Wednesday Volume 495 8 July 2009 No. 108 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 8 July 2009 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2009 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ Enquiries to the Office of Public Sector Information, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; Tel: 0044 (0) 208876344; e-mail: [email protected] 949 8 JULY 2009 950 political stability? The twin evils in respect of getting House of Commons investment back into Northern Ireland and getting our economy going are those who use the bomb and the Wednesday 8 July 2009 bullet to kill and cause bloodshed there, and those wreckers who are attempting to bring down the political institutions. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Mr. Woodward: I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman PRAYERS on the work that he has been doing to inspire leadership in Northern Ireland, and also on what he has done with the Deputy First Minister in the United States to attract [MR.SPEAKER in the Chair] inward investment. They have been extremely successful, especially in the current climate. The right hon. Gentleman is also right to point to the impact of the activities of those criminals who call themselves dissident republicans. Oral Answers to Questions Again, I congratulate the First Minister and his colleagues on their achievements, which mean that, despite those criminal activities, Northern Ireland continues to be a NORTHERN IRELAND place that attracts that investment. Dr. Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast, South) (SDLP): The Secretary of State was asked— What discussions, if any, have there been between the national Government here and the devolved Government Inward Investment in Stormont about the spectrum of investment in renewable energies and sustainability? Has there been any dialogue 1. John Robertson (Glasgow, North-West) (Lab): across the border with the Government in the Irish What assessment he has made of the effect of greater Republic on those issues? political stability in Northern Ireland on levels of inward investment. [283753] Mr. Woodward: The hon. Gentleman will know that that is a matter for the devolved Administration, but I The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Shaun assure him that the British Government will provide Woodward): While inward investment is of course a every encouragement to the talks taking place. Anything matter for the devolved Administration, both current that I can do in a capacity appropriate to the Secretary and future levels of investment from outside the UK of State, I of course stand ready to do. depend on maintaining political momentum and demonstrating the strength of political stability in Northern Mr. Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD): Ireland. Does the Secretary of State agree with New York’s Mayor Bloomberg, who said that to attract the level of John Robertson: I thank my right hon. Friend for that inward development that he thinks is possible a lot of answer. He is right that the political situation in Northern the physical barriers—the peace walls, the murals, the Ireland is a lot better, but would it not also help if painted kerb stones and the rest of it—will have to be investment on Government projects was directed into removed? Will the Secretary of State give his support to areas such as Northern Ireland, so that people could those politicians in Northern Ireland who are taking a concentrate more on work than on political unrest? very brave stand on some of those issues? Mr. Woodward: My hon. Friend is right to point to the effects of Government investment, and I am very Mr. Woodward: I absolutely support all those politicians, pleased that the Executive and Assembly in Northern and again I commend the leadership jointly offered by Ireland are making extremely good use of it. I congratulate the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister on the First Minister, the right hon. Member for Belfast, these issues. However, it would be remiss of the House East (Mr. Robinson), who is here today, on the work not to record the historic progress that has been made that he is leading in that regard. It may be worth on decommissioning by loyalism in the past few weeks. remarking that, this year alone, nearly 43 inward investment Again, that achievement is very much the result of a projects—in excess of around £800 million, I believe—are team effort, across the House and outside it. I should being conducted in Northern Ireland. like to put on record my thanks to this House for keeping faith with the decommissioning process, which Mr. Peter Robinson (Belfast, East) (DUP): While the has taken many weapons off the streets for ever. Secretary of State rightly draws attention to the fact that the Northern Ireland Executive met their own Mr. Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con): The targets for the last financial year, ending on 31 March, Secretary of State and other right hon. and hon. Members, the economic downturn will make things much more are right to point out that Northern Ireland does stand difficult in the year ahead. Northern Ireland has a to benefit from the decommissioning and the peace first-class package for inward investment, with a young dividend. However, one problem is that the public sector and well-educated work force and a very good record in in Northern Ireland remains disproportionately large, innovation, research and development. However, does compared with that sector in the rest of the UK. What he agree that the bottom line when he or anyone else has can the right hon. Gentleman do to change that, bring visited America or elsewhere in the world is that people about greater investment in Northern Ireland and increase want to know that violence has ended and that there is the size of the wealth-creating private sector? 951 Oral Answers8 JULY 2009 Oral Answers 952 Mr. Woodward: This is an interesting moment. The the cost. Can he give the House an assurance that if hon. Gentleman is right to point to the concern about there ever has to be another major public inquiry, there the size of the public sector in Northern Ireland, and in will be tighter control over the legal costs? normal economic circumstances we would wish to press that issue. However, as he will know, a recession is Mr. Woodward: The hon. Gentleman’s work on inquiries, taking place, and this Government believe that it is right and that of his Committee, have been a very important to continue with the investment in Northern Ireland; to contribution. It is a matter for the House to determine do its best for the people there; and to not pursue the other inquiries and when they take place, but if we want Opposition policy of 10 per cent. cuts. independent inquiries, they must be just that. An independent inquiry will, I am afraid, have to be a Saville Inquiry process whose length we cannot control. In the end we can try and hold the inquiry accountable for costs, but independence must mean independence. If the hon. 2. Mr. Simon Burns (West Chelmsford) (Con): What Gentleman’s wish were to be granted, he would also his most recent estimate is of the cost of the Saville have to accept some loss of independence, and that may inquiry. [283755] not be what he would want. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Shaun Mr. Nigel Dodds (Belfast, North) (DUP): On a day Woodward): The cost of the Bloody Sunday inquiry to when there is renewed concern in Northern Ireland the end of May is £188 million, including legal costs about the amount of money spent by Government on incurred by the Ministry of Defence. legal costs, does the Secretary of State agree that more needs to be done to cap the costs of legal representation Mr. Burns: Is the Secretary of State aware that legal in such cases, because astronomical sums of public costs are at just over £97 million, that the inquiry has money are going into lawyers’ pockets? The public in lasted more than nine years, with 920 witnesses and 433 Northern Ireland and across the country are rightly sitting days, and that the report is expected to be more appalled at this level of expenditure. Can he give an than 4,000 pages long? Does he accept that for the good assurance that it will be brought to an end? of the families and the armed forces, the process should be brought to an end swiftly? When will it be? Mr. Woodward: The hon. Gentleman knows that that was one of the major purposes of the Inquiries Act 2005 and why we wanted other inquiries that are taking Mr. Woodward: It is always interesting to hear Opposition place to do so under the Act or to convert to the terms Members talk about inquiries, and expressing concern of the Act. The hon. Member for West Chelmsford about the cost and the length of this inquiry. That is (Mr. Burns) referred earlier to the almost £100 million why the Government wanted the Inquiries Act 2005 to that has been spent on the legal costs of the Saville control costs and the number of years an inquiry takes, inquiry. That is a genuine issue of real concern to the and why the Government have been very sensitive to the House, but we must recognise that those who advocate issues of the Saville inquiry in relation to the families. open and public inquiries also have to come to terms We must never lose sight of the fact that although the with the fact that many people who come before such cost of the inquiry is rightly a matter for the House, the inquiries will want legal representation.