Thursday Volume 546 21 June 2012 No. 18 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 21 June 2012 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2012 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through The National Archives website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/information-management/our-services/parliamentary-licence-information.htm Enquiries to The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; e-mail: [email protected] 1001 21 JUNE 2012 1002 House of Commons Backbench Business Thursday 21 June 2012 British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly The House met at half-past Nine o’clock Mr Speaker: Before I call Mr Laurence Robertson, let me point out that the debate is heavily subscribed PRAYERS and I have therefore imposed a five-minute limit on each Back-Bench contribution after that of Mr Robertson. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] 9.34 am BILL PRESENTED Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con): I beg to move, That this House has considered the matter of the work of the SMALL CHARITABLE DONATIONS British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Presentation and First Reading (Standing Order No. 57) I thank you, Mr Speaker, and the Backbench Business Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Deputy Prime Committee for this opportunity to discuss the work of Minister, Mr Secretary Hunt, Danny Alexander, Mr Mark the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, which I shall Hoban, Mr David Gauke, Miss Chloe Smith and Mr Nick refer to as BIPA. I also thank my right hon. Friend the Hurd, presented a Bill to provide for the making of Minister and other right hon. and hon. Members for payments to certain charities and clubs in respect of certain attending the debate—the good turnout demonstrates gifts made to them by individuals, and for connected that the work of this body is recognised. purposes. BIPA was started in 1990 as the British-Irish Inter- Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time Parliamentary Body to foster a common understanding Monday 25 June, and to be printed (Bill 28) with explanatory between the bodies represented on it. It has 68 members, notes (Bill 28-EN). including 25 from both Houses of the UK Parliament, 25 from both Houses of the Irish Parliament, 15 from the United Kingdom’s devolved institutions, and one member from each of the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, so a wide area is well represented. A parallel body at ministerial level, the British Irish Council, was set up in 1998, and at this stage it is appropriate for me to say that BIPA seeks closer links with that body. BIPA holds two plenary sessions a year, one in the UK and one in Ireland. The 44th plenary session was held in Dublin between 13 and 15 May, and, not for the first time, it was attended by the Taoiseach. In addition, all members present were welcomed to the President’s official residence at Phoenix park by Mr Michael D. Higgins, the President of Ireland. I would like to quote from a speech made by the Taoiseach to BIPA: “I know from my own time as a member of the association the importance of the work of BIPA. Now that I am Taoiseach, I can see very clearly the contribution you continue to make in support of peace, prosperity, reconciliation and political friendships and understanding between these islands.” A strong commendation indeed. The Taoiseach referred to the importance of British-Irish relations, and his sentiments are borne out by the facts, especially with regards to securing the peace in Northern Ireland and trade. The UK is by far Ireland’s biggest export destination and, in turn, Ireland is the UK’s fifth largest export market. As the Prime Minister has said on many occasions, we export more to Ireland’s 4.5 million people than we do to the third of the world’s population in China, India, Russia and Brazil. That important statistic is rather worrying in some ways, and I suggest not that we reduce our trade to Ireland, but that perhaps we should try to increase it to further corners of the world. Even in recent times of economic difficulty in 2010-11, trade between Ireland and the United Kingdom actually increased. 1003 British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly21 JUNE 2012 British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly 1004 [Mr Laurence Robertson] to match the enthusiasm and commitment of the Irish, and we will hold the 45th plenary session, from 21 to Issues such as trade were discussed at the plenary 23 October, in Glasgow. We look forward to going session in May by a number of speakers, including there. I said that there had been a trade or economic senior executives from Glen Dimplex, Greencore and theme to the plenary in Dublin, and we hope to follow a GlaxoSmithKline, and the importance of trade links similar line in Glasgow, when I am sure we will be was referred to by the Irish Finance Minister. The treated to many interesting lectures and discussions plenary session also heard from the Irish Minister for about some of the products we might find in Scotland. Transport, Tourism and Sport, who referred to the fact I would like to thank our staff on this side of the Irish that 600 passenger and freight services and 60 air routes sea, Robin James and Amanda Healy, for their hard run between the UK and Ireland every week, resulting work in putting all the meetings and everything else in 2.9 million British visitors to Ireland last year alone. together. Without their help, we could not hold the Those are startling statistics. meetings. We will be visiting Dublin next week for The Irish Health Minister told the plenary session steering committee meetings, and on Monday we will that Ireland is looking to learn from the UK’s experience discuss how we might move things forward, including of health care. We heard from Darina Allen from how we might bring to the Governments’ attention the Ballymaloe cookery school about good healthy food, work of the steering committees, as was mentioned and from Dr Maurice Manning on the importance of earlier. correctly handling the decade of centenaries that we are Some people consider BIPA a talking shop, but, now in. given the history between the two countries, particularly Interestingly, the plenary session also approved a the terrible experiences in Northern Ireland, I would motion by the right hon. Member for Torfaen (Paul suggest that talking is extremely important for relations Murphy), a former co-chair of BIPA, which expressed with Ireland and within Northern Ireland. Had we not concern about the proposal to close the RTÉ’s offices in had people talking in the past, we would not have London. I hope he will raise that matter in a few achieved the relative peace we have in Northern Ireland—I minutes if he catches your eye, Mr Speaker. Finally, the say “relative”, because challenges still lie ahead. Just work of the four sub-committees—on sovereignty matters, last night on “Newsnight”, there was a harrowing report European affairs, economic affairs and environmental about some activities in parts of Northern Ireland. and social affairs—reported to the plenary session. I There are people who want to wreck the peace process thank committee members for their work in preparing and return to the bad old days, so I would suggest that if reports on important issues, not least one on flooding, BIPA is a talking shop, it is a very useful talking shop, which is an issue close to my heart, given that I represent because it enables us to get together with people who Tewkesbury. perhaps have different views and aspirations, but who all agree that democracy and talking to each other are Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab): I thank the hon. the way forward. Gentleman for giving way and for his assiduous activities as co-chair. Does he believe, like me, that we need to As many people in Ireland said and continue to say, take the sub-committee reports further in Parliament relations between our two countries are at an all-time and the devolved Assemblies? A lot of hard work has high. I was greatly privileged last year to be in Ireland gone into them, but perhaps more action should sometimes for part of Her Majesty’s visit, and I have to say it was come out of them. an awesome visit. The success of the visit, of course, was down to Her Majesty’s enormous dedication and Mr Robertson: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his extraordinary talents, but it was also down to the extremely very good intervention. Developing close relationships warm welcome and wonderful preparations on the Irish with the British-Irish Council would be a start, and we side. It really cemented relations to an extent that had could report to that body about the assembly and not been seen before. We look forward to future relations sub-committee’s work. I wanted this debate to highlight with Ireland. If BIPA has made a contribution to the the existence of BIPA and its work. There is a long way development of peace in Northern Ireland and the close to go to get the Government to take on board what we relations between the UK and Ireland, I am pleased to are doing, but at least this is a start—the Minister is be part of that, and I pledge to work as hard as I can to here and listening—and I certainly think the hon.