Speeches by Eastwood.

“It is great to see both of you again. Thank you for being here today. One issue that has come up both initially and throughout the conversation so far is funding and resourcing. I really want to get into the idea of how that is impacting our policing today, as well as the impact in terms of the obligations the PSNI has…”

“I welcome this move today by the Government, and I welcome the removal of the word “reconciliation”. There is a lot that I would like to say about this matter, but we are short of time so I will just get to the point. I have heard some remarks today that are incredibly disturbing and distressing. I do not want to pick …”

“I have one last question to the both of you. From some of your opening remarks, and certainly from what the Chief Constable said last week in evidence, it is clear that legacy has an impact on day-to-day policing, as well as on community confidence and people potentially wanting to join. Do you think there is a double …”

“Thank you, Chair. I am really glad that you raised that, Chief Constable. When I spoke about this on the Floor of the House just before Christmas, one of my major concerns was that, if we do get a troubles Bill that the parties are broadly prepared to accept, we would have hamstrung the PSNI from the off, because we kn…”

“I want to come back briefly to something that you said earlier, Chief Constable, about policing families. I am very proud of the service of the RUC and the people who were close to me that served and still do the job now. I think it was important that you said what you said today, because there has been a feeling, cert…”

“I want to build slightly on what Claire has brought out there. It is so difficult to have these conversations. There is not a single unaffected family anywhere across these islands—not just Northern Ireland. We have to remember that the troubles spanned not just these islands, the UK and Ireland, but continental, mainl…”

“Actually, I agree: I want Northern Ireland to succeed and I do want to be a success for Northern Ireland. Does the hon. and learned Member not agree that the constant collapses are destroying the premise of a successful Northern Ireland and we should do everything we can to stop that happening?”

“There is a real point there: people who may be in what we would term a Unionist or nationalist party may not really regard themselves as those things. That is a really positive and legitimate challenge. As the hon. Lady herself says, even her party does not fit neatly into boxes, and I certainly know Unionists, in Unio…”

“rose—”

“I am really glad that the right hon. Member is making this point, because there is a bit of an idea out there that this is about not protecting minorities. Does he not agree that the make-up of Northern Ireland is very different and that everybody is a minority, and therefore everybody—Unionists, nationalists and peopl…”

“I thank the hon. and learned Member for making his point. I see where he is coming from. I believe that Brexit was a fundamental act of self-harm. I think it caused damage to relations, and certainly I think that most people in Northern Ireland—Unionist, nationalist or other—regret Brexit. I completely understand where…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered the potential merits of reforming Northern Ireland’s political institutions. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship today, Ms Vaz. I was talking briefly to colleagues on the way over here and I said, “This time a year ago, almost, we had the exact same debate.” T…”

“Does the hon. Member agree that the concept of Northern Ireland working is absolutely key and fundamental; that a system of government that collapses plays straight into the hands of those who are not particularly interested in a prosperous, progressive and inclusive Northern Ireland; and therefore that anybody who car…”

“Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is important to have a functioning Government in Northern Ireland, because the local growth fund and what the UK Government have done on that for Northern Ireland demonstrate that only Northern Ireland can look out for itself? We cannot expect others to keep doing it for us. That i…”

“Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the situation we have, whereby Governments can simply go without being formed, would be anathema anywhere in the home counties, whether it is a local mayoralty or a regional district within GB? Surely to goodness that would not be tolerated in the UK—and Northern Ireland is indeed par…”

“I rise to speak on clause 62 and schedule 12, and my new clause 1. As we have already heard from the Northern Ireland Benches, this is about listening and recognising Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances. I acknowledge from the outset the deep anxiety and distress caused to many farmers across Northern Ireland, incl…”

“I welcome the actions outlined by the Secretary of State today. Nearly 10 years ago, Molly Rose Russell died as a result of suicide from content she had seen online. In Northern Ireland, one of the world’s most prolific paedophiles operated with ease online. We already know the risks here. Will the Secretary of State m…”

“As we have just heard, Northern Ireland is operating under considerable budgetary constraints, and the local growth fund will cause huge damage. What can the Minister do to assure my constituents in Lagan Valley and people across Northern Ireland that he will listen to our concerns and act on them?”

“It has been great to hear the discussion today. So much of it has been positive, and I want the message to go out that Northern Ireland is open for business. I am delighted that there has been such encouragement from everybody, and that tells its own story. The Republic of Ireland is right up against us, and one of the…”

“We did a piece of work with UKHospitality and Hospitality NI before Christmas about a potential pilot for Northern Ireland. I think that is exactly what we need to do; we need to be agile, and we need to be nimbler, as you have said as well, Tim. Supplementary to that, on DBEC, you are absolutely right, Alison, about t…”