Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Northern Ireland Protocol: Assembly Elections

Wednesday 14 December 2022 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Patricia Gibson asked about recent discussions with EU representatives and Northern Ireland political parties regarding the protocol's impact on the upcoming election.
  • Owen Thompson requested an assurance that the election result will be respected.
  • John McNally asked for a commitment to reach a deal before April to avoid hampering the Good Friday Agreement celebrations and UK relations with America and the EU.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Patricia Gibson SNP
Northern Ireland Democracy & Elections
Context

The question arises from concerns about the potential impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol on upcoming elections in Northern Ireland.

Question

What recent discussions has he had with representatives of EU member states and political parties in Northern Ireland regarding the protocol's impact on the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly election?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

Since being appointed in October, he has met representatives from European states. The Minister of State holds good relationships with similar officials.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Details of discussions regarding the protocol's impact on the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly election were not provided.

How: Changing Subject

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Q2 Owen Thompson SNP
Northern Ireland Democracy & Elections
Context

There is a concern about the government's respect for democratic mandates in devolved assemblies.

Question

Can the Secretary of State give an assurance that he will respect the mandate coming forward from any Northern Ireland Assembly election?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

He should not lecture about not respecting democratic votes. However, this Government and all parties in Parliament want to see the Executive and the Assembly restored, and any election result will be respected as past results should be.

Not addressed: The assurance regarding respecting mandates was not given.

How: Personal Attack, Changing Subject

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Q3 John McNally SNP
Northern Ireland Brexit Foreign Affairs
Context

There is uncertainty about the timeline for a UK-EU deal and its impact on international relations.

Question

Can the Minister commit to striking a deal before April next year and ensuring it does not hamper Good Friday Agreement celebrations and UK's international relations with America and the EU?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

The atmosphere in relationships between the European Union and the United Kingdom Government has changed dramatically in recent weeks and months, which is the basis for all good things.

Not addressed: Commitment to a timeline or ensuring no impact on events was not provided.

How: Changing Subject

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Q4 Patricia Gibson SNP
Northern Ireland Brexit
Context

There is concern about the political will and timeline for resolving issues under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Question

Will the Minister find the will to reach a solution and commit to a timeline for a deal, perhaps before the end of the six-week extension to form an Executive in January?

Answer from Chris Heaton-Harris

The atmosphere in relationships between the European Union and the United Kingdom Government has changed dramatically in recent weeks and months, which is the basis for all good things.

Not addressed: Commitment to finding political will or providing a timeline was not given.

How: Changing Subject

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