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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, but my hon. Friend made it clear that when he was talking about who would be First Minister and Deputy First Minister, he was doing so in the context of the legislation before us and the various scenarios that might arise. He also made it clear, as has our party, that the prospects of reaching that situation, in which we would consider proposals for the Northern Ireland Assembly on the issue of devolution of policing and justice, are remote. In fact, they are so remote that it is difficult to envisage when it might happen. As for the holding of ministerial office, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Prime Minister has said that parties that want to take part in the government of Northern Ireland should support the policing, but that those are matters for the medium term and which must be worked on or must happen—as if we can somehow expect that to happen in due course, in parallel with the Executive being up and running. That will not wash. My hon. Friend mentioned the remarks by Dermot Aherne, the Irish Foreign Minister. It is completely unacceptable for him to tell people in Northern Ireland that he would not share power with Sinn Fein in the Republic because it does not support the Garda Siochana, but that it is acceptable for it to be in government in Northern Ireland because we have been in a conflict situation. Our people, our constituents, our kith and kin have been murdered and butchered by the people who Dermot Aherne says are acceptable as Government Ministers, and they still do not support the police. What sort of message does that send to the people of Northern Ireland? Dermot Aherne said in effect that it was acceptable for Sinn Fein not to support the police because all the recommendations of the Patten report have not been implemented. He was pressed on which recommendations he meant, and he said that Sinn Fein had not signed up. I am sure that the SDLP was not very grateful for those comments. It was diplomatic in its response, in public, but I am sure that it has let the Irish Government know how it feels. In those remarks, Dermot Aherne effectively told Sinn Fein, ““It’s okay, you don’t have to sign up to policing and justice, or give your support to the police. We accept your position of being in government but not supporting the police.”” That is a very dangerous situation, and the Government should be aware that this is a matter of fundamental importance to all the people of Northern Ireland. That is why the decision, in that context, of the Ulster Unionist party to embrace the PUP as a formal part of its party structure in the Assembly has such incredible implications for the political process in Northern Ireland. I welcome what the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon) has put on record today, but the reason that her party leader gave her in private conversation is not the reason he gave publicly at the time, or in the Assembly. He said that he had done it purely as a power grab, to grab an extra ministry. In fact, if he had waited, he would not have needed to do that at all. He has got all the pain, with no gain whatever.