---

Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I encourage the Minister in that flexibility. The only effect of the provisions as they stand would be that Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist party would have an absolute lock on the appointment of policing and justice Ministers. If d’Hondt is not used, only Sinn Fein and the DUP, through the office of the First and Deputy First Minister, will have control of nominations. If the Minister relies only on the parallel consent form of approval, Sinn Fein and the DUP alone will control the election to those posts—hardly the spirit of inclusion, with no side deals and prior agreements, about which we are being told.