Northern Ireland experts questioned for the Union and devolution inquiry
21 January 2016
The Constitution Committee hears from experts and political parties in Northern Ireland on the Union and devolution inquiry.
- Parliament TV: The Union and devolution
- Inquiry: The Union and devolution
- Select Committee on the Constitution
Witnesses
Wednesday 27 January in Committee Room 1, Palace of Westminster
First panel
At 10.30am
- Lord Empey, Ulster Unionist Party
Second panel
At 11.15am
- Professor Arthur Aughey, University of Ulster
- Professor Derek Birrell, University of Ulster
- Professor Colin Harvey, Queen's University, Belfast
Third panel
At 12.15pm
- Mark Durkan MP, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)
Possible questions
Possible questions the Committee may put to the witnesses include:
- The UK has been described as a ‘state of unions'. How does Northern Ireland's union differ from those of Wales and Scotland? How does Northern Ireland's relationship with the Republic of Ireland affect its union with the rest of the UK?
- Would attempts to set out common principles of the Union be disruptive for the political settlement in Northern Ireland? If not, would a new statute or charter of the Union be an appropriate vehicle for these principles?
- Does the existence of a separate Northern Ireland Civil Service affect its relationship with the UK Government and other devolved administrations?
- Should Northern Ireland be considered alongside Wales, Scotland and England in discussions of the future of devolution, or is the situation there too distinct for a UK-wide perspective to be appropriate?
Further information
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