HC Deb 17 October 1990 vol 177 cc835-6W
Mr. McNamara

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many meetings of the Anglo-Irish Interministerial Council have taken place since its establishment; and if he will list the Ministers present and the issues discussed.

Mr. Brooke

There have been 36 meetings of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference since 1985. These meetings are normally attended by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and by the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office. It is recently been agreed that departmental Ministers should attend when necessary; as a result of this, my hon. Friends the Members for Wiltshire, North (Mr. Needham) and for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) attended the conference held on 17 July 1990.

Details of the topics discussed can be found in the joint communiques published after each meeting, copies of which have been placed in the Library.