UK Parliament / Open data

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Bill

I hear the Secretary of State say that, yet I see officials in the Northern Ireland Department of Health, in their response to the programme enabling women to come to England for abortions, doing exactly what she has just said she does not want civil servants to do. It is already happening. The Bill will confirm the power that they have to do that, because the Secretary of State is giving them powers in the absence of the Assembly. Will she at least recognise that she has a powerful role to play as a check and balance in that process, and that that is what the new clause is about?

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Reference

648 c385 

Session

2017-19

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber
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