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Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill

I thank the Minister for his detailed reply to me, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Foyle (Mark Durkan). I also thank the hon. Members for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson) and for North Down (Lady Hermon) for their attempts at elucidation. We still consider these to be powerful issues. Overall, we feel that the Human Rights Commission’s ability to sanction powers of investigation is inferior to those of similar bodies. Most of the commission’s investigations will be case-specific; it is not as though it will have carte blanche to enter all prisons and other places of detention and demand this or that. It has power to require the reviewing of policy themes, but that will happen rarely and exceptionally.