Northern Ireland Assembly

HC Deb 21 July 1953 vol 46 cc204-5W

23. Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement of his future policy towards the Assembly.

24. Mr. Arnold

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about constitutional developments in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Prior

I refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. McNair-Wilson) earlier this afternoon.

26. Mr. William Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether there are any political parties which he considers must form part of a cross-party coalition in the Northern Ireland Assembly before he will be satisfied that the substance of proposals of the Assembly will be likely to command widespread acceptance throughout the community.

Mr. Prior

The Northern Ireland Act 1982 does not require the participation of any particular party in a scheme for devolution in Northern Ireland. However, before such a scheme is implemented, Parliament must be satisfied that it is likely to command widespread acceptance throughout the community in Northern Ireland. The views of parties representing the bulk of people in each part of the community would clearly weigh heavily with Parliament in considering this issue.