Mr. John David Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his policy with regard to possible changes in the Anglo-Irish Agreement; and what discussions he has had with the Government of the Republic of Ireland about that possibility.
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§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the 18 complaints, objections and requests for clarification that have been called for by the Irish Government on the Anglo-Irish Agreement as a result of his press interview released on Friday, 4 July; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Tom King[pursuant to his reply, 14 July 1986, c. 371]: The Anglo-Irish Agreement provides under article 11 that the working of the Intergovernmental Conference shall be reviewed after three years and that it may be reviewed earlier if either the United Kingdom or the Irish Government wish. The Government have made it clear that if there were agreement upon proposals for devolved government we should need to review the implications of any such proposals for the working of the Intergovernmental Conference. I can foresee no other circumstances in which we might need to review the working of the conference before the end of the three year period and I have not discussed any proposals with the Irish Government.
§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will review the implications for the working of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference of recent direct protests by the Foreign Minister of the Irish Republic against the routing by the Northern Ireland authorities of certain Orange parades.
§ Mr. Tom King[pursuant to his reply, 17 July 1986]: I see no grounds at present to justify a review.