Lords and Northern Ireland Assembly Committees exchange views on Government's EU reform bid

The House of Lords EU Committee is holding an inquiry into the Prime Minister's long-term vision for the EU, and assessing how much consensus there is among other players within the UK and across Europe.

Chair of the Lords Committee, Lord Boswell, will exchange views with the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Issues covered will include the Government's approach to negotiations on EU membership, the benefits and drawbacks of EU membership for Northern Ireland, the implications for Northern Ireland of a vote to leave the EU, and the potential impact on North-South relations in the island of Ireland.

Questions that Lord Boswell is likely to put to the Committee include:

• In what spheres does Northern Ireland either benefit or suffer from EU membership?
• Have you been kept sufficiently informed as the discussions in Brussels and around the EU have progressed?
• What would be the implications if Northern Ireland, Scotland and/or Wales voted to remain in the EU, but the overall result was a vote to leave?
• What would be the impact of a vote to leave the EU on North-South relations in the island of Ireland?
• What would be the impact on structural funds, EU Peace Funding, the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and INTERREG cross-border funding, and what would be the impact of any loss of funding resulting from a UK exit?
• Given that Northern Ireland shares a land border with a member of the eurozone, what is your view of the Government's aim to establish legally binding principles to protect non-eurozone Member States?

The evidence session, starting at 2pm on Thursday 26 November, will take place in Room 29, Parliament Buildings, Northern Ireland Assembly.