Speeches by Robinson.

“I agree with the right hon. Gentleman, and I am grateful to him for co-sponsoring the Bill and being present today. He is right: the people who say in this or other debates that we cannot change what is written in tablets of stone are of the very party that was, from 1998, part of securing the Good Friday agreement, wh…”

“I will respond in, hopefully, the same tone and say that it is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Bootle (Peter Dowd). I suspect there is a big prize for him waiting in the Government Whips Office after this debate. He welcomed every intervention going. I do not besmirch his character at all, but since he suggest…”

“I had not intended to intervene on the hon. and learned Gentleman, but on that point, Invest Northern Ireland, the body charged with encouraging foreign direct investment into Northern Ireland and with growing our economy, cannot point to one example of business investing in Northern Ireland as a direct result of the W…”

“My right hon. Friend is entirely correct. What have we achieved over the last five years? A game, and not a very enjoyable game, of whack-a-mole, for it is about as strategic as whack-a-mole. An issue comes up involving the VAT margin schemes for second-car salesmen; we find a solution. Then another issue pops up, and …”

“I hope, if I agree to allow the hon. Member for Walthamstow to intervene once more, and once more only, that she will agree that it is right to sort that issue, too.”

“I commend the hon. Gentleman for the way in which he is engaging in this discussion, in the same spirit as the hon. Member for Spen Valley (Kim Leadbeater). We often hear that one of the safeguards associated with the Bill is that medical practitioners would be involved and that a diagnosis of a terminal illness, with …”

“I associate myself with the Minister of State’s remarks about Ken Reid. He was a colossus of Northern Ireland politics, and journalism more broadly across the country. I thank her for those comments. The Secretary of State will know that getting the city and growth deals back on track was good, following the disappoint…”

“The Secretary of State knows that city and growth deals are about economic growth and ensuring prosperity within Northern Ireland. Is he aware of the concerns among businesses in England, Wales and Scotland, who are saying that, as a result of the general product safety standards emanating from the European Union, they…”

“If you outline your expectation to this Committee, I have no doubt it will be adhered to.”

“Do you think it will be done by the end of this calendar year?”

“Yesterday Parliament passed the Second Reading of the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill. You will know directly that you were involved in a process of reappointing a veterans commissioner for Northern Ireland. Can you share with the Committee where that process lies, how many applications you have received and what the ti…”

“I will just confirm that the national shipbuilding strategy in 2017 was very important. The ability to attract Government work to Northern Ireland was incredibly important. The allocation of the award for the fleet solid support ships remains crucial for the regeneration and renaissance of shipbuilding in Belfast. My f…”

“Please do. I do have a constituency interest.”

“I was going to ask that as a supplementary.”

“I do not mind who takes this question about the defence industry; it’s up to you. You will know that the Committee held an inquiry just prior to the general election and you will also know that there was a commitment in the “Safeguarding the Union” document about promoting and extolling the benefits of increasing defen…”

“To square the circle for the Committee on supplementaries, people in Northern Ireland were given a promise on changes on parcels and on customs, and they were to have been implemented already. You have delayed the implementation of those until March 2025. Alongside that, there has been a drawback on the commitment on U…”

“It is a separate session.”

“If we move on, you have mentioned the Windsor framework on a number of occasions, but you have not referred in this session to “Safeguarding the Union”. To use Ulster parlance, we talk about the Windsor framework and you spoke about there being significant progress, but it did not get baby bathed. The Assembly lay in a…”

“Those are the steps you envisage taking if no resolution is found.”

“The Veterinary Medicines Working Group was established and has met on a number of occasions, but that cliff edge is fast approaching. How will you, as His Majesty’s Government, ensure the availability of the veterinary medicines that are so important for farmers, our rural community and food security and safety in Nort…”