Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill — Progress Reports — Parliamentary Debates — Protecting Veterans Fom Repeated Investigation for Northern Ireland Troubles Incidents — Establising An Executive — 9 Jul 2019 at 18:45

The majority of MPs voted against seeking to ensure reports on progress towards the establishment of a Northern Ireland Executive and towards protecting armed forces and security veterans of the troubles from repeated prosecutions can to be debated in the House of Commons and House of Lords.

MPs were considering the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill^[1].

The amendment supported by a majority of MPs in this vote was:

Amendment 17, page 2, line 16, at end insert-

• “(2A) A Minister of the Crown must, within the period of two sitting days beginning with the day on which a report under this section is published, make arrangements for—
• (a) a motion to the effect that the House of Commons has approved that report to be moved in that House by a Minister of the Crown within the period of three Commons sitting days beginning with the day on which the report under this section is published, and
• (b) a motion for the House of Lords to take note of the report mentioned in paragraph (a) to be moved in that House by a Minister of the Crown within the period of three Lords sitting days beginning with the day on which the relevant report mentioned in section 3 is published.
• (2B) In this section—
• “Commons sitting day” means a day on which the House of Commons is sitting (and a day is only a day on which the House of Commons is sitting if the House begins to sit on that day);
• “Lords sitting day” means a day on which the House of Lords is sitting (and a day is only a day on which the House of Lords is sitting if the House begins to sit on that day).”

An explanatory statement from the MP proposing the motion stated:

• This amendment would require progress reports to be debated.

The amendment impacted Clause 3(2) of the Bill^[2] which prior to the amendment stated:

• (2)The Secretary of State must lay the report before Parliament.

previous amendments had added provisions relating to more than one report to to the clause, including on requiring a fortnightly reports on progress towards establishing an Northern Ireland Executive^[3] and on to require a report on progress towards protecting veterans of the Armed Forces and other security personnel from repeated investigation for Northern Ireland Troubles related incidents^[4].

• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill (now the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act), Parliament.uk
• [2] Clause 3 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 as at the time of the vote, Parliament.uk
• [3] Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill — Clause 3 — Fortnightly Reports on Progress Towards an Executive in Northern Ireland — 9 Jul 2019 at 18:45, PublicWhip.org.uk
• [4] Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill — Clause 3 — Progress Report on Protecting Veterans Fom Repeated Investigation for Northern Ireland Troubles Incidents. — 9 Jul 2019 at 18:45, PublicWhip.org.uk

Debate in Parliament |