Commentary on provisions of Act Sections 3-7: Reports and Debates
Sections 3-7 require regular reporting to Parliament on a range of matters relating to Northern Ireland and for debates to be arranged in relation to a number of these reports. Taken as a whole, their effect is as follows.
	The Secretary of State must, on or before 4 September 2019, publish and lay before both Houses of Parliament a report which covers the following issues relating to Northern Ireland:
	Progress towards the formation of a Northern Ireland Executive (section 3(1)),
	Progress towards preparing legislation to provide for transparency of political donations and loans from 1 January 2014 (section 3(6)),
	Improvement of higher education and the establishment of a university in Derry/Londonderry (section 3(7)),
	Progress towards protecting veterans from repeated investigation into Troubles-related incidents by introducing a presumption of non-prosecution in the absence of compelling new evidence (section 3(8)),
	Progress towards developing new prosecution guidance for Troubles-related cases (section 3(9)),
	A review of abortion law in Northern Ireland and how that law might be amended in the absence of an Executive (section 3(10)),
	The Secretary of State must then, on or before 9 October 2019, publish and lay before both Houses of Parliament a further report on the issues listed above. This requirement then repeats every fourteen calendar days until 18 December 2019 (section 3(5)).
	Each time one of these reports is published, the Secretary of State must make arrangements for a neutral motion to be debated in the House of Commons; and for a ‘take note’ motion to be debated in the House of Lords (subsection (2)). These debates must take place within the period of five calendar days beginning with the end of the day on which the report is laid before Parliament (section 3(3)).
	Section 3(4) provides that, if the Secretary of State cannot comply with the obligations to lay the report before Parliament and make arrangements for a motion as described above, then a proclamation under the Meeting of Parliament Act 1797 shall require Parliament to meet on a specified day within a period of five calendar days beginning with the end of the day on which the relevant report is laid before Parliament, and to meet on the five following days, excluding weekends and bank holidays.
	The Secretary of State must, on or before 4 September, publish separate reports on each of the following issues:
	Progress made in Northern Ireland on gambling issues (section 3(11));
	Progress on the use of discretionary powers to provide assistance and support in relation to human trafficking and exploitation and related issues (section 3(12));
	Progress made towards preparing legislation implementing a pension for victims seriously injured in the Troubles (section 3(13)); and
	Progress made towards implementing the recommendations of the Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995 (section 3(14)).
	The reports published under section 3(11) and (12) must be included in the first report made under section 3(1) (see paragraph 20 above) and laid before both Houses of Parliament (section 3(2)).
	The reports under section 3(13) and (14) must be published before the report under section 3(1) but there is no requirement to lay these reports before Parliament.
	Within two sitting days of each report under section 3(11)-(14) being published, the Secretary of State must make arrangements for a separate motion approving the contents of each report to be debated in the House of Commons; and for a ‘take note’ motion to be debated in the House of Lords. The debates must take place within seven sitting days of the report being published- – see sections 4 to 7.
	Before making the report under section 3(1), the Secretary of State must publish a separate report on each of the following issues relating to Northern Ireland:
	Progress towards preparing legislation on the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland (subsection (15)), and
	Whether the definition of a victim in Northern Ireland legislation should be revised (subsection (16)).
	The Secretary of State must also, on or before 21 October 2019 publish a report on each of the following issues relating to Northern Ireland:
	Progress towards establishing a Renewable Heat Incentive Hardship Unit (subsection (17)),
	Progress on libel legislation in Northern Ireland and on any plans to align that law with the law in Great Britain (subsection (18)),
	Progress on the implementation of Project Life 2 - Strategy for Suicide Prevention in Northern Ireland (subsection (19)), and
	An assessment in relation to the demand for elective care services and how this is exceeding health service capacity for both new and existing patients across Northern Ireland; details of the current measures being taken - as well as planned - to reduce health and social care waiting times, and the impact of waiting times on children (subsection (20)).
	The Secretary of State must also, on or before 1 December 2019, publish a report on future welfare mitigation support measures relating to the period after March 2020 (subsection (21)).
	The requirements to publish reports under section 3 cease to apply if a First Minister, deputy First Minister and the Northern Ireland Ministers are appointed.