Speeches by Benn.

“Reconciliation is a process. It is about people’s minds. It is how people come to terms with what has happened in the past. If families who have had no answers now get answers, it may or may not help them to be reconciled with what happened. Some will and some will not. All of us deal with grief and loss in different w…”

“It is a very complex judgment indeed. There were three essential elements to it. I am leaving on one side the question of article 2 of the Windsor framework, because, as you will know, when Mr Justice Colton ruled back in February, he said that immunity was incompatible with the European convention, but he also struck …”

“Sir Declan has made it clear that, when it comes to information from the state, we are able to ask for and see everything. There is a balance to be struck on immunity. I will take a parallel example: the discovery of the locations of victims’ remains. Northern Ireland wrestled with how we are going to bring forward inf…”

“I suppose that the question is whether there is a partial form of immunity.”

“I do understand, and I hear the strength of feeling. I have tried to explain why we are in this situation. It is our departure from the European Union that has created every single one of the issues that the hon. Gentleman has just identified. We have to find a practical way forward in honouring the decision that the B…”

“I am about to conclude, but I will give way one last time.”

“I did listen very carefully. The record will show exactly what the hon. and learned Gentleman said, but I take his point. When it comes to access to materials and goods moving from GB to Northern Ireland, that does happen under the Windsor framework. There are certain things that businesses have to do, but the goods do…”

“Northern Ireland is very much part of the United Kingdom. I was merely pointing out that the protocol and the Windsor framework were democratic decisions of this Parliament, of which Northern Ireland is a part. After much debate, consideration, argument and disputation, that is how this Parliament decided to move thing…”

“I have great respect for the right hon. Gentleman, and he and I have had many discussions about progress on implementing the commitments made in “Safeguarding the Union”. He can see the progress that has been made, and he and I have discussed issues where there is work in progress. By the way, the original protocol, wh…”

“I hope it will not come as a surprise to the hon. Gentleman if I say that I agree with him. Complaining and ignoring does not get us very far. He anticipates what I am about to come on to: the progress we have seen as a result of the Windsor framework.”

“For my many and varied sins, I spent a number of years chairing the Brexit Select Committee. We looked at all of these things at great length, and I have to say to the hon. and learned Gentleman on the basis of that experience that nothing hoved into view that would address the central question: how to maintain an open…”

“What a pleasure it is to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I congratulate the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim (Jim Allister) on securing the debate. It is good to see so many colleagues from Northern Ireland in the Chamber. All of us will agree on one thing: the importance of Northern Ireland to our Union. T…”

“There was a deal reached. It was a deal. The previous Government made that part of the condition. They also said that the Executive had to raise some funding themselves, £113 million. Originally, that had to be over one year. The Executive made the argument, I think quite reasonably, “That is a bit tight. Can we do it …”

“There is a clear process to be followed. I initiated the consent vote by writing to the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly. It then falls in the first instance to the First and Deputy First Ministers, if they wish, to table the vote. It remains to be seen whether they will. If they do not, it falls to any other m…”

“Many things have crossed my desk since I took up this post, but the question that you have raised is not one of them. The lead would be taken by my colleague Peter Kyle, because he has responsibility for AI. All I can undertake to do, if it is helpful, is to drop you a line with some response to the perfectly fair poin…”

“You anticipate my answer.”

“We are absolutely committed to that. There were practical difficulties with bringing the parcels arrangements into effect by 1 October. Then we had an election and various other things. The consequence, as you all know very well, of not proceeding with the parcels bit was that the EU said, “If that is the case, the cus…”

“I know it is, but I would draw your attention to the references I made to “Safeguarding the Union” only a few hours ago, because it is an important part of the restoration package. We are working very hard on a number of fronts. Although there are difficulties from time to time, as I also mentioned this morning—I menti…”

“I am indeed. I mentioned it at least twice, and maybe three times, in the debate that you and I were in earlier today.”

“It is a practical problem. If we come to the conclusion, and can persuade the EU, that there is no other way for these medicines to be available, we both have a problem, and farmers and vets have a problem in Northern Ireland, so what are we going to do about it? In the end, the EU moved on human medicines when we were…”