---

Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

The hon. Gentleman has misrepresented the Secretary of State as well as the SDLP. I do not believe that the Secretary of State gave me the assurance that the hon. Gentleman thinks that he did. On the specific provisions in the comprehensive agreement, if the SDLP and the Ulster Unionist party did not vote to show their confidence in Sinn Fein and the DUP members as First and Deputy First Ministers, we would be excluded from office. By contrast, under the Belfast agreement members of the DUP rightly took up ministerial office even while voting against the First and Deputy First Ministers. Sinn Fein members could take up ministerial office while abstaining from the vote on the First and Deputy First Ministers. When those two parties have a chance, however, they change the deal and they deny inclusion on the same basis for anyone else. They have concocted what would be a voluntary coalition between Sinn Fein and the DUP, which would be the only parties in government, because they would vote for themselves.