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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

I believe that everybody has the right to support the rule of law in that way. My problem with the new clause tabled by the hon. Member for Tewkesbury relates to the ability to legislate according to it. First, it is important to put on the record that there is movement in the direction of travel that those who have spoken today want to see. In paragraph 2.19 of its 10th report, the Independent Monitoring Commission—an independent body, not the Government or a political party represented in this House—states:"““We believe that the leadership””" of Sinn Fein and of the IRA"““has accepted the need to engage in policing if it is to achieve its aim of devolution of policing and justice to an Assembly and Executive in Northern Ireland. It has not…yet determined how this might be delivered””," but it has said that it wishes to see that direction of travel. Paragraph 2.13 of the report states:"““It remains our absolutely clear view that the PIRA leadership has committed itself to following a peaceful path.””" I recognise that there is more work to be done, and in my role as Minister I will do all that I can to ensure that that it is done. The hon. Member for East Antrim said that there is a problem of definition with the new clause, and that is the nub of the matter. My hon. Friend the Member for Foyle (Mark Durkan) intimated as much, because we cannot define what the rule of law means or what support for it means. We know the direction of travel in broad terms, but I cannot define it in legislation.