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Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]

I thank my noble friend for that helpful intervention. I feel very inadequate as he has a great deal more experience of Northern Ireland than probably many of us here today, except those who live there. I am grateful to him. I have two questions. I tell the Minister now that I shall withdraw the amendment but I shall come back to it on Report because I think that there are still too many issues outstanding here. At least two of those concern the amount of consultation that has taken place. The Minister says that there has been a great deal of consultation with the Government of the Republic of Ireland, who are in favour of it, and I have nothing that gainsays that. However, I am a little perturbed when he says that he feels that they should probably talk to the Council of the Isles to try to reassure it about what is being proposed. It ought to have been reassured before the measure was put forward—it is too late. Our information is that the consultation process with the islands was not adequate. I hope that by indicating now that I will come back to this, perhaps by the time we get to Report the Minister will have been able to ensure that at least proper discussions have been undertaken with the island authorities so that they are clear and support what is being done in their name. I am also interested that the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body will be discussing this in a month’s time. Presumably the group has not discussed it before. Again, one would have thought it to be a major body to give consideration to the issue. There is concern about the Government’s proposals. The Minister said that the common travel area is not being dismantled but it depends how you define the common travel area. If it is to give unfettered movement between one country or countries and another, clearly that is being put in jeopardy by these proposals. The Minister has said a great deal about the bad guys; there have always been problems within Ireland and elsewhere and difficulties with people coming into this country. Indeed, I remember the Troubles very well and the problems there, but at that time there was still pretty much freedom of movement. I am not convinced that the measures are justified. It would be helpful to have a little more idea of how deep the consultations have been, particularly with the islands, and perhaps for us to have some idea of what the Irish Government feel, although the Minister said that they were in favour. For today’s purposes, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 108A withdrawn. Amendments 108B to 108D not moved. Clause 46 agreed.