Northern Ireland Boundary Commission (Hansard, 27 February 1995)

HC Deb 27 February 1995 vol 255 cc400-1W 400W

§ Mr. Trimble
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, columns 167–68, and the answer of 1 December 1994 given by the Minister of State—the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram)—to the hon. Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone (Mr. Maginnis), Official Report, column 1326, if he will clarify the number of occasions on which Irish Government Ministers sought to influence the work of the Northern Ireland Boundary 401W Commission, and the dates on which any meetings took place.

§ Sir Patrick Mayhew
[holding answer 15 February 1995]: My answer of 7 February explained that at the intergovernmental conference held on 28 January 1994 the Irish side was advised that there were statutory procedures for interested parties to make representations in respect of the Boundary Commission's published provisional recommendations. The Government's practice is that details of their exchanges with the Irish Government remain confidential, but I can confirm that when the Irish side referred again to the issue at the intergovernmental conference held on 10 March 1994 they were reminded of the independence of the Boundary Commission. My hon. Friend the Minister's answer referred to both these occasions.

§ Mr. Trimble
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 7 February,Official Report, column 167, if he will list the occasions on which Northern Ireland constituency boundaries were raised by the Irish members of the Anglo-Irish intergovernmental secretariat after the publication of the provisional recommendations of the Northern Ireland Boundary Commission.

§ Sir Patrick Mayhew
[holding answer 15 February 1995]: The Government's practice is that details of its exchanges with the Irish Government remain confidential. As is reflected by the communiqué issued following the intergovernmental conference on 28 January 1994, the Irish have been consistently advised that there are statutory procedures for interested parties to make representations in respect of the Boundary Commission's published provisional recommendations.