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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

The Minister can give a more complete answer later, but it is a bit of a moot point anyway. The core question is why create two separate pieces of legislation when one will do. As we have said before, we support the provisions in the clause, and it is obvious that the amendments tabled by the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon) are probing amendments. She made clear their purpose. We are simply trying to establish why there was not more joined-up thinking in Departments on how the provision’s objectives are to be achieved. If the point behind new clause 1 makes sense to the Government, they can still take it on board. That does not mean a great victory or defeat for anybody, but it would at least ensure consistency. Producing separate legislation always runs the risk of unintended consequences and those consequences could quite simply be avoided by adopting the methodology of new clause 1.