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Wednesday Volume 600 14 October 2015 No. 49 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 14 October 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 295 14 OCTOBER 2015 296 Mr Wallace: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of House of Commons State has secured extra funding for the Police Service of Northern Ireland over the last few years, and the Chief Wednesday 14 October 2015 Constable is confident that should evidence present itself murders will be pursued to the correct outcome, The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock such as bringing people to justice. PRAYERS Lady Hermon (North Down) (Ind): I think the House would like to hear from the Minister what pressure the Government are putting on the Libyan authorities to [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] secure compensation for all those hurt and maimed and for the families of people murdered by Libyan-sponsored IRA violence. It is the morally right thing to do. Will he Oral Answers to Questions confirm that the Government will seek compensation as soon as there is a Libyan regime to negotiate with? NORTHERN IRELAND Mr Wallace: The Prime Minister has indicated that he is keen to seek further compensation for victims, but The Secretary of State was asked— of course it is hard to negotiate with a Libyan Government that are not functioning or in existence. I know that a Select Committee of the House is looking at the IRA arrangements made between Tony Blair’s Government and the then Libyan Government. 1. Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight) (Con): What estimate she has made of the number of people killed Northern Ireland Executive: Financial Position by the IRA. [901506] The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern 2. Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con): What steps Ireland (Mr Ben Wallace): The authoritative chronicle she is taking to ensure that the Northern Ireland of troubles deaths, “Lost Lives”, estimates the number Executive’s financial position is sustainable. [901507] of people killed by the IRA between 1966 and 2006 at 1,768. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr Ben Wallace): It is for the Executive to Mr Turner: May I remember Garda Anthony Golden deliver a balanced Budget and sustainable finances. The and Kevin McGuigan, both murdered in recent weeks Stormont House agreement provides a package of measures by the IRA, and, of course, my former hon. Friend Ian to help them achieve this. As my right hon. Friend the Gow, who was murdered 25 years ago this week? Prime Minister has said, it is not extra money that will We are now told that the IRA has ceased operations. sort out this crisis; the local parties need to resolve Regardless of whether the IRA exists, does my hon. welfare reform disagreements, deal with budgetary pressures Friend agree that there is no place in a democratic and deliver public sector reform. society for those who undertake criminal or terrorist activities? Simon Hoare: Does my hon. Friend accept that in principle it is not acceptable for any of the devolved Mr Wallace: There has never been a place in United Administrations simply to breach spending limits agreed Kingdom politics for terrorism, and nor is there a place with Her Majesty’s Government? in UK politics for people who refuse to condemn terrorism. Mr Wallace: It is not acceptable for any devolved Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): The IRA terrorist institution, or indeed any Whitehall Department, to campaign led to the deaths of 3,750 people. The IRA breach spending limits agreed with the Treasury. For has stated that it has not gone away, its guns have not that reason, I urge the Northern Ireland parties to gone away, and over the last three months its murderous resolve their differences, implement the Stormont House ways have not gone away, either. Will the Minister agreement and take advantage of the economic package confirm the commitment by the Government of the we put together last December to ensure that Northern Irish Republic to reduce IRA activity and to catch IRA Ireland goes from strength to strength. members involved in murders and criminal activity in that jurisdiction in the past and today? Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP): Mr Wallace: I again place on the record my condolences Many areas of Northern Ireland have a particular and those of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of problem with unemployment, partly as a result of the State to the family of Garda Golden, who was brutally troubles and their aftermath. Will the Secretary of State murdered last week. I was in Dublin only a few weeks make representations to the Chancellor that there is a ago, and it is absolutely the Irish Government’s intention strong case to be made for welfare reform to be far to pursue men of violence and terrorists on their side of slower in Northern Ireland than elsewhere and that the border and to assist the UK Government on our additional support for job creation should be provided? side of the border. Mr Wallace: That case has been made. That is why in Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con): What comfort can the the Stormont House agreement we allow flexibilities Minister give the House that the police have sufficient within Stormont to take measures appropriate to ensure resources to fully investigate these most serious of crimes? that the troubles are recognised and their impact on the 297 Oral Answers14 OCTOBER 2015 Oral Answers 298 people of Northern Ireland allowed mitigated. However, Mrs Villiers: We cannot yet say whether we will have that is a matter for the Stormont House Government. a successful outcome, but my feeling is that all five The powers are there; it is time they got on with it. parties participating in the talks want the institutions to work, so they recognise that they have to fix these Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con): Does problems. It is essential, however, that that includes the Minister agree that any Government that cannot set implementing welfare reform. Without it, there will be a budget cannot really govern properly? Are not the no sustainable public finances in Northern Ireland—and parties that are preventing the setting of the budget without that, as the Chairman of the Northern Ireland risking the collapse of the whole institutions? Affairs Committee has said, we cannot really have a functioning and effective Government. Mr Wallace: I agree with my hon. Friend that unless this impasse is solved, public services will start to be hit Sir David Amess: Will my right hon. Friend ensure as the money runs out. Let us not forget that the people that the plight of the thousands of families that suffered of Northern Ireland deserve that this solution be put in at the hands of terrorists is not forgotten? Will she also place. We are already seeing the impact on the health insist that measures in the Stormont House agreement service in Northern Ireland—and no doubt on other that deal with the past are implemented without further services, too. There is very little time left before the delay? people of Northern Ireland realise that a non-functioning Stormont will take Northern Ireland backwards, not Mrs Villiers: I can give my hon. Friend the assurance forwards. that the needs of victims and survivors of the troubles will always be at the forefront of this Government’s Tom Elliott (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) (UUP): approach to the troubles and the Stormont House Have the parties that rejected the Stormont House agreement Bill. That is why absolutely no provision is proposals from last December put forward any credible made in the Bill for an amnesty, which would be completely proposals to resolve the financial issues? unacceptable to victims and survivors, just as it is Mr Wallace: May I refer the hon. Gentleman to his unacceptable to this House. We will press ahead with party leader, who has been in the talks over the last few measures to implement the bodies on the past in the weeks? He may be able to refresh his memory about Stormont House agreement. what proposals have been put forward. The talks are ongoing; they are intense and we hope collectively to Maria Caulfield: Does the Secretary of State agree come to a resolution. that it would be helpful to have cross-party agreement in this place on our stance against terrorism in order to Political Situation show our support for the Northern Ireland Executive? 3. Harry Harpham (Sheffield, Brightside and Mrs Villiers: That is important. For the most part, Hillsborough) (Lab): What assessment she has made of that view is shared across the House. It is obviously of the political situation in Northern Ireland since the grave concern that the leader of the Labour party, when murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr in August 2015. asked as recently as this August to condemn IRA [901508] terrorism, said that he condemned the actions of the British Army in Northern Ireland. 5. Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con): What recent assessment she has made of the political Mr Bellingham: The Secretary of State will be aware situation in Northern Ireland. [901510] that a lot of Northern Ireland businesses are rapidly 9. Maria Caulfield (Lewes) (Con): What recent expanding. For example, Almac in Craigavon is taking assessment she has made of the political situation in on 300 new people, and Moy Valley is looking to take on another 600 employees across the Six Counties.