Speeches by Hoare.

“Secretary of State, predecessor Committees have spent considerable time hearing evidence and thinking about the role of Libya in IRA-sponsored terrorism. What is the current Government’s position on the issue?”

“The Assembly’s committee, which you have worked with, has said, “We have a suite of proposals here. We are agreed on 65% of them. There is a bit of to-ing and fro-ing on them. We are not quite sure where they will land. Some of them may require additional—", you know, whatever. Would you say no unless they came up with…”

“Would the NIO be prepared to step in and use convening powers, or convening influence? I would have to say to them that the Secretary of State answered my question, but I am not entirely sure whether it was a yes or a no. If those circumstances were to arise and there were clear benefits, as agreed, to seeing reforms i…”

“If one of my three daughters asked me what your answer was—“Daddy, did he say yes or did he say no?”—”

“No, it is not about taking the lead; it is about responding to and convening, or harnessing and driving forward an initiative that has been authored in Belfast—the genesis of which sits in Belfast.”

“That is an understandable answer. It would be lovely to think that this was realistic, but it is probably unrealistic to expect a unanimous consensus on reform. You are right to point to the work within the Assembly on this. Do you see a convening role for the NIO—with others—to try to move things forward? Different pa…”

“Excellent. That is encouraging, thank you. We have all three strands of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement in operation, which is a relief to many of us. I know you will share that relief. There is a tendency, which has gone on for years, of feeling, when the Executive has been resurrected, almost like it is a delicate …”

“Well, if you have a chart, we are in safe territory. We always need a chart.”

“No, I just wanted to test the appetite for commitment.”

“Secretary of State, do you still intend to take forward the outstanding non-Windsor framework commitments from the “Safeguarding the Union” agreement?”

“Yet.”

“It is.”

“I am not disputing your assertion that it is an FCDO lead. It is undoubtedly true that that is where the ministerial responsibility lies. Predecessor Committees and previous Parliaments have seen precious little leadership on the issue from the Department. The nub of my question is, given the fact that there is increas…”

“I welcome the fact that Minister Falconer is going to meet them—that is good news. I slightly challenge your assertion that the Foreign Office leads on this, because the Foreign Office has never led on it. It has only ever responded, and over several years in the most lazy and supine way imaginable. There is the potent…”

“Given that a female officer commands Blandford Camp, I totally echo the comments made by the hon. Member for North East Derbyshire (Louise Jones). There will be a lot of concern among personnel in the camp and those who live in the communities around it that they are now targets for either home-grown domestic terror or…”

“I am grateful to the hon. Lady for giving way. What level of concern does it give her that, between Second Reading and today, a growing canon of professionals and their independent professional bodies have urged great caution about this Bill, not on the principle, but because they are opposed to the details of this Bil…”

“Does the right hon. Lady find it rather peculiar that the previous Parliament spent 746 hours discussing the death of a fox and about 98 hours discussing the death of fellow humans?”

“Just to establish some baseline understanding, I have three quick questions. You mentioned that there is often under-reporting or non-reporting among young women. Is it your assessment that there are too many women who do not actually recognise what violence against women and girls is, leaving an information or underst…”

“I understand the under-reporting. If you had a magic wand, what is the thing that would help? Is it better public information to define what violence against women and girls is and why it is not acceptable—the recognition bit? Is that the box you tick, or is it the resourcing and to whom you can report and see meaningf…”

“Not in this heat. [Laughter.]”