To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had during the peace talks in Northern Ireland with representatives of Sinn Fein about the transfer to Ireland of persons convicted and imprisoned for terrorist crimes in Great Britain. [16244]

My Ministerial colleagues and I have had a number of discussions with Sinn Fein since the IRA ceasefire, during some of which prisoner issues— including the issue of repatriation of prisoners to the Republic of Ireland—have been raised. Our approach in these meetings has been to listen to Sinn Fein's concerns and to explain the Government's policy which is that the British Government will continue to honour its obligations under the Convention on the transfer of sentenced persons.