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Northern Ireland Bill

To return first to the point made by the hon. Member for Belfast, North (Mr. Dodds), such changes will be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure of the House; I hope that that is helpful. On the point raised by the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik), the Assembly can deal with any relevant related matters once it is up and running and has Executive functions, because such functions will relate to matters pertaining to the Assembly’s areas of responsibility. I point out to all four Members who raised issues relating to clause 3 that the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee of another place has examined it. As the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute knows, the Committee takes a keen interest in these matters, so if we tried to pull a fast one—as the colloquial phrase has it—it would notice. The Committee’s report, available today, points out that the powers in the clause are acceptable, and that another place accepts the principle behind it and the degree of parliamentary scrutiny provided for in clause 4, in accordance with the Committee’s views on such powers. I hope that, in the light of those points, I have reassured the hon. Members for Aylesbury, for Argyll and Bute and for Belfast, North. I look forward to their support for the clause. Clause 3 ordered to stand part of the Bill.