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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I have not heard the Secretary of State say that, and if he believes it to be a new condition, I am surprised that he has not been better briefed. My colleagues and I have often mentioned the issue in the House, so there is nothing new about it. We are now reaching a stage at which we want to make very clear the particulars of what giving support to the police, and to our judicial system, means in Northern Ireland. I trust that those with aspirations to be in Government recognise that it would be inconsistent with that position to be part of an organisation that does not recognise the courts, and will not recognise or support the police. Even worse, a policy document from Sinn Fein that we received fairly recently did not merely suggest that Sinn Fein did not support the police, but argued that its members should go out and protest against them actively. There is a long road to travel. I think that that demonstrates how difficult it will be for people to come to terms with the devolution of policing and justice powers, and why it will be necessary for Sinn Fein in particular to convince the community in Northern Ireland that it supports law and order and wants the police to be able to operate freely in all parts of Northern Ireland.