1 Introduction
1. This Report reviews the work of the Northern Ireland
Affairs Committee during 2007, a year which has seen significant
developments in both the apparatus of government and the conduct
of politics in Northern Ireland. With the restoration to the Northern
Ireland Assembly of responsibility for scrutiny of the work of
the Departments of the Northern Ireland Executive, this Committee's
responsibilities shrank in May 2007 to cover policing, criminal
justice and political and constitutional developments in Northern
Ireland.
2. As a Committee we are of course delighted that
responsibility for the majority of policy areas has been restored
to a body which is directly accountable to the people of Northern
Ireland. For us, however, this has meant a considerably reduced
remit, with inevitable consequences for our ability to carry out
the 'core tasks' set by the House for all departmentally related
select committees. Nevertheless, 2007 was a busy year for the
Committee, made especially so in its early months by the need
to complete our major Report on Tourism in good time for devolution
of responsibility for such matters.
3. The Committee's visits to Northern Ireland are
an important aspect of its work. Such visits allow us to meet
and talk to key personalities who are directly involved in carrying
out or in monitoring the areas of policy that we as a Committee
scrutinise. In some cases, we have been able to hear formal, public
evidence from organisations or individuals; in other cases, we
have held private discussions. Both formats, in their different
ways, contribute greatly to our understanding of the matters into
which we inquire and of political developments in Northern Ireland
more generally.
4. We like to visit Northern Ireland at least six
times a year, but important political developments meant that
in 2007 we visited Northern Ireland on just three occasions, travelling
not only to Belfast but to Bangor and to Limavady. A further visit
took place in January 2008.
- We also visited the Republic of Ireland in January
and October 2007, and again in January 2008. Although they are
slightly less frequent than our visits to Northern Ireland, these
visits are an important opportunity for members of the Committee
to meet senior figures in the Irish government, Parliament and
other organisations to discuss the many matters of mutual interest.
We wish to place on record our thanks to all those whom we have
met in the Republic of Ireland for the warmth of their welcome
and the quality of their discourse. We are also grateful to the
British Ambassador in Dublin, David Reddaway, and other Embassy
staff who have been of great assistance on every visit.
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