HL Deb 08 May 2002 vol 634 c172WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What they consider to be the meaning of the Pledge of Office for Members of the Northern Ireland Executive in Annex A, Section B of the Belfast agreement of 1998 when it states that such Members must have a "commitment to nonviolence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means". [HL3931]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

It is not possible comprehensively to define these terms. Any question of possible failure of such a commitment would need to be considered in the light of all the relevant circumstances.