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Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007

I thank the noble Baroness the Lord President for outlining so clearly the provisions in this important order. We support the order in principle. I am concerned about just one aspectof it: sub-paragraph (5)(e), relating to the Police Ombudsman. It goes against the grain to create a situation where members of the PSNI can be open to double jeopardy. Although I heard the reasons that the noble Baroness gave, ever since the Bill was introduced some years ago I have argued against overburdening the Police Ombudsman with powers, as has now been clearly demonstrated by her office. I ask the Minister, and may ask again in future, what plans the Government have to review the powers of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. There are reports about the huge costs and the retrospectiveness of current investigations. We are trying to go forward in Northern Ireland. We hope that the Assembly will sit and that it will quickly take us further forward. We do not want to go on with retrospective investigations involving double jeopardy situations, looking into issues that are sensitive from the viewpoint of national security. I would like to feel that Her Majesty’s Government will soon have plans to review the powers of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.