§ 17. Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the operation on the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
§ Mr. Tom KingI refer my hon. Friend to a reply I gave earlier to a question by the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham).
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how far the Anglo-Irish Agreement has met the objectives originally set for it and what empirical methods are used to evaluate the progress of the agreement;
(2) if he will make a statement on progress achieved by the Anglo-Irish Conference;
(3) what improvements the closer co-operation between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Republic of Ireland, since the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, has produced in the situation in Northern Ireland, and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Scott[pursuant to his reply, 21 October 1986]: We have made good progress since the Anglo-Irish Agreement came into force. We have laid the basis for improved cross-border security co-ordination in the Conference, and the Conference has reassured nationalists that their interests will be taken into account when the Government make decisions. Unionists should also draw reassurance from the renewed commitment in the agreement by both Governments to the principle of consent.
The Government evaluate all their policies, including the Anglo-Irish Agreement, to see whether they have met their objectives. But we have always recognised that the problems which the agreement addresses will not be solved quickly or easily. I am confident that when a final assessment can be made of the agreement its effect will be seen to have been positive.