Bradley urged to restart Stormont talks and take decisions

The NI Affairs Committee has called on Karen Bradley to redouble her efforts to restart the failed political talks process at Stormont.
Secretary of State Karen Bradley meets representatives from Quinn Building Products in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, to discuss a range of issues including Brexit and its impact on border businesses. Also pictured is Damien McManus, Claire Crawford, Aidan McManus, Kevin McManus and David Brown, Deputy President of the Ulster Farmers Union.  Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press eyeSecretary of State Karen Bradley meets representatives from Quinn Building Products in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, to discuss a range of issues including Brexit and its impact on border businesses. Also pictured is Damien McManus, Claire Crawford, Aidan McManus, Kevin McManus and David Brown, Deputy President of the Ulster Farmers Union.  Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press eye
Secretary of State Karen Bradley meets representatives from Quinn Building Products in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, to discuss a range of issues including Brexit and its impact on border businesses. Also pictured is Damien McManus, Claire Crawford, Aidan McManus, Kevin McManus and David Brown, Deputy President of the Ulster Farmers Union. Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press eye

In the absence of a power-sharing government, the secretary of state must also urgently bring forward proposals to address issues that require ministerial direction, the committee has said.

In a report ordered by the House of Commons, the committee has set out the steps it feels must be taken by Ms Bradley to address what it termed the “democratic deficit” in the Province.

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Chief among these is the need for NI’s two largest parties to resume negotiations aimed at breaking the political logjam.

The report laid out a series key policy areas where intervention is urgently required.

And it called on Ms Bradley to bring forward her proposals before the summer recess at Westminster.

But the committee underlined that these measures “must not replace attempts to restore devolution”.

The recommendations include:

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• Take action on the issue of MLA pay as soon as possible following consultation with the main political parties;

• Take all necessary steps to implement, consult on or legislate on the recommendations in the Bengoa report, which aims to address pressures on the health service;

• Bring forward legislation to redress survivors of historic institutional abuse – as recommended in the Hart report – without further delay;

• Take steps to reconstitute the NI Policing Board.

The 80-page report, published today, also suggests the restoration of Stormont committees in a bid to “strengthen scrutiny and accountability”.

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It added: “The secretary of state should take legal and procedural advice on how a committee system could be reinstated and in which areas it could provide scrutiny.”

The committee stated that a consultation with all MLAs should be undertaken within a month to explore their role in some form of Assembly structure.

Committee chair Dr Andrew Murrison said: “Karen Bradley is right to make restoring power-sharing devolved government in Stormont her first priority.

“However, while the political impasse continues the list of policy obstructions and project delays grows and becomes more serious.”

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Highlighting last week’s High Court ruling – which overturned a senior civil servant’s approval for a waste incinerator project – Mr Murrison added: “This judgement means masterly inactivity in ministerial decision making, which to date has been perfectly understandable, is fast becoming untenable.

“The committee considers that the secretary of state must now move beyond a wait-and-see approach and address issues that require ministerial direction.”

The committee also said the Belfast Agreement “should not be exempt from review”.

It recommended that, if an NI Executive is restored, it should launch a consultation within six months on what changes could be made to “strengthen the Stormont institutions”.

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If the Executive is not restored before the autumn, the committee said the secretary of state should consult with the parties in Northern Ireland and the Irish Government on how a review mechanism could be progressed and what the scope of that review should be.

Dr Murrison added: “The Good Friday Agreement has had a transformative effect on Northern Ireland. However, its institutions have collapsed and even if restarted tomorrow would likely remain fragile.”

The report comes as Ms Bradley met with business owners in Northern Ireland yesterday to discuss issues surrounding the Irish border after the UK leaves the European Union.