UK Parliament / Open data

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Bill

Debate on bills on Tuesday, 29 November 2022, in the House of Commons, led by Chris Heaton-Harris. The answering members were Steve Baker, Peter Kyle and Tonia Antoniazzi.
Second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

About these Parliamentary proceedings

Reference

723 cc817-866 

Session

2022-23

Legislative stage

Second reading

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber
Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Bill 2022-23
Monday, 21 November 2022
Bills
House of Commons
Point of Order
Tuesday, 6 December 2022
Proceeding contributions
House of Commons

Proceeding contributions

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c818 (Link to this contribution)

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

Three weeks ago, I stood at this Di...

Ian Jnr Paisley | 723 c818 (Link to this contribution)

I thank the Secretary of State for giving way so quickly into his speech. He used the term “consi...


Show all contributions (132)
Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c818 (Link to this contribution)

The trial is certainly being watched assiduously by my officials and me. However, this Bill is ab...

Gavin Robinson | 723 c818 (Link to this contribution)

The Secretary of State outlines his disappointment that we do not have functioning devolution in ...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c819 (Link to this contribution)

I am afraid that it is unfair of the hon. Gentleman to say that. He and this Government are absol...

Simon Hoare | 723 c819 (Link to this contribution)

While there is probably never a good time to collapse Stormont, does my right hon. Friend agree t...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c819 (Link to this contribution)

I thank my hon. Friend, the Chair of the Select Committee, for his point. Although I agree with h...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c819 (Link to this contribution)

I feel that I have provoked all sorts of things. I hope that colleagues will forgive me if I take...

Jim Shannon | 723 c819 (Link to this contribution)

In Northern Ireland, 17% of people are in poverty, and 12% in absolute poverty; I understand what...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c819 (Link to this contribution)

But, unfortunately, it did. When Ministers were in place they were unable to help us with the mon...

Brandon Lewis | 723 c820 (Link to this contribution)

I thank my right hon. Friend for his generosity in taking interventions. He is quite right about ...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c820 (Link to this contribution)

I thank my right hon. Friend for his wise words. I know, because I was present in some of the mee...

Paul Girvan | 723 c820 (Link to this contribution)

I go back to the intervention by the Chair of the Northern Ireland Committee and state that, whil...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c820 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Gentleman makes a fair point that is well evidenced; that is why the protocol needs fixi...

Colum Eastwood | 723 c820 (Link to this contribution)

Does the Secretary of State agree that New Decade, New Approach contains many commitments, such a...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 cc820-1 (Link to this contribution)

I believe I have just laid a written ministerial statement to give an update on how the Governmen...

Stephen Farry | 723 c821 (Link to this contribution)

I ask the Secretary of State to reflect on the disjoint between the timetable he is setting out t...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c821 (Link to this contribution)

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention and for his message to me on the subject earlier....

Maria Miller | 723 c821 (Link to this contribution)

My right hon. Friend talked about the importance of public services; many of us in this House hav...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c821 (Link to this contribution)

I can give a brief update. Indeed the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Stella Creasy) tabled

Stella Creasy | 723 c822 (Link to this contribution)

It is now 1,134 days since this House passed the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c822 (Link to this contribution)

I thank both the hon. Lady and my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Dame Maria Miller...

Carla Lockhart | 723 c822 (Link to this contribution)

The Secretary of State will be aware that since the introduction of the new legislation to Northe...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 cc822-4 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Lady and I have had this conversation before. I have a statutory duty to deliver that se...

Chris Clarkson | 723 c824 (Link to this contribution)

Conservatives believe that work should pay and that those who choose not to work should not be as...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c824 (Link to this contribution)

I absolutely will. Indeed, depending on the passage of the Bill through this House and the other ...

Ian Jnr Paisley | 723 c824 (Link to this contribution)

Is the Secretary of State equally deeply angry about those abstentionist MPs from Northern Irelan...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 cc824-5 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Gentleman will be talking about Sinn Féin Members of Parliament. I guess I would compare...

Simon Hoare | 723 c825 (Link to this contribution)

Clearly, the vast majority of MLAs want Stormont up and running. They want to do 100% of their jo...

Gregory Campbell | 723 c825 (Link to this contribution)

Like Sinn Féin did four years ago.

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c825 (Link to this contribution)

Amid the interesting debate that is going on across my shoulder, I can honestly say to the Chair ...

Simon Hoare | 723 c825 (Link to this contribution)

As many Members have said, the Secretary of State is being very generous with his time. He said t...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c825 (Link to this contribution)

I think I might arrange for my hon. Friend a meeting with my Department’s lawyers, who will happi...

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 c825 (Link to this contribution)

I assure the hon. Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) that if he has his way, and believes that...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 cc825-6 (Link to this contribution)

I seem to be in the middle of an argument between two great gentlemen of this House, so I will ju...

Julian Smith | 723 c826 (Link to this contribution)

It is worth confirming to the House that all MLAs, from whatever party—even if some of those part...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c826 (Link to this contribution)

I thank my right hon. Friend, the former Secretary of State for doing exactly that. I am fully aw...

Laurence Robertson | 723 c826 (Link to this contribution)

My right hon. Friend is right to introduce this Bill, which I am happy to support, but with the t...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c827 (Link to this contribution)

In my former role as Government Chief Whip, this place having any sway over what happened at the ...

Peter Kyle | 723 cc827-8 (Link to this contribution)

I thank the Secretary of State for setting out the measures in the Bill. I was clear when he intr...

Steve Baker | 723 c828 (Link to this contribution)

He went to the conference in Blackpool.

Peter Kyle | 723 cc828-9 (Link to this contribution)

The shadow—sorry, the soon to be shadow Minister intervenes to point out that the Prime Minister ...

Ian Jnr Paisley | 723 c829 (Link to this contribution)

I want to give the hon. Gentleman time to outline issues that have alarmed him. Does what has hap...

Peter Kyle | 723 cc829-830 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Gentleman raises extremely serious issues, which relate to the Republic of Ireland and a...

Simon Hoare | 723 cc830-1 (Link to this contribution)

It is a pleasure to follow the shadow Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Hove (Peter Kyle). ...

Gregory Campbell | 723 c831 (Link to this contribution)

The Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee alludes to differentiating between MLAs who w...

Simon Hoare | 723 c831 (Link to this contribution)

Yes, I do. At the end of the day, irrespective of which forum people are working in, that is taxp...

Richard Thomson | 723 cc831-3 (Link to this contribution)

As I said in response to the Secretary of State’s statement on 9 November, my party has made clea...

Julian Smith | 723 cc833-4 (Link to this contribution)

I support this proposed legislation. We had the bandages in New Decade, New Approach of keeping M...

Nigel Evans | 723 c834 (Link to this contribution)

I call the leader of the DUP.

3.43 pm

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 cc834-6 (Link to this contribution)

It is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Julian Smith). We fondly ...

Jim Shannon | 723 c835 (Link to this contribution)

On that point, that mandate was created in May of this year—a very clear mandate for the DUP to b...

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 cc835-7 (Link to this contribution)

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention.

I agree entirely with the right hon. Member fo...

Simon Hoare | 723 c838 (Link to this contribution)

The right hon. Member referred to digitalisation and Fujitsu. I can recall, as I am sure he can, ...

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 c838 (Link to this contribution)

I am happy to offer clarity to the Chairman of the Select Committee. If the digitisation is used ...

Simon Hoare | 723 c838 (Link to this contribution)

I think we all take the point about Sainsbury’s, but may I respectfully say to the right hon. Gen...

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 c838 (Link to this contribution)

I assure the hon. Member that our position has been absolutely consistent. We have said from day ...

Nigel Evans | 723 c839 (Link to this contribution)

Order. Interesting and important as this is, let us have a look at the scope of the Bill. Perhaps...

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 c839 (Link to this contribution)

Mr Deputy Speaker, the scope of the Bill is about the government of Northern Ireland. If the gove...

Karin Smyth | 723 c839 (Link to this contribution)

The right hon. Gentleman and I are both members of the EU-UK Parliamentary Assembly, which met re...

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 cc839-840 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Lady has made an important point. Let me say at this stage that I applaud the Government...

Julian Smith | 723 c840 (Link to this contribution)

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

Nigel Evans | 723 c840 (Link to this contribution)

Order. I will allow this intervention, but I think we have gone way beyond the Bill that is befor...

Julian Smith | 723 c840 (Link to this contribution)

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the EU, on the issue of medicines, did show flexibility this...

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 cc840-1 (Link to this contribution)

I thank the former Secretary of State for making that point, and I agree with him. I think that t...

Andrea Leadsom | 723 c841 (Link to this contribution)

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for giving way one last time. I just want to remind him...

Jeffrey M Donaldson | 723 c841 (Link to this contribution)

I would like to be optimistic about the European Union changing its negotiating stance, but we ha...

Bob Stewart | 723 cc841-2 (Link to this contribution)

Although I am an English MP, I have a huge affection for the people of Northern Ireland. What hap...

Claire Hanna | 723 c842 (Link to this contribution)

Will the right hon. Gentleman outline where he saw these price differentials? Through my work, I ...

Nigel Evans | 723 c842 (Link to this contribution)

Order. I make the same plea: there are plenty of opportunities to talk about these other issues. ...

Bob Stewart | 723 c842 (Link to this contribution)

I will not respond to the hon. Member for Belfast South (Claire Hanna). I have not been to Northe...

Nigel Evans | 723 c843 (Link to this contribution)

I know I will not need to reprimand Gregory Campbell, because he will focus on the legislation.

Gregory Campbell | 723 c843 (Link to this contribution)

It is a privilege to speak with you in the Chair, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am delighted to follow my ...

Chris Heaton-Harris | 723 c843 (Link to this contribution)

I am curious as to whether the hon. Gentleman knows that Sinn Féin Members do not receive their p...

Gregory Campbell | 723 c844 (Link to this contribution)

I am well aware of that. The remuneration I am talking about does not include salaries, but it do...

Claire Hanna | 723 c844 (Link to this contribution)

Is the hon. Member’s point that he would like the salaries of his party colleagues’ staff stopped...

Gregory Campbell | 723 c844 (Link to this contribution)

I thank the hon. Member for that intervention. I think she knows full well that that is not what ...

Sammy Wilson | 723 c844 (Link to this contribution)

Does my hon. Friend also accept that the £670 million hole in the budget occurred when the Execut...

Gregory Campbell | 723 cc844-5 (Link to this contribution)

Not only is my right hon. Friend right, but the Secretary of State alluded to that. He was extrem...

Claire Hanna | 723 cc845-8 (Link to this contribution)

I am pleased to be called to speak in the debate, but I am disappointed that it is on another Bil...

Claire Hanna | 723 c847 (Link to this contribution)

You are doing a great job yourself.

We began that work by tabling amendments to the Norther...

Nigel Evans | 723 c847 (Link to this contribution)

Order. I am going to be less generous than I was earlier. As far as the protocol is concerned, th...

Claire Hanna | 723 cc847-9 (Link to this contribution)

I appreciate that, Mr Deputy Speaker, and my focus is exclusively on the restoration of the Execu...

Carla Lockhart | 723 c849 (Link to this contribution)

I take no pleasure in seeing this legislation before the House today, as it sadly represents fail...

Ian Jnr Paisley | 723 c849 (Link to this contribution)

Does my hon. Friend think it important that those who want full implementation of the protocol ta...

Carla Lockhart | 723 cc849-850 (Link to this contribution)

Absolutely. My hon. Friend’s point is so well made. The takeaway from that is that it is the indu...

Nigel Evans | 723 c850 (Link to this contribution)

Order. I gently ask the hon. Lady to return to the legislation that we are considering. We unders...

Carla Lockhart | 723 c850 (Link to this contribution)

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for bringing us back to the Bill. The fact remains that we would no...

Claire Hanna | 723 c850 (Link to this contribution)

Does the Member acknowledge that only three or four days ago I stood shoulder to shoulder, so to ...

Carla Lockhart | 723 c851 (Link to this contribution)

We will have an opportunity to read Hansard and the Member’s contribution today, so we will be ab...

Nigel Evans | 723 c851 (Link to this contribution)

Order. Get back to the Bill please.

Carla Lockhart | 723 c851 (Link to this contribution)

The onus is on the Government and the EU to bring about the conditions whereby power sharing can ...

Stephen Farry | 723 cc851-3 (Link to this contribution)

I cannot say that I welcome the legislation, but I recognise that it is sadly necessary. It is sh...

Sammy Wilson | 723 c853 (Link to this contribution)

When did the Alliance party have this Damascus road experience? For three years when Sinn Féin wa...

Stephen Farry | 723 c854 (Link to this contribution)

I am grateful to the right hon. Member for his intervention because it gives me the opportunity t...

Colum Eastwood | 723 c854 (Link to this contribution)

Far be it from me to get involved in this conversation between the Alliance party and the DUP, bu...

Stephen Farry | 723 c854 (Link to this contribution)

We can look at this in two different ways—what happened before 1972, and what happened in the 197...

Stella Creasy | 723 cc854-5 (Link to this contribution)

I rise to make what I hope is, in comparison, a relatively brief speech, but I have some question...

Steve Baker | 723 c855 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Member has won the argument, and I can tell her that we are making enormous progress tow...

Stella Creasy | 723 c855 (Link to this contribution)

I thank the Minister for that confirmation. I hope he will join me in paying tribute to all those...

Stella Creasy | 723 c855 (Link to this contribution)

I happily give way to one of the many former Ministers, in addition to Secretaries of State, who ...

Robin Walker | 723 c855 (Link to this contribution)

I join the hon. Member in paying tribute to those people who have campaigned on this issue. They ...

Stella Creasy | 723 cc855-7 (Link to this contribution)

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I know that he was frustrated by it. That is why...

Nigel Evans | 723 c857 (Link to this contribution)

Following the next speaker, we will move on to the wind-ups. I call Jim Shannon.

5.12 pm

Jim Shannon | 723 cc857-8 (Link to this contribution)

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is always a pleasure to speak in the House, but this is a subjec...

Nigel Evans | 723 c858 (Link to this contribution)

Order. Mr Shannon, I will allow you to touch on the protocol, but not to go into detail on that.<...

Jim Shannon | 723 cc858-9 (Link to this contribution)

I will move straight on, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Clauses 3 to 5 permit the exercise of Northern ...

Simon Hoare | 723 c859 (Link to this contribution)

Let me rehearse the arguments. This is nothing to do with bullying, or whatever; it is about demo...

Jim Shannon | 723 c859 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Gentleman gives us his opinion. My opinion is clearly very different: we will not be per...

Ian Jnr Paisley | 723 c859 (Link to this contribution)

Can my hon. Friend explain how removing the salaries of some MLAs will suddenly make the Assembly...

Jim Shannon | 723 c859 (Link to this contribution)

In the Unionist community that we represent, people are clearly not persuaded by the actions that...

Ian Jnr Paisley | 723 c860 (Link to this contribution)

Will my hon. Friend take the opportunity to reflect on the points that Front Benchers on both sid...

Jim Shannon | 723 c860 (Link to this contribution)

I thank my hon. Friend and colleague for reminding us of that important factor, which cannot be i...

Stephen Farry | 723 c860 (Link to this contribution)

May I put it on the record that my party agrees with the DUP on the issue? There may well be some...

Jim Shannon | 723 c860 (Link to this contribution)

Well, we have a consensus! I am pleased to hear that the hon. Member and his party concur with ou...

Nigel Evans | 723 c860 (Link to this contribution)

We now come to the wind-ups.

5.23 pm

Tonia Antoniazzi | 723 cc860-1 (Link to this contribution)

I thank all hon. Members for their contributions to the debate so far. It was only a few weeks ag...

Steve Baker | 723 cc861-2 (Link to this contribution)

My goodness, what an excellent debate this has been.

The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Sh...

Ian Jnr Paisley | 723 c862 (Link to this contribution)

Can the Minister update us on how the talks on veterinary medicines are going? Will we have a sol...

Steve Baker | 723 cc863-4 (Link to this contribution)

The right hon. Gentleman makes his point with great clarity and force, but I think he encourages ...

Gavin Robinson | 723 c864 (Link to this contribution)

I want to raise an important amendment that was tabled but not selected for consideration in Comm...

Steve Baker | 723 c864 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Gentleman knows that the Government care very much about this issue, as he does. This is...

Gregory Campbell | 723 c865 (Link to this contribution)

I accept what the Minister says about Sinn Féin MPs not getting salaries but, if there is to be a...

Steve Baker | 723 c865 (Link to this contribution)

The hon. Gentleman makes his point with great passion, and I think we agree with one another that...

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