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Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Bill

I want to make it clear to my hon. Friend that that is exactly what I am saying. The changes that the Bill will make to how such institutions operate, as served up to the DUP, will mean that anybody in Brid Rodgers’ position will be unable to act as she did. Potentially, no action could be taken. I was a member of the Executive at that time, and I know that not everybody agreed with the action that Brid Rodgers took. People had their own reasons to be unhappy about it. They did not like the idea of Northern Ireland ports being shut, but that is what she did, and it was effective Executive action. Those who had sensitivities about such an action being taken—and those who did not—should recognise that under these arrangements, a Minister will be obliged not to take such action. A Minister is now obliged to say, ““Because a question might arise under the ministerial code, I can’t take that action. The most I can do is to find out when the next Executive meeting might be, at which I can raise the issue.””