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Northern Ireland Bill

I answered that point in respect of water charges. With all due respect to the hon. Gentleman, whose contribution I greatly value, we are going around in circles, arguing the same point. If we had a fully restored body, which took responsibility for decisions, that is one matter. Taking account of views means exactly that. In the case of a unanimous or cross-party vote, I would pay careful attention to it. I have no interest as Secretary of State, with an Assembly on its way to restoring the institutions—as I believe is the case—in doing anything that will run counter to the Assembly’s decisions. That is not my purpose. However, in the meantime we have to govern. That is our responsibility and we are accountable to the House for doing that. On the Assembly’s procedures, especially those for selecting Ministers, the Bill proposes that the procedure for carrying out the primary tasks will be in line with that for which the 1998 Act provides. I hope that the hon. Member for North Down, who tabled amendments Nos. 16, 17 and 24 to 26, and the hon. Members for Montgomeryshire and for Argyll and Bute (Mr. Reid), who tabled amendment No. 4, have been reassured by the initial draft standing orders, which were made available to hon. Members before Second Reading, that, as the right hon. Member for North Antrim said, we are closely following the procedures. I hope that they will therefore not press the amendments. The hon. Member for North Down asked why I had put the standing orders in so early. I did it so that the parties could discuss them and the Business Committee could form a view of them. I will happily look at any suggestions for changing any of them.