Members' Business — S6M-11415 Emma Harper: The Role of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly

That the Parliament welcomes what it sees as the contribution of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA) to enhancing government scrutiny, and in bringing together members of UK and Irish legislatures to discuss, debate and report on a wide range of policy areas facing society across all of the BIPA constituent areas, namely Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man; understands that BIPA, established in 1990, has a core mission to promote co-operation between political representatives in Britain and Ireland for the benefit of the people who elect its members from all of the legislatures represented, while building on the close relationships established in recent years between politicians throughout Britain and Ireland; further understands that BIPA members engage in a wide range of non-legislative parliamentary activities through biannual plenary meetings and ongoing committee work, and that it consists of five committees, which are Committee A (Sovereign Matters), Committee B (European Affairs), Committee C (Economic), Committee D (Environmental and Social), and a Steering Committee, which brings together and links the work of the various BIPA committees; notes that BIPA plenaries alternate between the BIPA regions and serve to debate topical issues and committee reports, and include a question period with a senior minister from the host country; understands that there are many reports that BIPA has produced for consideration by UK and Irish legislatures, including recommendations on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), renewable energy, the transfer of prisoners, cross-border policing, the Good Friday Agreement, healthcare access and post-Brexit trade; believes that BIPA plays an important role in listening to evidence from individuals, business and wider society, including from the South Scotland region, to help inform government policy and foster relationships with elected members across the BIPA legislatures; wishes BIPA a long and successful future, and encourages everyone to look at the considered reports that are available on the BIPA website, britishirish.org.