ireland. Damian

Moore.

Mr Speaker, the threat from

Northern Ireland related terrorism

continues to be severe within

Northern Ireland, meaning an attack

is highly likely. This government

will always give the fullest

possible support to the brave men

and women of the PF Nite and MI5. We

remain fully committed to keep

people safe and secure and ensuring

that terrorism never succeeds -- the

brave men and women of the PSNI.

Will he agree with me that while

much of our time and focus related

to international terrorism threats,

it is vital we do not lose sight of

the very real and continuing threat

from the dissidents in Northern

Ireland and in that context, will he

commend the ongoing work of the

police service for Northern Ireland

in disrupting their activities?

I

absolutely will. There have been

five confirmed national security

attacks so far in 2017 and a small

number of dissident republican

terrorist groupings continue their

campaign of violence. The threat is

suppressed by the brave efforts of

the PSNI and others and the

strategic approach we pursue. A

Police Service of Northern Ireland

and others who work to keep people

safe have our full support for the

public service they give.

The

Secretary of State will be aware

that a significant proportion of the

resources available to the Police

Service of Northern Ireland to fight

terrorism has to go towards

investigating legacy cases. We'll be

Secretary of State give a commitment

that any money used for legacy will

be replaced to ensure that the PSNI

has the resources it needs to combat

the existing terrorist threat?

Well,

he may know that we have committed

specific funds to deal with Northern

Ireland rated terrorism, an extra

£32 million per year over the

five-year spending review period.

The point he makes about legacy is a

valid and important one. It is why I

know this is a shared approach we

both have in wanting to see the

legacy, the Stormont House bodies,

the new approach to legacy taken

forward and that's what I want to

see in the New Year.

He will be well

aware of the potential security

implications of the bombarding a

Boeing dispute. In her telephone

conversation with a president

yesterday, was our Right honourable

friend able to raise her concerns

with him directly.

I know there have

been various discussions with the US

Canadian authorities and Bombari

itself in relation to the continuing

dispute. We see this as unjustified

and unwarranted. Hush macro

Bombardier. We continue to challenge

this and underline our key focus and

endeavour and seeing that there's

important jobs within Belfast are

protected.

Does the Secretary of

State expects to still have access

to the European arrest warrant to

bring back criminals and terrorists

who reside in the Irish Republic and

commit acts in Northern Ireland?

He

will know the cross-border work

and

I really commend the work of the

PSNI in terms of what they do in

delivering security on the island of

Ireland. We know there is close

Corporation that does point to a

number of EU related structures.

That is why we want to see a new

treaty established that is able to

respond and address that, knowing

the significance and wasn't a

deepening that relationship into the

future. -- the significance and

importance of deepening that

relationship in the future. I will

answer questions two and ate

together. We have been clear that

the UK as a whole will we leaving

the customs union and single market.

We want our future relationship with

the EU to be a deep and special

partnership that works all part of

the UK while recognising Northern

Ireland's unique circumstantial.

Is,

at the end of this process, Northern

Ireland remains aligned to the

single market and Customs union

while the rest of the UK does not,

what impact stuff government believe

this will have on the Northern Irish

economy?

As the joint report

highlighted last week, there are

three steps around this in terms of

the free trade agreement we want to

reach, then in terms of providing

responses that meet the unique

circumstances in Northern Ireland

and finally the issue of alignment.

We believe it is possible and we

will address all of these issues to

ensure we don't have a hard border.

We have that frictionless border but

actually maximise that trading

relationship without creating any

new barriers between Northern

Ireland and Great Britain where

there is that reliance on trade

which is so important to the

economy.

Could I ask the Secretary

of State whether his office has

shown more diligence than the

Department for exiting the European

Union in producing an impact

assessment on the effects to the

Northern Ireland economy and all

eventualities of leaving the

European Union and if not, why not?

I know that this issue of impact

assessments is one that has been

debated in this House previously.

There are known impact -- there are

no impact assessments, the

Department for exiting the EU has...

We need the right deal for Northern

Ireland and the right deal for the

UK as a whole.

Could he confirm that

trade between Northern Ireland and

Great Britain within the UK single

market is worth five times as much

as the trade between Northern

Ireland and the Republic.

I can say

to my honourable friend that yes,

the trade economic activity between

Northern Ireland and Great Britain

are several times more than that in

relation to Ireland. The point is we

look to strengthen the whole

economy. Equally, as the UK leave

the European Union, we want to see

the Irish economy having that access

as well to Great Britain, the

reliance replaced Dundee placed upon

that and how we succeed and prosper

as we leave the European Union.

Isn't it the case that he is right

to highlight that Northern Ireland's

rightful places to make sure it is

aligned with the rules of the

Leicester the United Kingdom and

that is why we have had a clear

manifesto commitment to do nothing

to damage the single market of the

United Kingdom.

I agree with him and

indeed I think of that principle

being enunciated firmly through the

joint report and that is the

approach we will take as we move

into phase two of the negotiations.

As we prepare to exit the European

Union it would be far better if the

Northern Ireland assembly was clear

so can you comment on the report by

Trevor Rainey on NLA's pay and can

he bear in mind that the same

principles that apply to NLA macro

-- that apply to ten three -- MLA

apply to this place.

I agree that we

want to see that executive restored,

we will be approaching this in

earnest in the New Year to see that

re-established. It matters in

different levels and the highlight

the issue over the report. I commend

him for providing that report and I

will be considering the responses

carefully.

As well as the assembly,

not having the executive ministers

in place is a major disadvantage to

Northern Ireland. He knows if the

assembly were called tomorrow, the

DUP would re-enter government and so

would many of the other parties

apart from Sinn Fein, that's a

dereliction of duty on their part

for which they have to answer. Would

he accept that if we do not have an

executive up and running very

quickly that he will have to step in

and provide ministers in the

Northern Ireland Office to direct

departments in the province?

I know

very firmly that there are an

increasing number of decisions that

need to be taken. That has been

highlighted this week by the

Northern Ireland civil service

publishing a consultation around

budgetary issues sowing some of the

determinations that need to be taken

by want to see ministers and

executive up and running as quickly

as possible to do that and that

needs to happen quickly...

If the

Irish border deal means no

regulatory divergences I to Brexit,

can he tell us where the regulatory

divergences between the UK and the

EU will be? Will it be the Irish Sea

quest doesn't mean Northern Ireland

are staying in the customs union and

single market or does it mean the UK

will simply adhere to the rules of

the customs union and the bull

market after Brexit without having

any input into the roles?

I know the

Prime Minister did deal with this in

a statement on Monday but we will be

leaving the customs union and single

market and she talks about

divergences, actually what the joint

report says is alignment, which is

about pursuing the same alignment

studded objectives, it could be the

same way that it could be different,

it is about achieving as positive

objectives.

As you well know,

agriculture is more important in

Northern Ireland than to any part of

the UK and is more aligned in

Northern Ireland on farm payments

and any other part of the UK said

30,000 Ulster farmers need certainty

about what Brexit will mean for

them. In her Florence speech, the

Prime Minister reassured that

transition would mean it would occur

under the existing structures of EU

rules and regulations, including, I

presume, the Common Agricultural

Policy but on Monday the Prime

Minister said the opposite. She said

that on March 29, 2019, we will be

leading the common and cultural

policy. Which one is right?

They are both right. We have said

very clearly we are leaving the

common agricultural policy but we

have also said that we will maintain

payments through to 2020 in relation

to those arrangement and the Right

Honourable gentleman wants to look

back at what the Prime Minister said

about the interim period, the

implementation period about

maintaining the same arrangements, I

think it will answer the question

that he will have posed.

That cannot

be correct, it cannot be right that

we will both be under exactly the

same EU rules and regulations, which

is what the Prime Minister said in

Florence, and that we will be

leaving the common agricultural

policy. But if it is true that we

are leaving the common agricultural

policy, 30,000 Ulster families and

farmers need to know how they are

going to pay their mortgages and

meet their other commitments in just

15 months. This is a complete

shambles. The banister will be here

in a minute, can he tell her to sort

this out?

Mr Speaker, the only

shambles is the approach of the

opposition to Brexit. I know at

this... I know at this time of the

year that many people will mark the

12 days of Christmas. We have had at

least 12 different approaches on

Brexit from Labour. I say to the

honourable gentleman, yes, we will

be leaving the common agricultural

policy as the Prime Minister said on

Monday but she also underlined our

commitment in relation to those

direct payments. That transition and

indeed the providing of certainty

and for the right honourable

gentleman, providing scaremongering

does nothing to do this

they are too

long.

My own position on this issue is

clear, I voted in support of

same-sex marriage in England and

Wales and like mice right honourable

friend banister, we hope this can be

to Northern Ireland in the future.

Marriage should be a common right

across the UK but the fundamental

position remains, same-sex marriage

is at the valve tissue in Northern

Ireland.

If I my husband and I...

No

reference of the manager will be

included on any certificate issued

and my husband would be recorded as

a surviving civil partner for ten

years of marriage is wiped out by

the stroke of a pen. Does the

Minister agree that if the D U P are

not interested, this is a good place

to start.

I do very much sympathise

with this issue and share the

frustration that is encapsulated in

the letter that I have just had to

read out. This is not the time to be

on picking the demolition settlement

on this issue. This is rightly for a

future executive to look at and the

executive can be brought back up to

do this and many other very

important issues.

I should welcome assurances from the

Minister that she and her Secretary

of State have already met with the

leaders of the four main churches to

discuss the very sensitive issue

since -- same-sex marriage in

Northern Ireland.

I can confirm that

my right honourable friend and the

Department have regular contact with

church leaders on this at an

important issue but I do return to

the point that this is for the

devolved administration, a future

devolved government to be able to

look at.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We speak

regularly with counterpart and the

Irish government on a range of

issues, as the Prime Minister has

said, we will maintain the Common

travel area, there will be no hard

border between Northern Ireland and

Ireland and zero new borders within

the United Kingdom.

Mr Speaker, I'm

grateful to the Secretary of State

and the Minister making very clear

about no hard borders within Ireland

and the United Kingdom. Will she

make it very clear that a hard

Brexit for the United Kingdom would

be incompatible with the statement

she has just made. It's important we

have that clarity.

Mr Speaker, I

think my right honourable friend,

the Prime Minister, has given that

clarity and she was at the dispatch

box and low this week and we don't

need to talk about hard or soft

Brexit, we are out to get the best

possible deal for all parts of the

United Kingdom.

Is it not the case

they already are different tariffs,

for example, on petrol and diesel

and yet there is an open border.

Surely the best way to ensure that

there is an open border this to make

sure that we have a comprehensive

free trade agreement with the rest

of the European Union.

I think my

right honourable friend is I think

my right honourable friend is I

think my right honourable friend is

I think my right honourable friend

is correct on two counts. There is

already cooperation he mentions the

way that we have to deal with fuel

but he's also absolutely correct. A

free trade agreement is what we

want, a comprehensive deal which is

what is laid out in the agreement

the Prime Minister has brought back

from Brussels and which is what the

work ahead is.

Minister, in light of

recent comments by the Irish Prime

Minister and the Secretary of State

and Deputy Prime Minister, they have

indicated that they will draw border

down the middle of the Irish Sea.

Can I ask that those sorts of

comments do not give much confidence

back to the people of Northern

Ireland and the Unionist community

that I represent, who want to be an

integral part of the United Kingdom.

I can reassure the honourable

gentleman that we in this house want

to see no new borders inside the

United Kingdom, we think that the

union is a precious thing that must

be preserved. I will also just

notice, the honourable gentleman

from Rochdale, the relationship we

have with the Irish government and

want to continue to have with the

Irish government should be one of

close partners, we should work

together to ensure the prosperity of

the people in Northern Ireland and I

shall leave it to the Irish

government to continue to hold that

strong relationship with us.

I will

call the honourable gentleman on the

understanding that his question

consists of a single short sentence.

Given that the vast majority of

trade goes from the Republic to the

north in terms of coming to the UK,

can my honourable friend confirm

that we will have no need for a hard

border and the only prospect of a

hard border is if the EU sets one up

in southern Ireland.

To keep the

answer short, this should be shared

endeavour to ensure a future trade

deal which has benefits for the

people of the entirety of the United

Kingdom, that's what we want see. As

the Prime Minister made clear, we

are seeking a bold and ambitious

free trade agreement that is of

greater scope and ambition than any

existing agreement. We're determined

to reach a deal that works for the

people of Northern Ireland and the

UK as a whole.

At the first select

committee this morning, the

Environment Secretary made clear

that the class, plus,, Canada and

bringing art to include agriculture

which is important in Northern

Ireland, what steps is the Secretary

of State for Northern Ireland doing

to make sure it is not included in

any future deal.

I agree with what

the honourable Eddie has said.

Agriculture is a key part of the

economy within Northern Ireland and

something we highlighted very firmly

in August paper and want to take

forward in the negotiations.

In

assessing the evidence around the

potential trade deal of this nature,

did he conclude that we have

successfully offered the Common

travel area for decades between

ourselves and Ireland and can do a

similar deal and any hard border in

Ireland it is between Dublin and

Brussels are not London and Belfast.

We are pleased the joint principles

on the continuation of the Common

travel area after the UK leaves were

highlighted in the report very

firmly, and there is that joint

endeavour and that's what we would

be pursuing. Considering companies

that benefit from the Canadian- EU

trade deal, in my constituency, it

benefits greatly from that

relationship. Will the Secretary of

State not only continue in his

current support for bombarded, make

sure that any future trade

agreements do nothing that will

interfere in such an important part

of our local economy.

I agree with

the honourable gentleman in regard

to bombard ear and thank the work he

has done in this important issue and

the attention of others will make

sure we have the protection of the

Northern Ireland economy and jobs.

This government is committed to

building an economy fit for the

future right across the United

Kingdom. That is clear from our

industrial strategy and further

benefits for Northern Ireland in the

Chancellor's budget. Ultimately the

key requirement for stronger growth

is political stability and their

return to the team that we should

see devolution restored.

With the Minister join with me in

welcoming the Labour figure showing

3.9 down from some over 7% in 2010

and would she agree with me with

this study yesterday, it exemplifies

the fact we're ready for growth and

providing jobs in this country and

it's a testament to Northern Ireland

business is growing a strong

economy.

I do join my honourable

friend in remarking that. The very

important figures we have seen with

the unemployment rate in Northern

Ireland. It is down to 3.9% for over

7% in early 2010. Lower in the UK as

a whole. It is also down to a

government that takes a balanced

approach to public spending unlike

the Labour Party and we wish to see

more of that.

Strong economy require

stable politics. Pretty's all this

running newspaper which they could

categorically that the Deputy Prime

Minister of the Republic of Ireland

needs to be slapped down by Her

Majesty's government for the

comments it is making that is

destabilising the economy of

Northern Ireland.

I think the

simplest thing to say here is that

we stand behind, fully behind, the

Belfast agreement and we do have a

strong relationship with the Irish

government which we wish to see

continued but my honourable friend

across the House is correct,

political stability is required for

a strong economy. We as a government

are committed to building an economy

that works for everyone and we would

like to see a devolved

administration in Northern Ireland

able to do the same.

That's all very

well but the Secretary of State

earlier referred to the statement

made yesterday by the Northern

Ireland civil service, which is

casting a dark pall over Northern

Ireland. Will he take this

opportunity to say that when they

suggest ways of balancing the books

by February, the government will

rule out grabbing the free bus pass,

scrapping reintroducing prescription

charges?

There are indeed important

challenges to be faced to secure

sustainable finances in Northern

Ireland for the long-term. Technical

challenges requires political

decisions and that's why we should

wish to see a restored

administration in Stormont.

I will

take question seven and nine to go

there.

Customs as a matter for phase

two of the withdrawal negotiations,

the government is committed to make

sure there is no border.

When even

the government accepts the proposals

for our border are untested and go

beyond existing precedents, you can

see why business is read into that

undeliverable and single market

Customs and membership is involved.

Given the Minister says such

membership is not necessary, what

progress has been made in terms of

designing the terms of the

solutions?

A lot of progress has

been made, setting that framework

that will take us into phase two

with customs and other arrangements

to make sure we do not have any

physical infrastructure on the

border and seedy open trading

relationship. Grouped with this

question, Peter Grant.

The select

committee visited Northern Ireland a

few weeks ago and we spoke to

somebody who was anxious that any

state is a toll on the Irish border

would be seen as big step. Would the

Secretary of State agree that the

reddest of the red lines in the

negotiations must be the maintenance

of the Good Friday Agreement.

I do

agree on terms of the maintenance of

the Good Friday Agreement, the

Belfast agreement, not seeing any

hard border re-emerging and that is

what has been reflected into the

joint report.

We should hear from

the former chair of the select

committee, the final enquiry on this

section today. Mr Laurence

Robertson.

Question number ten.

I

have no current plans to propose any

changes to the devolution

settlement, this would be a matter

for discussion between the main

Northern Ireland parties and the UK

Government in accordance with the

Belfast agreement.

Thank you for

that answer but given that the

feeling of the executive and the SME

to exist at the moment is

detrimental to Northern Ireland and

given that it is only one party in

Northern Ireland which is refusing

to make it function or to allow it

to function, isn't it time to look

at the Belfast agreement and see if

we can evolve it so that in future

the assembly and the executive will

continue to serve the people of

Northern Ireland.

The former chair

of the select committee was not hurt

and hushed in reverential tones but

we might have to wait until 2018 for

that.

I agree with what my right

honourable friend has said in terms

of the need to seek devolved

government restored. That is where

the focus needs to remain an high as

a government we will be doing all

that we can and re-injecting