Fleur Anderson
MP for Putney · Labour · United Kingdom
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison, and a delight to be called first. I congratulate the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Dr Pinkerton) on securing this important debate.”
“Hundreds of families have moved out and moved back, and they have just been told that they will all have to move out again in a rota system, all while fighting for remediation.”
“Although I recognise that developers have obligations under the developer remediation contract, my constituents are understandably asking what more can be done by the unit, by Ministers and by the Building Safety Regulator when progress stalls for different reasons.”
“The Bill will place stronger legal duties on landlords and freeholders to remediate unsafe cladding and other fire safety defects within clear timeframes. That is very welcome.”
“In other cases, residents are waiting for final fire risk assessments, EWS1 forms, remediation plans, contractor appointments, updated certifications, smoke extraction systems or the installation of cavity barriers. In all those cases, it is the people in the building who have to chase things up.”
“There are long delays, a lack of clear guidance and a lack of connection between the different bodies involved, as I will demonstrate. I would like to draw the Minister’s attention to several developments that are covered by the developer remediation contract with major developers such as Barratt Redrow and Taylor Wimpey.”
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“The Secretary of State has met suppliers, and my officials meet regularly with horticultural industry representatives. The next meeting of the horticultural working group is in two days’ time, and the Government are committed to addressing the outstanding issues on horticultural products to ensure that these can move safely within the UK.”
“Officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are following up specifically with the companies that are most affected, such as seed shipping companies. Shipping seeds is allowed, using phytosanitary certificates, but business-to-business posting is currently smoother than business-to-consumer posting. Solutions to this issue are being worked out within the requirements of the Windsor framework, and guidance should be updated shortly.”
“I can provide more updates. The banned plants are being worked through species-by-species. There were 11 in 2023 and 10 in 2024, and we are working through each one of those. The working group is taking each of those on a case-by-case basis and working through each issue as it arises.”
“We are working to narrow the range of products that involve a problem, but we are working in respect of each of them as well. The matter is being given consideration in the knowledge that, as the hon. Member has pointed out, the deadline is approaching.”
“I agree that the Windsor framework is a big improvement on the protocol. We are committed to implementing it at the same time as seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement that would provide further improvements in the movement of agrifood products, and we must pave the way to that by resetting our relationship with the EU and implementing the Windsor framework in good faith.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Western. I congratulate the hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Sorcha Eastwood) on securing this important debate—I believe it is her first debate since her election—and on the constructive and sensitive approach that has been adopted. She brings an important contribution to the debate. Since her arrival in July, the hon. Member has already demonstrated her passion for the issue and her enthusiasm in making a case for the potential evolution of the Northern Ireland institutions in future. I agree with her that stable political institutions and a devolution settlement that works for all the people of Northern Ireland remain a priority for this Government and, I am sure, for all in Westminster Hall today.”
“I thank the hon. Gentleman for his contribution and for his shared commitment to finding a way forward. I think that is what everyone in Northern Ireland wants to see. It is the Windsor framework that enables the UK internal market to be protected post Brexit, and it has established powerful democratic safeguards for the Northern Ireland Assembly. They are what should be used to enable the institutions to function effectively for the people of Northern Ireland. That is what I am going to outline in my speech. However, what do we mean by effectiveness?”
“I am delighted that the strand 1 institutions that the hon. Member for Lagan Valley focused on, the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, are fully operational again, having been restored nearly a year ago, in February 2024. I am extremely grateful that in full operation, they are doing what they were established to do: enabling power to be shared between communities in Northern Ireland. It is through devolved government that decisions can be taken locally on the issues that matter most to the people of Northern Ireland.”
“Almost 27 years on from its signing, it has brought an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland, and it has enabled a generation to grow up in relative peace, increasing prosperity and allowing the people of Northern Ireland to take steps towards reconciliation. The journey to the signing of that agreement required incredible political courage and imagination from the Northern Ireland parties. They were required to set aside their deeply felt differences and commit to working together in a new suite of institutions in the hope of a better tomorrow. As we stand here in 2025, I recognise that the same commitment to collaboration, and to helping Northern Ireland achieve its full potential, is among the parties, is witnessed here today, and remains strongly in the Northern Ireland public.”
“We have debated at length the pros and cons of the Windsor framework, and I know we have different opinions on it. The Windsor framework enables the internal market to work and the smooth flow of goods, at the same time as allowing democratic institutions—the Assembly—to have their say and to have those democratic safeguards, as has been demonstrated recently. We need to establish what we mean by the effectiveness of the political institutions. In Northern Ireland, the key measure of effectiveness in the institutions is peace. The Good Friday agreement remains an unparalleled achievement for Northern Ireland.”
“I welcome the hon. Member’s intervention. There was stability for 10 years when power sharing was enabled, and that is at the heart of what must be enabled by the institutions there. Unless there is a real change shown in various different ways, we need to ensure that those institutions maintain that power sharing. That is what has worked to give us peace up to now, but the stability has been in question. That is why it is good to have these debates, as we are today.”
“Member for Lagan Valley. The institutions have been inoperable for 40% of their existence, and that has shaken the Northern Irish public’s faith in them and had detrimental consequences for the delivery of public services. Despite the challenges, the people of Northern Ireland agree that power sharing remains the best basis for Government in Northern Ireland. I recognise that power sharing is challenging, but the UK Government are committed to upholding the Good Friday agreement in letter and in spirit, and to a positive and active partnership with the Executive.”
“We need consensus for change. I welcome the proposals for change laid out by the hon. Member for Lagan Valley today. Everything I can see from the political parties and the debates in Stormont shows that we are still a long way from agreeing what those kinds of changes should be, whether those are the specific ones mentioned by her or others. If anything, what we need now is to focus on delivering for public services, as she also outlined. A measure of effectiveness is stability. It is clear that the institutions have not always proven as stable as the people of Northern Ireland have a right to expect. There was a period of 10 years of stability from 2007 to 2017, which shows that it can be done. The question now is: can these institutions deliver what they need to deliver, or do they need to change? That is the question posed by the hon.”
“No; I will make some progress. Our partnership approach enables us to work together to overcome joint challenges and to strengthen the institutions through delivery.”
“We are committed to working collaboratively and ensuring that Northern Ireland’s institutions can work effectively to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“Improving public services is, rightly, the responsibility of the Executive, so the key question is whether the institutions, in their current form, can deliver on public services. The answer is yes, they can. The Executive now have the political will and stability, as well as a record funding settlement of £18 billion for Northern Ireland in 2025-26, which is an increase of £1.5 billion. Funding for the Northern Ireland Executive in the autumn Budget exceeds 124% of comparable UK Government funding per person in the rest of the UK, and the Executive have all the levers they need to tackle these challenges. The UK Government are focused on delivering our five missions across the UK, are a willing partner with the Executive in this and want to help the Executive to seize this opportunity.”
“I am very aware that receiving medical treatment in a corridor or waiting more than 12 hours in one of the hospitals across Northern Ireland has become normal, that some children with special educational needs wait for more than a year for the educational support they are entitled to, that social housing waiting lists are increasing, and that court delays remain a challenge, with a significant difference between court delays in the rest of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. I do not highlight these examples to be critical, and I know from my many conversations with Northern Ireland Ministers that they are fully aware of these challenges and serious about addressing them.”
“The third measure of effectiveness is delivery. Although the strand 1 institutions have been a significant success, more remains to be done to ensure that Northern Ireland is the thriving, successful place we know it can be. Northern Ireland has much to be proud of, benefiting from increasing economic prosperity and investment since 1998, both from the UK Government and the private sector. Northern Ireland has thriving tourism, film, TV production and cyber-security sectors, which are a leading dimension of Northern Ireland’s diverse economy. However, from my conversations with many people in Northern Ireland, I know that palpable frustration remains at the state of the public services, as the hon. Member for Lagan Valley outlined.”
“No; I will make some progress. One of the most important contributions that we, as the UK Government, can make is to provide that long-term certainty and stability to Northern Ireland after the tumult of recent years. It is the focus of the UK Government and, I am sure, of all the Members here present. We do not want Stormont to fall into a pattern of collapse, as we have seen previously. I know that the hon. Member for Lagan Valley feels strongly about the political evolution of those institutions, as do many in Northern Ireland. I remain committed to listening to those conversations going forward and to listening to all the views of MPs and Members of the Legislative Assembly, but the priority must be to support the Executive to deliver on those most pressing public service issues—health, jobs, the cost of living and education.”
“The UK Government remain committed to working with the Executive—in a spirit of collaboration and partnership that was not seen with the previous Government—to support the transformation of public services and ensure the institutions’ long-term effectiveness to deliver on those issues that every Member in Westminster Hall today will agree matter most to people in northern Ireland—economic growth, the cost of living, safety, jobs, education and health. I thank the hon. Member for Lagan Valley for her contribution to this debate; an ongoing debate needs to happen all the time on the reform of Northern Ireland’s institutions. Question put and agreed to .”
“They have enabled locally accountable decision making and brought increasing prosperity to Northern Ireland since the signing of the agreement in 1998. The hon. Member for Lagan Valley has outlined the challenges and frustrations felt by many in Northern Ireland, and we are politicians in challenging times. The focus of Government policy in Northern Ireland remains the securing of a brighter future for generations to come.”
“I am glad the hon. Gentleman has raised that issue. There is a £235 million part of the restoration package focused on transformation, and it is transformation that can demonstrate the effectiveness of the institutions. This is a demonstration of the UK Government’s willingness to work together in partnership for genuine transformation. I know that these projects will be agreed by the Finance Minister shortly, and I agree that this needs to be done quickly. As the hon. Gentleman knows, transformation takes time. There needs to be collaboration, willingness and political will, and we have that with the Executive right now. In conclusion, Northern Ireland’s political institutions, arising from the Good Friday agreement, have been extremely effective in embedding and upholding peace.”
“Public services in Northern Ireland continue to fall behind, and the people of Northern Ireland deserve better. I raise this regularly with Northern Ireland Ministers including the Education and Health Ministers, and the Government are fully committed to helping the Executive to make the urgent reforms that are needed.”
“Yes, I do. Integrated education is a devolved matter for the Executive, but this Government are unapologetically supportive of integrated education. I have spoken to the headteachers of Bangor academy and Rathmore primary school this week, and they, as well as parents and pupils at the schools, are shocked by the decision. I hope that the Education Minister will work with them to resolve his concerns and listen to parents, who overwhelmingly want their children to benefit from integrated education.”
“I thank the hon. Member for raising the issue of the Public Service Transformation Board. As he says, the interim board has a £235 million budget for transformation. Several major projects—on health, special educational needs and justice—are now being sent to the Northern Ireland Minister of Finance for agreement, and I have pushed for the full board to be set up by the end of this financial year. I agree that it needs to move ahead and get those projects done.”
“The hon. Member is correct to raise the issue of public services, especially health services. The winter pressures on hospital care and other areas have been shocking to see, and I am grateful to health workers for their work on the frontline at the moment. This week, I met the UK Government’s Health Minister to talk about how we can provide tangible support, and we have already done so. As the hon. Member says, funding is not the only answer; it is also about sharing best practice and expertise. This Government have committed to doing that through the Public Service Transformation Board, but there are other practical ways in which we can work together on the best ways to reform.”
“I have met the Minister for Health, and I have been round and visited many of the healthcare provision services, all of which are feeling pressures at this time as a result of successive Executives not tackling reform and being absent along the way. That is why we set up the Public Service Transformation Board. The Executive face huge challenges, and this Government’s priority is to work with them. The funding is there, the Executive are committed, and they need to work together to deliver change urgently.”
“The updated EU general product safety regulations largely formalise how businesses already operate in the UK, and the majority of businesses have adapted to continue trading within the UK and with the EU. In December, the Government published guidance for businesses on the application of the regulations in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State has this week met ministerial colleagues, and will keep this under review.”
“The Government are absolutely committed to ensuring a smooth flow of goods across the UK internal market. We understand that many companies have adapted easily to GPSR, while for some it is more difficult. The Secretary of State has met the Minister for business this week to discuss further guidance and assurance, and will continue to have such discussions.”
“There are many pressures on businesses that we are constantly assessing and talking to businesses about. The hon. Member is right to raise the subject of job creation in Northern Ireland; it is a priority for this Government. We are supporting businesses in many ways, including through Invest Northern Ireland’s fund for small businesses, and by directly supporting jobseekers through our funding for employment support schemes.”
“Even after accounting for employer national insurance contribution impacts, the Office for Budget Responsibility expects real wages to rise by 3%. Raising the revenue to fill the £22 billion black hole required us to take difficult decisions, but they will result in improved public services, which is good for all people in Northern Ireland.”
“They will not, at that stage, be removed, but the primary legislation is clear that non-respondents may not be retained indefinitely. Consequently, in the sixth and final year, all remaining retained electors will be sent up to three notices informing them that they will be removed if they do not re-register. If they fail to respond, they will then be removed. The purpose of the framework is to ensure that reasonable efforts are made to prevent the loss of eligible electors from the register. As the last canvass was held in 2021, only those provisions in the regulations concerning years four to six will apply to the current retained electors. I hope that the Committee agrees that these changes will encourage and secure participation in the democratic process in Northern Ireland.”
“The draft regulations will introduce a new residence audit that the CEO will be required to conduct annually to check residence details of retained electors against the external data available. Where the audit raises a question as to the elector’s residence, a removal warning notice must be sent. If the elector does not re-register within 28 days of the notice, they will be removed from the register. In years one to three following the canvass, if the CEO remains satisfied as a result of the audit that the elector remains eligible to be on the register, no further action will be taken. However, in years four to five of the electoral cycle, which is where we are now, if the CEO is satisfied that retained electors remain resident, they will be sent a household notice showing which electors must re-register or risk removal.”
“Crucially, the new provisions stipulate the required minimum engagements by the CEO in each retention year to encourage re-registration, including an annual audit of retained electors and a framework of correspondence. The provisions are designed to prevent the loss of retained electors, which would have a negative impact on the quality of the electoral register in Northern Ireland and would potentially disenfranchise electors. The CEO is clear that he has full confidence in the quality of the data available, allowing him confidence in retention and removals where they are warranted. Owing to additional data and improvements in data science, the data available is of a much higher quality than when the current law was conceived. I will explain a little more about the details of the framework.”
“That is why it is really important that we are all here today. The CEO’s assessment is that almost all of these retained electors remain eligible. The draft regulations would correct the position by extending the retention period from three to six years. Given that three years have already elapsed since the 2021 canvass, the current retained cohort will start the new framework in year four of the 10-year cycle and will be subject to the provisions relating to years four to six of the scheme. Electors retained on the register following any subsequent canvass, including the one scheduled for 2030, will be subject to the steps for years one to six.”
“Instead, the CEO is required to conduct a canvass at least every 10 years; the last was held in 2021. During the canvass, all eligible individuals must respond by completing a full new application form; otherwise, they risk removal from the register. The current law provides that individuals who do not respond to a canvass can be retained for up to three years if the CEO continues to be satisfied of their eligibility; such individuals are called retained electors. The CEO is able to assess eligibility by cross-checking the register with local and Government data. Following the 2021 canvass, there are 87,000 retained electors on the register, or approximately 6% of the electorate in Northern Ireland. As that canvass took place three years ago, under the existing provisions they would all be removed from the register next month.”
“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2025. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Mundell. As we set out in our manifesto, this Government are committed to strengthening and encouraging participation in our democracy. The draft regulations will help to achieve that by ensuring that those who remain eligible to be registered, but who did not respond to the last electoral canvass, can remain registered while attempts are made to contact them. I thank the Electoral Commission and the chief electoral officer for Northern Ireland for their support in the design of the retention framework that is set out in the draft regulations. Unlike the process in Great Britain, there is no annual canvass in Northern Ireland.”
“Members present, as well as my Northern Ireland Office officials and the Clerks, for being here so that we could consider the draft regulations, enabling us to ensure that we strengthen the electoral system by doing all we can to encourage engagement in democracy. Confidence that the system works for us all is essential. I am pleased to commend the draft regulations to the Committee. Question put and agreed to.”
“Member for South Antrim, the CEO has confidence, but I will ask for a breakdown of the numbers by constituency. It will be interesting for hon. Members and others to see whether there are differences, discrepancies or reasons why there are fewer retained electors in certain constituencies. Cross-checking is done with other data. Can an individual query the register? That is a system for the CEO to look at. The draft regulations will put the method of using cross-checking every year into legislation, but an individual querying whether another person should be on the electoral register is a different matter entirely. I thank both hon. Members for their questions and thank all hon.”
“We will be looking at other ways in which to increase democratic participation; it will be a subject of discussion for the next three years, but the draft regulations will enable exactly that. There is a different history in Northern Ireland, which is why there are different systems, so a direct harmonisation is not as easy as it sounds, but it needs to be discussed. The shadow Secretary of State asked about using voter ID. I do not know about speculation in the press, but I can ask the relevant Minister to get back to him on the question of when it will be discussed. I know that the Government are committed to extending the franchise to 16 and 17-year-olds; that will be on the table for the next few years and it will be discussed. In answer to a question asked by the hon.”
“The numbers who are not on the electoral roll, but could potentially be on it, are in line with the standard across the United Kingdom. The CEO has made assurances about the reliability of the data, which is achieved through cross-checking it with other systems. If, as a result of cross-checking with other Government data, someone is found to have moved, they will be asked to be removed from the system. Those who are retained are on the system in another area of Government data, so the reliability of data can be assured. The harmonising of the system in Great Britain is a whole other issue, but making the draft regulations will give the Government an extra three years to consider what changes could be made and to look again at the issue.”
“I thank the hon. Members for Brentwood and Ongar and for South Antrim for raising those questions. The draft regulations are an important piece of legislation and it is important to get them right. The number of retained electors sounds very high, but given the total electorate of 1.36 million, some 87,000 is not an unusually high number in the history of elections in Northern Ireland. It is increasingly difficult to get people to fill out forms, but we hope that by enabling electors to be retained for another three years, the draft regulations—along with a concerted effort of correspondence and checking—will increase the number. The draft regulations set out how the CEO will try to contact non-respondents. The CEO does not consider that the number is unusually high or that it represents a particular spike.”
“Several years ago, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson told us that there was an oven-ready deal. That was clearly not the case, because we are still discussing this. The hon. and learned Member has mentioned mutual enforcement, but nowhere in the world does mutual enforcement happen wholesale under trading regulations between countries. The only workable deal that has been struck was reached not by politics, but through a pragmatic working out, and that is the Windsor framework. Is he selling something that cannot actually work? The mutual enforcement idea has been described by the EU Commission as magical thinking.”
“The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency’s interdepartmental business register shows that the number of businesses registered for VAT or pay-as-you-earn operating in Northern Ireland in 2022 is estimated to have risen by 1,550 since 2021 to 77,640, and is continuing to increase. [ Official Report , 6 January 2025; Vol. 759, c. 4WC.] (Correction) I could go on and on; I have a longer list of the good news stories for Northern Ireland. The economy is working, but all the businesses I speak to talk about the need for stability, and the underlying premise of this Bill would change that stability. We would go into uncertainty and chaos, which would not be good for the Northern Ireland economy.”
“I will start by outlining some of the good news for the Northern Ireland economy—news that shows what the Windsor framework, the prospect of stability, the Executive returning, and the stability of a new Labour Government are doing for the economic outlook in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland composite economic index indicates that economic output increased by 0.4% over the quarter to June 2024 and by 2.3% over the year. Ulster University’s economic policy centre shows that Northern Ireland has a forecasted growth rate of 1.4% in 2024 and 1.7% in 2025. The region’s economy is performing better than was expected at the start of the year. This has been driven by strong growth in employment, particularly in the transport, construction and health sectors.”
“I also reiterate the Government’s commitment to both the Windsor framework and to the UK internal market. It was on that point that the Secretary of State respectfully disagreed with the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim in this House a fortnight ago. I will set out the Government’s objection to this Bill, which is not compatible with international law, does not account for Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances, and would in effect take away powers that are given to the Northern Ireland Assembly to make decisions about Northern Ireland. It would result in a regulatory black hole that would be very bad for businesses, jobs, growth, the Northern Ireland economy and the rest of the United Kingdom.”
“Let me begin by expressing thanks to all those who have contributed to this debate so far—I am sure that there will be many more after me—and to the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim (Jim Allister). He has set out his view to the House with the same ardour as he did a fortnight ago, although at greater length than he was allowed to in Westminster Hall, and he made his case during his time in Stormont as well. It is important to restate to him what my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said to this House a fortnight ago, which is that the Government want Northern Ireland to prosper and flourish as an important part of the Union. On that, many of us will find agreement. We are here to do what is best for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“I listened carefully to the examples that the hon. Gentleman gave on behalf of his constituents. They are concerning, and we need to listen to them carefully. I absolutely understand the concerns raised by other Members in this debate as well. It is useful to have this debate, so that we can talk about those issues, but without the Windsor framework, there would be no framework from within which to negotiate changes. Many changes have been made since the establishment of the Windsor framework, and that shows that it can flex, allow negotiation, and allow for practices and schemes, such as the internal market scheme, that enable the smooth flow of trade. That is the benefit of having the Windsor framework, rather than ditching it.”
“Indeed, he has opposed the existence of the Northern Ireland Assembly under the Good Friday agreement, so he should reflect on the fact that the Windsor framework represents the democratic will of this House. He made repeated reference to the 300 areas where EU law is applicable to Northern Ireland. He ignores the fact that, under the Windsor framework, more than 1,700 pages of EU law, with accompanying European Court of Justice jurisdiction, have been disapplied. They cover areas such as VAT, medicines, which were referred to, and food safety; the UK Government can decide on them, and UK courts can interpret issues to do with them. I have my own views on the whole process, but that was faithfully applied after the democratic vote to withdraw from the EU.”
“He claimed that a Stormont brake is nothing more than a request from the Assembly for the law to be disapplied. Back-seat driving was referred to. That is incorrect. In fact, schedule 6B of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 places a strict legal duty on the Government to act where the brake is validly used by Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The hon. and learned Gentleman has used hyperbolic and frankly incendiary language, impugning the motives of our partners and allies, all the while ignoring the fact that this House voted for the arrangements that now apply. I can only presume that he supports the sovereignty of this Parliament.”