Good Friday Agreement (Hansard, 12 January 2000)

§ 10. Mr. David Stewart
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made on the implementation of the Good Friday agreement. [103422]

§ 24. Mr. Gray
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Belfast agreement. [103436]

§ 27. Mr. Randall
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Belfast agreement. [103439]

§ Mr. George Howarth
We have set up the new devolved institutions for Northern Ireland and transferred powers to them. We have implemented new treaties with the Irish Government to set up new institutions for North/South co-operation and the new British-Irish Council. We have set up a new Human Rights Commission. An independent report on policing has been published and an independent report on criminal justice will be published shortly. Authorised representatives of the main paramilitary organisations are meeting with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, and the Commission will report later this month.

§ 15. Mr. Levitt
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on international support for the peace process in Northern Ireland. [103427]

§ Mr. Mandelson
There has been enormous international interest and support for the peace process over many years, both from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations, as well as from individuals. This support has come from many parts of the world, including North America, Europe, Australia, the Far East and South Africa, and has played an important part in enhancing the prospects for peace in Northern Ireland. Support has taken many forms including the direct personal interest shown by various Heads of Government, including President Clinton; the appointment of international figures to assist in the political negotiations and with the Independent Commission on Decommissioning; and the important financial support that has been given by the European Union, through the Peace and Reconciliation Package; the Ireland Funds and by the International Fund for Ireland.

§ 18. Mr. Ivan Lewis
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing east/west bodies under the Good Friday agreement. [103430]

§ Mr. George Howarth
The British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference were formally established on 2 December 1999 at the same time as the British-Irish Agreement came into force and met for the first time on 17 December 1999. These institutions represent significant developments in the relationship between the UK and Ireland and offer an180W opportunity for real and meaningful co-operation between the two Governments and, in the case of the British-Irish Council, the devolved administrations also.