Lords Northern Ireland Statement House of Lords

My lords I will repeat a statement made by my honourable friend the

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the other place. The

statement is as follows. Since the Northern Ireland Assembly election

on 2nd mar, I have been encouraged in talks with the political parties

and the Irish Government. In line with the well-established

three-stranded approach. There has been one clear purpose - to

re-establish an inclusive, devolved administration at Stormont in

accordance with the 1998 Belfast agreement. Progress has been made on

a number of issues, these include on a budget, a programme for

government, and ways of improving transparency and accountability. We

have seen further steps forward on agreeing a way to implement the

Stormont House legacy bodies to provide better outcomes for victims

and survivors of the Troubles. In addition, progress was made about

around the parties may come together to represent Northern Ireland in our

negotiations to leave the EU, which is so important in the context of

Article 50 being triggered tomorrow. That said, it is also clear that

significant gaps remain between the parties, particularly over issues

surrounding culture and identity. Throughout this process the

Government has been active in making positive proposals to try and bridge

the gaps and help the parties to move forward. In law, the period

allowed to form an executive from the date of first sitting of the

Assembly after an election is 14 days. That 14 day period expired

yesterday. With no agreement. And therefore no Executive. This is a

source of deep disappointment and regret to me and I know there is

widespread dismay across the country. From all my engagement

across Northern Ireland, with business, civil society, and members

of public, I am in no doubt inclusive devolved government what

is the majority of the people want to see. Working for them, delivering

on their priorities, and continues the positive progress we have seen

in Northern Ireland over recent years. Devolved institutionings up

and running and -- institutions up and running and serving the

community. But following the passing of the legal deadline, Northern

Ireland has no devolved administration. This means that

other elements of Belfast agreement, including the North/South bodies,

cannot operate properly. The consequences of all this are

potentially serious and we are approaching the point at which

Northern Ireland will not have an agreed budget. From tomorrow, a

civil servant, the department of finance permanent Secretary, will

exercise powers to allocate xash cash to Northern Ireland

departments. This is an interim measure to ensure services are

maintained until such time as a budget is agreed. We are keeping in

contact with the head of the Northern Ireland civil service and

understand the department of finance will be setting out more details

today. But let me be very clear, this situation is not sustainable

and beyond a short period of time will have an impact on public

services. What we are talking about here is the health service, schools,

voluntary groups and services for the most vulnerable in society. This

is not what people voted for on 2nd March. During the course of the past

24 hours, I have spoke on the the leaders of five main Northern

Ireland parties and the Irish Government. I'm encouraged that

there remains a strong willingness to continue engaging in dialogue

with a view to resolving outstanding issues and forming an Executive. But

the window of opportunity is short. It is essential therefore that the

intensity of discussions is stepped up, with renewed intent and focus.

To that end I will continue over coming days to work with the

Northern Ireland parties and the Irish government as appropriate. I

will need to keep the situation under review. But if these talks are

successful, it would be my intention quickly to bring forward legislate

what issing after the Easter recess -- after the Easter recess to avoid

a second election. I am also determined to take forward the

legacy bodies in the Stormont House agreement. I will be involving a

range of interested parties, including the victims' commissioner.

But in the absence of devolved government, it is for the United

Kingdom Government to provide for political stability and good

governance. We do not want to see a return to direct rule. As our

manifesto stated, local policies and local services should be determined

by locally elected politicians through locally accountable

institutions. But should the talks fail, the Government will have to

consider all options. I therefore want to give the House note that is

following the Easter recess as a minimum it would be my intention to

bring forward legislation to set a regional rate to enable local

councils to carry out that you are functions. And to provide further

assurance around the budget for Northern Ireland. It is vital that

devolved government and all the institutions under successive

agreements is returned to Northern Ireland as soon as possible. And the

Government's unrelating focus is on achieving that objective. Northern

Ireland needs strong devolved government to deliver for teachers,

doctors, nurses, businesses, industry and the community. To

ensure that it plays a full role in the affairs of our United Kingdom,

while retaining its strong relationship with Ireland. And to

continue the work of the past two decades to build stronger peaceful

and prosperous future for all. That needs to be the focus of everyone as

we approach the crucial next few days and I sxhend -- commend this

statement to the House. My I thank the minister for repeating this

statement. In keeping with tradition, and practice w the

consensus between all the parties, regarding Northern Ireland, he and I

have a strong relationship, which I think is valued and valuable in the

situation. Bearing in mind that relationship it will be a

disappointment to him that he must stand here to inform us that the

talks to re-establish a devolved administration have not been

success:. . The people of Northern Ireland voted for a devolved

Assembly. If anyone has any doubt of his expectations of the people of

Northern Ireland, all the people of Northern Ireland, they can only find

it useful to speak to Baroness Blood who is well tuned into opinion and

the Lords in this House, specially those from Northern Ireland who can

testify to that need of the whole community.

It is communities and the public services of Northern Ireland that

are suffering the day-to-day reality of this. The minister mentioned the

health service, service struggling with waiting lists whilst waiting

for political leadership to be back in place. We thank the Minister for

notice of the interim measures in place to allocate resources to

Northern Ireland. We agree with his own statement that this is not

sustainable. I would like to ask the Minister about the talks moving

forward. Can I ask what fresh initiatives will be employed to

ensure the next round of talks are dynamic and make progress? We must

ask what will be different about these talks. Can we encourage, in

the strongest possible terms, the importance of prime ministerial

involvement in this process moving forward? History shows us how

important this can be. I am aware of that answer the Secretary of State

made to my honourable friend and the member in the other place, that the

Prime Minister is involved and is conducting business through the

Secretary of State, and there is absolutely no reflection on the

hard-working attitude of the Secretary of State in asking the

Minister, would he agree with me that we need greater readership to

be shown in the weeks ahead? Is he able to tell us what plans the

Government has the ensure the Prime Minister is even more actively

engaged in the process? We must also ensure high level of direct

engagement from the Irish government, and their role as a

guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement. Can the Minister update

the House on the continuing intervention the Irish government

has had and will have in the process? May I ask what options the

Government has looked at in dealing with the specific issue of the

renewable heat incentive scheme? Has the Secretary of State looked at the

financial burdens placed on the people of Northern Ireland? Are

there any options for how this may be more appropriately dealt with? My

Lords, we in this House are under no illusion that this is easy but that

does not stop us, and more importantly the people of Northern

Ireland, having high expectations about what must be achieved. We need

all engaged parties, the UK Government and Irish government, to

ask not what do we want, but what can we give to this process moving

forward? My Lords, I also would like to start by thanking the Minister

for repeating the statement to your lordships' House this afternoon. I

also say it is with a very deep sense of regret, despite the very

genuine effort by some, that they have reached this impasse. Let us be

clear of the consequences for Northern Ireland from the failure of

the political parties to reach an agreement to establish an executive,

they are very serious. We are days away from the end of the financial

year, and as has been said already there is yet no budget. There has

been no vote to set next year's regional rates. There is no

programme for governance. This will lead to increased uncertainty for

key public services in Northern Ireland such as health and

education, and in the voluntary and community sector. It is particularly

to be regretted, my Lords, that ordinary people of Northern Ireland

find themselves a voice through an executive at Stormont at such a

critical time, with the triggering of Article 50 tomorrow, the very

time when the particular needs of Northern Ireland deserve to be

clearly heard. There are very real and as yet unresolved concerns for

Northern Ireland, not least about how to maintain the open border in

the context of the UK's leading the customs union. Can the Minister say

what mechanisms they intend to put in place to ensure the views of all

political parties in Northern Ireland are heard during the Brexit

negotiations? Does he agree that the joint ministerial committee will

have a greater role to play in the context of Brexit? Does he agree

that a more balanced representation of MLAs is needed to reflect the

views of Northern Ireland? Does you further agree that in view of the

current and past continuing a mechanism needs to be found to keep

Assembly members in place and to engage them and their party leaders

in discussions on Brexit and other issues's can he confirm any such

mechanism would require primary legislation? Giving, my Lords, that

the scandal was one of the immediate causes of this current crisis, can

the Minister confirm that it is his understanding that the inquiry

cheered by the judge could take as long as six months to complete? --

cheered by the judge. Is confident the judge has the necessary

resources to enable rapid conclusion to the inquiry? It is clear there

are deeper problems surrounding the issue and it will therefore be

necessary to do things differently to secure a deal and move forward.

On these benches, we believe there is no alternative to devolution, but

to achieve this requires a renewed commitment on the part of all

participants to the talks. We believe all parties now need to take

stock of their positions and come back to the negotiating table in the

frame of mind to reach an agreement. Does the Minister agree it is

necessary to have a renewed sense of momentum, with clear leadership, and

full engagement by all political parties? What concrete action is the

Government taking to provide the necessary readership of the highest

level at this time? My Lords, as President Bill Clinton said last

week, making piecework is an endless process -- making peace work. It

requires compromise, cool head, leadership and the desire to put the

best interests all the people of Northern Ireland ahead of narrow

political advantage. We sincerely hope such an attitude will be

forthcoming in the next few weeks. First of all, can I thank the noble

Lord and Baroness for their comments, and I agree with much of

the sentiments expressed. I think the whole House will agree that the

people we should have in the forefront of our minds today are the

people of Northern Ireland. In the recent Assembly elections, they

voted overwhelmingly for strong stable and inclusive, devolved

government, and it will I know be a matter of much disappointment to

them, as it is to the Government, that the parties have been unable to

reach agreement within the statutory period enabling an executive to be

formed. This has real and practical implications. From tomorrow, a civil

servant, not elected representatives, will be allocating

cash for public services. This is not sustainable beyond the short

term. Northern Ireland wants and needs effective devolved government,

delivering an agreed set of priorities and

The UK Government will continue to engage with stake holders in

Northern Ireland and represent those interests. But it would be much more

effective if the executive was in place and there has been progress

with the parties in the discussions that we have just had in

establishing how they can come together to represent the interests

of Northern Ireland going forward. With regard to the RHI, I think

everybody wants to see a rapid reporting of that inquiry. Clearly

the procedures are a matter for the inquiry itself, but I think we want

the facts on this as quickly as we can. As one of those involved in the

Belfast agreement, I'm delighted at the statement and the government's

determination to try and have devolution restored to Northern

Ireland. But in the statement it says, but should the talks fail, in

their objectives, the Government will have to consider all options.

Is direct rule an option? And is... Joint rule of Northern Ireland not

an option? I think clearly, our focus is on this period ahead, the

window of opportunity that the sectary of state has talked about

and I continue want to speck late about alternatives. But clearly if

we do not get agreement within this limited period, then clearly we need

to consider all of the options. But it is fair to say that nobody wants

to see a return to direct rule and that is why we need to intensify the

discussions. We are are told we are approaching a

point where there is no budget and civil servants will allocate funds,

but that is not sustainable. But that is the realm of life I live in.

When I agree the Irish language, legacy issues are important, they're

not what makes the world go round I have to say. And you know the talks

are figured mostly on those things and that worries me, I see work

coming to a halt, because of the budget and what I wonder is sorry...

Could you take, could the minister tell us have all the parties been

around table? And if not why not. Are some elected representatives

more important than others. In the future of Northern Ireland I don't

consider that. You talk about future talks, what will be different about

the next set of talks? Just on the issue of round tables, I mean, there

has been progress in the talks that we have had over the last period,

and progress has been made on setting a budget, programme for

Government, improving transparency and accountability and these have

been part of round table talks that have been convened. But clearly, as

we go forward, we need to step up the intensity and the inclusivity of

the discussions. That is what the Secretary of State will be working

towards.