I welcome the Chancellor’s comment that a world-class education is essential for economic growth, and there are many measures to welcome, including the extra funding for the Holocaust Educational Trust, the £50 million for apprenticeships and the tax cuts of more than £600 for teachers. Of course, many people working...

I welcome the Chancellor’s comment that a world-class education is essential for economic growth, and there are many measures to welcome, including the extra funding for the Holocaust Educational Trust, the £50 million for apprenticeships and the tax cuts of more than £600 for teachers. Of course, many people working...

I am very cognisant of the difficulties that the Secretary of State faces with the Bill, and his frustration at having to deliver it at all. It is clear, though, that the budget for education in Northern Ireland is going down, even though the budget for education in England is...

I am very cognisant of the difficulties that the Secretary of State faces with the Bill, and his frustration at having to deliver it at all. It is clear, though, that the budget for education in Northern Ireland is going down, even though the budget for education in England is...

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s correct focus on putting education and skills at the heart of his statement. I was one of many Conservative Members who wrote to ask him to protect the schools budget, and he has gone further

than that with the additional £2 billion over each...

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s correct focus on putting education and skills at the heart of his statement. I was one of many Conservative Members who wrote to ask him to protect the schools budget, and he has gone further

than that with the additional £2 billion over each...

Clauses 1-3 debated and agreed to. Clause 4, amendment 13, discussed with amendment 14 and withdrawn. Amendment 4, discussed with amendments 3, 6 and 17-19, and withdrawn. Amendment 15, discussed with amendment 16, and withdrawn. Clause 4 agreed to. Clause 5, amendment 7 debated and withdrawn. Amendment 11, discussed with amendment 12, and withdrawn. Amendment 1, discussed with Government amendment 2 and amendment 8. Amendment 1 agreed to. Amendment 2 made. Amendment 9 debated and withdrawn. Clause 5, as amended, agreed to. Clauses 6 and 7 agreed to. Clause 8, amendment 5 debated and withdrawn. Clause 8 and 9 agreed to. New clause 1 debated and withdrawn. New clause 2, discussed with new clause 3, and withdrawn. New clause 3 negatived on division (2 to 10). Bill, as amended, to be reported (Bill 143).

Clauses 1-3 debated and agreed to. Clause 4, amendment 13, discussed with amendment 14 and withdrawn. Amendment 4, discussed with amendments 3, 6 and 17-19, and withdrawn. Amendment 15, discussed with amendment 16, and withdrawn. Clause 4 agreed to. Clause 5, amendment 7 debated and withdrawn. Amendment 11, discussed with...

Programme motion agreed to. Written evidence (Reporting to the House) motion agreed to. Motion to sit in private agreed to. Examination of witnesses.

Programme motion agreed to. Written evidence (Reporting to the House) motion agreed to. Motion to sit in private agreed to. Examination of witnesses.

Examination of witnesses. Written evidence reported to the House.

Examination of witnesses. Written evidence reported to the House.

It is a great pleasure to respond to such a well-informed debate and I pay tribute to all the Members who have taken time to speak this afternoon. As the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones) said, Members from across the House have spoken with real passion and experience.

I am...

It is a great pleasure to respond to such a well-informed debate and I pay tribute to all the Members who have taken time to speak this afternoon. As the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones) said, Members from across the House have spoken with real passion and experience.

I am...

I have made the point that we want to give every opportunity for that to happen. The Secretary of State has also made this clear, and he did so in a written ministerial statement. I accept the frustration and the anger that the hon. Gentleman expresses on behalf of many...

I have made the point that we want to give every opportunity for that to happen. The Secretary of State has also made this clear, and he did so in a written ministerial statement. I accept the frustration and the anger that the hon. Gentleman expresses on behalf of many...

Actually, I very much welcome the fact that the Health Minister has set out the approach to dealing with those issues. As I have said, we have already provided some of the up-front funding to unblock some of the health issues that Northern Ireland was facing in the absence of...

Actually, I very much welcome the fact that the Health Minister has set out the approach to dealing with those issues. As I have said, we have already provided some of the up-front funding to unblock some of the health issues that Northern Ireland was facing in the absence of...

The hon. Gentleman, from whom I will take an intervention—he is always a very courteous intervener—has made the point very powerfully about the priorities of his constituents on these issues. These are all devolved issues that we want an Assembly and an Executive in place to deliver on.

The hon. Gentleman, from whom I will take an intervention—he is always a very courteous intervener—has made the point very powerfully about the priorities of his constituents on these issues. These are all devolved issues that we want an Assembly and an Executive in place to deliver on.

I recognise the point the hon. Gentleman is making, but I think the issue is that these were the areas agreed in NDNA. They were hard-fought, and they were negotiated, as we have heard, very strenuously between the parties. No one got precisely what they wanted, but at the end...

I recognise the point the hon. Gentleman is making, but I think the issue is that these were the areas agreed in NDNA. They were hard-fought, and they were negotiated, as we have heard, very strenuously between the parties. No one got precisely what they wanted, but at the end...

I will have to press on, I am afraid. I am under instructions, which my right hon. Friend will understand, from the Whips to get on.

We are looking forward to talking further about the NDNA agreement with the Irish Government during the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference later this week. I do...

I will have to press on, I am afraid. I am under instructions, which my right hon. Friend will understand, from the Whips to get on.

We are looking forward to talking further about the NDNA agreement with the Irish Government during the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference later this week. I do...

Second reading. Agreed to on question. Programme motion on committal, proceedings in Public Bill Committee, consideration, third reading and other proceedings. Agreed to on question.

Second reading. Agreed to on question. Programme motion on committal, proceedings in Public Bill Committee, consideration, third reading and other proceedings. Agreed to on question.

Motion to consider. Agreed to on division (13 votes to 3).

Motion to consider. Agreed to on division (13 votes to 3).

As I have said repeatedly, we are absolutely committed to the Good Friday agreement, and I can give the hon. Gentleman an illustration of that in UK law on the very next clause. I can assure him that amendment 48 is simply unnecessary. The protocol guarantees that there will be...

As I have said repeatedly, we are absolutely committed to the Good Friday agreement, and I can give the hon. Gentleman an illustration of that in UK law on the very next clause. I can assure him that amendment 48 is simply unnecessary. The protocol guarantees that there will be...

Committee stage (third day). Clause 11 discussed with amendments, new clauses 6 and 7, and clauses 40 to 45 and 50. Clause 11 agreed to. Amendments to clause 40 negatived on division (255 to 346, and 6 to 350 respectively). Clause 40 agreed to. Government amendment made to clause 41. Clause 41 agreed to as amended. Amendment to clause 42 negatived. Clauses 42 to 44 agreed to on division (322 to 257). Government amendment made to clause 45. Clauses 45 and 50 agreed to on division (338 to 254).

Committee stage (third day). Clause 11 discussed with amendments, new clauses 6 and 7, and clauses 40 to 45 and 50. Clause 11 agreed to. Amendments to clause 40 negatived on division (255 to 346, and 6 to 350 respectively). Clause 40 agreed to. Government amendment made to clause 41....

I am happy to look into the specific issue that hon. and learned Lady raises, but if she looks at the text in Hansard she will see that I addressed the point that she made about amendment 44. I mentioned a Government amendment that had been introduced on separate issues,...

I am happy to look into the specific issue that hon. and learned Lady raises, but if she looks at the text in Hansard she will see that I addressed the point that she made about amendment 44. I mentioned a Government amendment that had been introduced on separate issues,...

Thank you, Mr Evans. I am pleased to be opening this detailed consideration of part 5 of the Bill, which deals with matters relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol. I welcome this opportunity to discuss these provisions and the important issues they raise in depth today. Before I turn to...

Thank you, Mr Evans. I am pleased to be opening this detailed consideration of part 5 of the Bill, which deals with matters relating to the Northern Ireland Protocol. I welcome this opportunity to discuss these provisions and the important issues they raise in depth today. Before I turn to...

My right hon. Friend is of course right about that, and we still hope to strike a free trade agreement with the EU. I also point out that these issues can and should be resolved through the Joint Committee—I will come back to that.

Both the UK and the EU signed...

My right hon. Friend is of course right about that, and we still hope to strike a free trade agreement with the EU. I also point out that these issues can and should be resolved through the Joint Committee—I will come back to that.

Both the UK and the EU signed...

I will give way to the right hon. Gentleman in a moment, because I do intend to refer to some of his comments in my speech, and I will happily take his intervention shortly.

Further measures will be set out in the Finance Bill. These will have the same effect as...

I will give way to the right hon. Gentleman in a moment, because I do intend to refer to some of his comments in my speech, and I will happily take his intervention shortly.

Further measures will be set out in the Finance Bill. These will have the same effect as...