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Northern Ireland

My Lords, I apologise for being slightly late when the Minister was repeating the Statement, but I had read it in advance because it was available. Of course, yesterday was a truly historic day, although the word historic will be overworked in describing it. There is not really a word ““superhistoric””, but that is what it was. Restoring devolution was absolutely vital. As the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, said, there are many debts that we in this House should acknowledge to those who helped to bring this about. It is quite true that it began first with John Major’s Administration and the role played by the noble Lord, Lord Brooke, when he was Secretary of State. It continued apace, though with fits and starts. When Stormont was suspended in 2002 it was, as I predicted at the time, a long suspension. The longer it went on the more difficult it was to see how it would be restored, but it has been. We should acknowledge, as I have said before, the importance of the ““ABC”” trio; Mr Ahern, Mr Blair and Mr Clinton. I was privileged to be working in Northern Ireland at the time and never in the world’s history has so much head of government pressure been applied to such a relatively small place. I have one quibble with the Statement. My former student the Secretary of State said: "““Indeed, who would have imagined that, as of today, of all the devolved Administrations, Northern Ireland would have the only settled Government in place””." That is not the whole story; Northern Ireland has a plethora of government and a miniscule bit of opposition, which Ms Anna Lo will have to take on with her Alliance Party. In Scotland and Wales we have a plethora of opposition and not much government. That is a good exam question for the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, to ask his students to discuss in the summer. More seriously we have the issue of the loyalist paramilitaries decommissioning, as the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, said. It is vital that the Government press ahead with that. I am sure that the Minister will be able to reassure us on that point. When plan A was touch and go, we were discussing plan B; that Northern Ireland business in this House would no longer be dealt briefly. With regard to reserve powers, I hope that the Government will stick to that commitment and that we will not have Northern Ireland legislation or reserve powers by way of Order in Council. We should be able to devise a system. The reserve powers will be important; they are not trivial. We must have a mechanism in this House for properly considering them. Other than that, it is a great day for Northern Ireland and we must wish it well.