T3. Mr Allister asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, in light of the fact that the Donaldson deal promised the establishment of an independent monitoring panel to, in its words, "uphold the economic rights of the people of Northern Ireland" and "protect Northern Ireland's place in the Union", albeit in an answer to a question for written answer received today, the Minister said that he is unaware of an independent monitoring panel's ever having been established, to outline how his Department, all these months on, in the absence of the promised panel, interacts on those issues with the relevant UK Department. (AQT 403/22-27)