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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I concur with the hon. Gentleman’s comments. Many people recognise with hindsight that many of the policies were wrong. That is to be welcomed. However, I remind the hon. Member for North Down that the former Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, now Lord Maginnis, first suggested introducing the 50:50 recruitment policy. I was present at the meeting with the Secretary of State when he made the suggestion, much to the surprise of some of his colleagues on the delegation. I note that Lord Maginnis now opposes the policy and that one of his colleagues, Lord Laird, has presented a Bill in the other place to end such discrimination in Northern Ireland. I wish him well with that measure. We will support any amendment to the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to end that discrimination against Protestants in Northern Ireland.