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Northern Ireland Bill (Allocation of Time)

I am very grateful for that intervention. It was extraordinary that those two documents, which have the same title, were produced. I understand that the House authorities demanded that they should be produced. It is impossible to study the documents and the amendments and to deal with them all today. It is a farce. The whole point of parliamentary procedure and the reason why legislation is not, as a matter of course, passed through in all its stages on one day is that we need to ensure the fullest accountability and debate. Why do the Government feel the need to abuse their power by limiting scrutiny? It is disgraceful that MPs are not allowed the time to scrutinise and debate such an important Bill. It is high time that the Executive stopped their abuse of power and their attempts to dilute parliamentary procedure. I believe that I have now shown that every possible reason the Government might have for pushing through the Bill in one day is not valid—[Interruption.] I am going to disappoint my hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb), as I shall not be able to continue for another two hours, but I hope that I have articulated the reasons why Parliament should be given adequate time for debate and scrutiny. There is no reason as far as I can see why there cannot be gap of at least one day between this Bill’s Second Reading and its Committee stage and Third Reading. In conclusion, I refer the House to the view of Professor Dawn Oliver of University college London expressed in a memorandum to the Modernisation Committee:""Does scrutiny of legislation matter? Yes, it is absolutely vital that legislation be carefully and clearly drafted, that it fits with the existing law, that it does not override important constitutional principles and human rights without Parliament realising that it is doing so and doing so deliberately. These are not party political issues, they are to do with respect for and workability of the legal system, respect for constitutional values, international obligations, human rights and so on, which ought to be above party." I urge the Government to remember that. If I have the opportunity, Madam Deputy Speaker, I look forward to pressing amendment (a) to a vote.