asked Her Majesty's Government:

Who were the parties to the St Andrews agreement of 13 October; and whether the oath for Executive Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly which pledges support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland is part of the agreement.[HL7742]

The St Andrews agreement is currently an agreement between the British and Irish Governments. We have asked the Northern Ireland parties to consult internally and to respond by 10 November as to whether they will endorse the terms of the agreement.

Paragraph 8 of Annexe A to the agreement deals with potential amendments to the pledge of office and makes it clear that,

“before the Government legislates on the pledge of office it will consider the outcome of further Preparation for Government Committee discussions on policing and the rule of law”.