Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland – in the House of Commons at 11:30 am on 4 November 2009.
Paul Goggins
Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office
11:30,
4 November 2009
There is certainly absolutely no intention whatever to bin-as the hon. Gentleman puts it-the work of the Consultative Group on the Past. The work it has done has been very important. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State opened up a further consultation on its recommendations. That consultation is now completed. [Interruption.] We are considering the outcome of the 230 representations that were made as part of that consultation, and we will publish a summary of those responses in due course. [Interruption.]
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.