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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I had not intended to take part in the debate, but I have listened with considerable interest to speeches that have been rather longer than were originally promised. I completely understand that and you, Madam Deputy Speaker, have been very generous in allowing a wide-ranging debate on the new clause. I hope that it does not sound patronising if I say that I think that you have been right to do so. Events have taken place in the Province this week that cast a shadow, and hon. Members were bound to refer to them. I thank you very much for allowing them to do so. I support the new clause because, in essence, it is impeccable. The Government are saying that in no circumstances should matters of policing and justice be devolved unless there is a credible and virtually unanimous wish across the Province, encapsulated by the agreement of the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister and the nationalist and Unionist communities, that that should happen. All of that is right, and I applaud the Minister for bringing the new clause forward. I listened with mounting perplexity to the long speech from the leader of the SDLP, which certainly deserves to earn him a doctorate in Machiavellian studies. He set out so many conditions and preconditions, and anticipated so many difficulties, that the Minister was right to resist his blandishments. The hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon) referred earlier to last week’s appearance by Secretary of State before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. It is always an interesting session when he comes before the Committee, and last week was no exception. He always treats the Committee with total courtesy, and is an extremely effective witness, but he did rather equivocate last week. One after another, hon. Members asked whether the acceptance of the rule of law and support for the police should not be preconditions of participation in government. The transcript shows that the Secretary of State did not give an unequivocal and binding answer, yet the new clause contains just such a commitment— [Interruption.] It would be nice to have the attention of all those from the Province. The new clause says that matters of policing and justice cannot be devolved without the agreement about which there has been much discussion and which the DUP support very strongly. On the other hand, however, it makes it clear that people will be allowed into government and positions of executive responsibility who do not accept the rule of law or support the policing of the Province. That is a remarkable and frankly indefensible paradox, and I beg the Minister to talk to the Secretary of State about it. There will be an opportunity to debate the matter in greater detail later this afternoon, although I shall not necessarily take part. That is why I making some relevant remarks now. We cannot cherry-pick in the way that is proposed if we are to have a proper and credible Assembly in Northern Ireland, with an Executive who can command widespread and lasting support. To establish proper normality in the Province, we must remember what government means, and insist absolutely that it is upheld by those who participate in it. People cannot uphold government if they do not uphold the rule of law, and they cannot do that unless they uphold those who are given responsibility for keeping the peace. I hope that the debate will lead to a bit of a rethink, and that the Secretary of State will give us an absolute assurance that cherry-picking will end. I hope that a welcome will be extended to people who change their views and foreswear criminality. It is impossible to forget, but there must be a willingness to draw a line in respect of the past. The absolute requirement, however, is that the people with executive responsibility in government sign up to the rule of law, absolutely and completely. That must be accepted totally if matters to do with justice and policing are ever to be devolved. Until such matters are devolved, we will not have a proper devolved Government in the Province. That is why it is essential that we move towards the acceptance that I have described. The Government are right to insist on the preconditions in new clause 3, and I applaud them for bringing that provision forward, but I also implore them to accept the logic of the argument implicit in it. There can be no fudge over the next six months that causes us to land up with an Assembly that has built-in obsolescence from the day of its first meeting. I am one of those who are concerned about the future of the Province of Northern Ireland. We want it to be treated with the same degree of respect as Wales, Scotland and England, and to enjoy the same degree of normality that obtains in those countries. That is why we must insist that there can be no fudge in this matter. That is crucially important. I support what the Minister is asking the House to agree to this afternoon, and I do so without any equivocation whatsoever. However, the Government must be equally unequivocal in the demands that they make on those who would aspire to Government in the Province.