Northern Ireland

I, too, welcome you back to the Chair, Mr. Speaker. I welcome the Secretary of State’s undertaking that there is no question of joint authority in the case of failure to meet the November deadline. Welcome, too, is his assurance that any progress will be based on trust, not coercion. In that context, he will have heard the words in the mouths of Irish Ministers last week referring to the November deadline as a last chance saloon, thereby raising suspicion that the Irish Government would retain some sanction over the governance of the Province if the deadline were not met. Will he make it absolutely clear that the governance of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, will be for this Government and for this Parliament of the United Kingdom alone?