§ Lord Wallace of Saltaireasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the development of the Council of the Isles is satisfactory.
§ The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)My Lords, the British-Irish Council—as the Council of the Isles is more properly known—has met three times, once at summit level and twice in sectoral format. The council has agreed an initial programme of work to include: the environment, social inclusion, the knowledge economy and drugs. Drugs will be the main substantive item for discussion at the next summit, to be held in Dublin. The date of this meeting has been postponed, most recently to allow continuing political discussions on the implementation of the Good Friday agreement. In the meantime, work continues at official level.
§ Lord Wallace of SaltaireMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that informative Answer. If it is simply to be the "British-Irish" Council, does that imply that the association with the council of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands is an entirely subordinate, third-level matter? Has the idea of a Council of the Isles on which the Scottish and Welsh, as well as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, would be represented as part of a broader picture bringing together British and Irish interests in the wider constitutional context, now been left behind? Are we down simply to a British-Irish forum?
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonNo, my Lords; it was intended that the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man should also be included. I am happy to be able to say that officials will meet on the issue within the next few weeks in Jersey, to indicate the continuing importance of places such as the Channel Islands.
§ Lady Saltoun of AbernethyMy Lords, of precisely what islands is the Council of the Isles the council? My understanding is that it was the council through which in the old days the Lord of the Isles governed his estate. If any of the Scottish islands are involved, is that not a devolved matter?
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonMy Lords, the places involved are: Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
§ Lord HyltonMy Lords, do the Government consider that the council could be a helpful context in which to carry on further implementation of the Belfast agreement?
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonMy Lords, the council is referred to in the Belfast agreement. It is intended to improve the totality of the relationships between all of these places.
§ Baroness BuscombeMy Lords, no one whom I have asked in the past week beyond the Palace of Westminster has known what the council is. Will the Minister undertake to make the workings and meetings of the British-Irish Council easily accessible to the public so that knowledge of it may increase?
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonMy Lords, I do not know to whom the noble Baroness talks on a regular basis, but the council was referred to specifically in relation to the Good Friday agreement. It is an important part of the agreement and the work that it does is important.
§ Lord Wallace of SaltaireMy Lords, does the Minister consider that Scottish-English relations might usefully be discussed within the council? I have heard a number of leading Irish politicians talk about the utility of the Council of the Isles in future, particularly following any change of government at the English level, and about how they would be actively interested in mediating the peculiar triangle that is Scotland, England and Northern Ireland, which are quadrilateral with southern Ireland.
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonMy Lords, I think that improvement in the totality of all the relationships, which is the purpose of the Council of the Isles, would be helpful for all of the places involved.