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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

Thank you, Sir Alan, for your patience earlier. I have now literally collected my thoughts and have them in my hand. The pressure on my time was created by the ridiculous overburdening of those of us who do Wales and Northern Ireland business at the same time. I do not blame the Minister, but there are those in the usual channels who should be more sensitive than to have Northern Ireland business and a Welsh Grand Committee on the same day. The Secretary of State has evidently chosen a different route by not being here at all. At least I was here in body, if not initially in spirit. New clause 1 would simplify the process of introducing anonymous registration in Northern Ireland, and anonymous registration is a necessary option for the reasons that have already been outlined. However, the process that the Government are putting forward seems rather complicated. Our new clause would amend clause 73 of the Electoral Administration Bill to allow clause 10 of that Bill, which introduces anonymous registration for England and Wales, to apply also to Northern Ireland. That is a very simple way of achieving what the Government seem to want to achieve. We do not understand why they have taken the approach that they have. First, it is fairly easy to make the change, and I do not understand why they think—perhaps the Minister can explain—that it is not easier simply to replicate in this Bill clause 10 of the Electoral Administration Bill. To come to the point that I really wanted to check, I know that the Department for Constitutional Affairs consulted on the anonymous registration provisions of the Electoral Administration Bill, but why was Northern Ireland not included in that consultation? If it was, I certainly have not been informed. The Northern Ireland Office also carried out its own consultation on the issue but, as far as I understand it, that consultation did not finish until January. If that is wrong, perhaps the Minister can make it clear why there were two separate consultations. Why did the NIO not consult at the same time as the DCA?