The hon. Gentleman’s point is very well made; he knows that I hear it now and have heard it in the past.
We are clear that finances in Northern Ireland are not sustainable, but we are also clear that it is for an Executive to act on it. In the absence of an Executive, the Government through this Bill will ensure that time is not lost in starting to think about and work on that. We will commission advice from the Northern Ireland civil service on the options for budget sustainability in Northern Ireland, and we are happy to engage with any Member of the House in more detail about what we commission.
I heard what the hon. Member for Foyle (Colum Eastwood) said, and I am particularly interested in engaging with him and the universities. I also recognise the point he makes about places in Derry. He is right that Northern Ireland will never be a laissez-faire paradise, and it will be necessary for policy to embrace the point he makes about rebalancing towards Derry/Londonderry.
We are happy to engage with hon. Members, although I do not wish to pre-empt any particular piece of advice we might commission. We are absolutely clear that it is for locally accountable leadership to take these difficult decisions, but we are clear that those decisions will endure.
Questions were asked about future strategy, but the Government are clear about our strategy for Northern Ireland: devolution, moving forward with the Windsor framework and making the most of our new, constructive relationship with the EU and Ireland to improve that framework in a collaborative way when problems arise, as they inevitably will. Since this point came up earlier,
we will then also work towards the review of the trade and co-operation agreement and try to improve our overall position.
While we are doing that—because, as has been said, we can do more than one thing at once—we will do everything we can to cheerlead for Northern Ireland. It is an amazing place, loved by people all over the world and full of talented people with an incredible capacity for innovation and development. They deserve investment, and I for one want to see that they get it.
Finally, I join in the lament about the gap that has opened up between the Government and Unionists. Once again, this has been a painful debate for me to listen to. Sometimes hon. Friends in the DUP have directed their remarks at me, but I would say to them that I do not wish to be hard on them. I must say to my right hon. Friend the Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson) that I do not regret having given voice to people in Fermanagh who said, “Get on with it.”. That is what people want in Northern Ireland. There was no chanting—it was just a cry of “Get on with it”, and I am not sorry that I gave voice to that sentiment.
Hon. Members will have noticed that I have tried to be as emollient as possible in recent days—I really have. I have put on record that this is a difficult compromise for me too. I know that it is an even more difficult compromise for them to go back into the Executive with the Windsor framework, but I just say again that we have to choose from available futures.
Everybody here knows that it is not enough just to say what you want; you have to know how you will get it. I am clear, as we go forward with the Bill, that we do not want to be here again with Bills of this nature. We want to celebrate a return of devolved government, and yes, by all means, continue a conversation about the detail of the Windsor framework and what we can do to support the Union and Unionism. But, my goodness, I want us to get to the point, beyond this Bill, where we are celebrating the return of devolved government to solve the real problems that we face, and celebrating a Northern Ireland that has a much better and brighter future.
Question put and agreed to.
Bill accordingly read a Second time ; to stand committed to a Committee of the whole House (Order, this day).