§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if equality is one of the rights issues which will be subject to continuing consultations between the Irish Government and Her Majesty's Government under the proposed British Irish Governmental Council; [55524]
(2) if the proposed Northern Ireland Assembly and the United Kingdom Parliament will have concurrent responsibility for legislating on equality issues following the enactment of the Northern Ireland Bill; [55526]
1103W(3) if equality is (a) transferred, (b) reserved or (c) excepted matter under the proposals contained in the Northern Ireland Bill; [55523]
(4) in what areas concerning equality the proposed Northern Ireland Assembly will be able to legislate. [55525]
§ Mr. McFall[holding answer 19 October 1998]: Current legislation on fair employment, sex discrimination, race relations and disability discrimination in Northern Ireland is a transferred matter within the responsibility of Northern Ireland Departments and will remain so in accordance with paragraph 3 of the Strand One section of the Good Friday Agreement. The Government intend that the provisions in the Northern Ireland Bill establishing a unified Quality Commission and a statutory obligation to have due regard to the promotion of equality of opportunity will be reserved matters on which the Assembly will be able to legislate only with the consent of the Secretary of State, and subject to Parliamentary control. The Government propose to bring forward amendments in the course of the Parliamentary passage of the Bill to this effect. Equality issues may be discussed in the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference insofar as they remain within the responsibility of Her Majesty's Government, but it is preferable that developments in policy on equality should arise from agreement between elected representatives in Northern Ireland to the extent that this can be achieved.
1104W