Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill—although I think all of us are unhappy th...

My Lords, at the outset I too pay my respects and condolences on the death of Sir Anthony Hart; I...

My Lords, this is a Bill that we have seen many times before and we understand the reasons for it...

My Lords, last month I asked an Oral Question which focused on the implementation of the recommen...

My Lords, I rise to debate an issue affected by the amendment brought forward in the Commons yest...

My Lords, I support the Bill, but I have to say—I have said similar things on previous occasions—...

My Lords, I hope not to sound too priggish, but I warmly welcome Clauses 8 and 9 of the Bill, bot...

My Lords, if any subject ever deserved sensitive consideration in your Lordships’ House, it is th...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, has reminded us of his own deep commitment to devolution,...

My Lords, it is interesting to note that the consternation felt in Northern Ireland is given some...

My Lords, it is right that tribute be paid today to the late Anthony Hart. I have the advantage o...

My Lords, it is a great privilege to follow the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Eames, and in...

It is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, who spoke to us with a degree of hope.

I am afra...

It is with a very heavy heart that I speak to noble Lords today. First, I would like to join thos...

My Lords, it is a privilege and I am humbled to follow the amazing speech of the noble Baroness, ...

The noble Lord asked a question directed effectively at myself and in relation to Conor McGinn as...

I acknowledge the noble Lord’s response, but Conor McGinn did make a statement, and it is a naive...

This is a very long speech.

My Lords, I apologise to the House but I think it is time that the noble Lord brought his speech ...

Yes, I am bringing my comments to a conclusion. My sermon concerned the consequences of choices. ...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for allowing me to intervene. I sit here very much as a part-time ...

I thought that the points made by the noble Viscount, Lord Brookeborough, were significant and ca...

I just want to ask the noble Lord a question. Can he explain why Sinn Féin should come back to th...

If Sinn Féin has the interests of Northern Ireland at heart, I will give a couple of examples of ...

My Lords, this has been a long and, I might add, challenging afternoon in many ways. I shall try ...

I am grateful and will try not to delay the Minister’s response. He talked about five facilitator...

No, they were not. They were drawn from a wide background of experience and knowledge to try to f...

Who were they?

We can provide that information in a Written Answer. That would be helpful to the House. I will l...

The Minister has just told us that there are very few issues still dividing the parties. Since we...

I do not think anything I have said this evening should be interpreted as a threat—not in the sli...

I require clarity on this. Is it correct—or did I misunderstand the Minister’s initial statement—...

That is what I was about to say. Just before I came into this debate today, I was part of a wider...

Before the Minister leaves that point, can I return to the point I made in my remarks? If legisla...

The thing to note is that these have now been voted on by the other place in a significant number...

I apologise for intervening, but is not a way forward to extend the dates in this Bill so that, i...

My noble friend, as always, provides a very sensitive approach. I have a suspicion that there wil...

I apologise for interrupting the Minister, but the Public Bill Office told me this afternoon that...

I certainly do not wish to curtail the ability of the Members in this regard, but noble Lords can...

I do not want to be difficult, and I thank the Minister for giving way. If I want to table an ame...

The noble Baroness has raised this point before, but I say again that we have received from the o...

The other House has voted upon these clauses and sent them to this House. That is what the majori...

To be frank, it is almost the sole purpose of this House to take those matters which come from th...

My noble friend just referred to the week after next. I thought that we were having Report next w...

Yes, that is an old Scottish failing of mine—getting the weeks in the wrong order. To be clear, i...