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Northern Ireland Bill (Allocation of Time)

With huge respect to the hon. Gentleman, we have not devolved our responsibility. I am not asking the House to devolve responsibility this afternoon. I am asking it to add an additional model to the existing number of models, from which the Assembly will be able to choose, if it so wishes, to set up and use as a model for a Department of Justice. I remind the hon. Gentleman of the democratic structure that this House democratically put in place in previous legislation, which means that, even if the Assembly manages to find agreement and establish a Department of Justice, it will be up to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to put forward a motion in the Assembly and for the Assembly to vote on it, after which—the hon. Gentleman is right—this House will have to make a decision to devolve. He really must separate out what is being done in this legislation with what might happen if the democratically elected Members of the Assembly at Stormont decide at some future date to exercise their authority.