My Lords, it is very appropriate that we are discussing this Bill on St Patrick’s Day. I take this opportunity to wish noble Lords a happy St Patrick’s Day.

I shall start by highlighting the history behind the policy enshrined in this Bill. Since 2010, the UK Government and Northern Ireland...

My Lords, it is very appropriate that we are discussing this Bill on St Patrick’s Day. I take this opportunity to wish noble Lords a happy St Patrick’s Day.

I shall start by highlighting the history behind the policy enshrined in this Bill. Since 2010, the UK Government and Northern Ireland...

Can my noble friend tell me why this Bill—unlike for example the measures that gave income tax powers to the Scottish Parliament—has been certified as a money Bill and therefore all its stages have to be taken at once?

Can my noble friend tell me why this Bill—unlike for example the measures that gave income tax powers to the Scottish Parliament—has been certified as a money Bill and therefore all its stages have to be taken at once?

I understand the noble Lord’s point, and indeed there are clearly constitutional issues in relation to this Bill, but it has been certified as a money Bill by the Speaker of the other place. It is important to bear in mind that unlike the other legislation

to which my noble...

I understand the noble Lord’s point, and indeed there are clearly constitutional issues in relation to this Bill, but it has been certified as a money Bill by the Speaker of the other place. It is important to bear in mind that unlike the other legislation

to which my noble...

My Lords, the Labour Opposition welcome and support the Bill and will do everything we can to facilitate its passage. However, that does not mean that we are not looking for further answers to questions that were asked in the House of Commons.

The Minister mentioned action to prevent “brass-plating”, as...

My Lords, the Labour Opposition welcome and support the Bill and will do everything we can to facilitate its passage. However, that does not mean that we are not looking for further answers to questions that were asked in the House of Commons.

The Minister mentioned action to prevent “brass-plating”, as...

How can the noble Lord say that he supports the Bill and at the same time say that there should be no dramatic effect, when the effect of the Bill will be to reduce the amount of tax paid by profitable businesses if corporation tax was equalised, as he said,...

How can the noble Lord say that he supports the Bill and at the same time say that there should be no dramatic effect, when the effect of the Bill will be to reduce the amount of tax paid by profitable businesses if corporation tax was equalised, as he said,...

There is a bit of role reversal going on here. It is me who is supposed to attack the capitalists, not the noble Lord or the Minister. I am starting to feel a bit dizzy.

That is the balance that it is hoped to be reached. The noble Lord shakes his...

There is a bit of role reversal going on here. It is me who is supposed to attack the capitalists, not the noble Lord or the Minister. I am starting to feel a bit dizzy.

That is the balance that it is hoped to be reached. The noble Lord shakes his...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Hay of Ballyore. I have been looking forward to his maiden speech for some time. He succeeded me as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and when it was announced in August last year that he would...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Hay of Ballyore. I have been looking forward to his maiden speech for some time. He succeeded me as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and when it was announced in August last year that he would...

I am most grateful to my noble friend. I apologise for interrupting him, but as he has mentioned the Scottish position, I am, unusually for me, defending the Scottish Nationalists. The reason that the tartan tax powers were never used, by way of explanation for them, was that they could...

I am most grateful to my noble friend. I apologise for interrupting him, but as he has mentioned the Scottish position, I am, unusually for me, defending the Scottish Nationalists. The reason that the tartan tax powers were never used, by way of explanation for them, was that they could...

No, it is not. I think it is the same problem, but I do not think that is the reason the Scottish Nationalists did not go down that road. I think the reason was they like to eat their cake and have it. They liked the possibility of being able...

No, it is not. I think it is the same problem, but I do not think that is the reason the Scottish Nationalists did not go down that road. I think the reason was they like to eat their cake and have it. They liked the possibility of being able...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the two previous speakers. Perhaps I may first say to the noble Lord, Lord Hay, how much we enjoyed his maiden speech and how pleased we are to see him here. I shall not try to emulate the achievement of the noble...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the two previous speakers. Perhaps I may first say to the noble Lord, Lord Hay, how much we enjoyed his maiden speech and how pleased we are to see him here. I shall not try to emulate the achievement of the noble...

My Lords, before I speak about the Bill, I would like to say what a pleasure it is to see the noble Lord, Lord Hay, here in the Chamber and to have listened to his maiden speech. I have known the noble Lord and seen his work for Northern Ireland...

My Lords, before I speak about the Bill, I would like to say what a pleasure it is to see the noble Lord, Lord Hay, here in the Chamber and to have listened to his maiden speech. I have known the noble Lord and seen his work for Northern Ireland...

My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hay of Ballyore, on his maiden speech. As a speaker, he was followed by his predecessor

as Speaker, the noble Lord, Lord Alderdice. Both of them exude an air of bonhomie and so on in this Chamber, but do not be...

My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hay of Ballyore, on his maiden speech. As a speaker, he was followed by his predecessor

as Speaker, the noble Lord, Lord Alderdice. Both of them exude an air of bonhomie and so on in this Chamber, but do not be...

My Lords, I hesitate to intervene in a debate on a Bill which is exclusively concerned with Northern Ireland. I do so because I am opposed to the Bill because I do not believe that it is a unionist measure. Indeed, in the Second Reading debate in the other place...

My Lords, I hesitate to intervene in a debate on a Bill which is exclusively concerned with Northern Ireland. I do so because I am opposed to the Bill because I do not believe that it is a unionist measure. Indeed, in the Second Reading debate in the other place...

The air passenger duty issue was designed to enable the link between Belfast International Airport and New York to survive. It has been applied only to that route because it is the only direct route from Northern Ireland to the United States. No attempt has been made to alter domestic...

The air passenger duty issue was designed to enable the link between Belfast International Airport and New York to survive. It has been applied only to that route because it is the only direct route from Northern Ireland to the United States. No attempt has been made to alter domestic...

I understand that. I was making the point, perhaps wrongly, that one reason why it has not been done is that it would result in a reduction in the block grant—the point made so eloquently by the noble Baroness, Lady Blood. I think that my noble friend Lord Alderdice earlier...

I understand that. I was making the point, perhaps wrongly, that one reason why it has not been done is that it would result in a reduction in the block grant—the point made so eloquently by the noble Baroness, Lady Blood. I think that my noble friend Lord Alderdice earlier...

I am very grateful to my noble friend for giving way. The problem that I have found is that these changes are not made because they do not work for the Treasury here in London, and it regards the value for people in Northern Ireland to be far too small...

I am very grateful to my noble friend for giving way. The problem that I have found is that these changes are not made because they do not work for the Treasury here in London, and it regards the value for people in Northern Ireland to be far too small...

I think that the argument about the land border is overemphasised. I happen to know that people fly from Scotland to Dublin to go on

international flights because the flights from Dublin are priced by the airlines at a very much lower rate. That has nothing whatever to do with...

I think that the argument about the land border is overemphasised. I happen to know that people fly from Scotland to Dublin to go on

international flights because the flights from Dublin are priced by the airlines at a very much lower rate. That has nothing whatever to do with...

Very briefly. The noble Lord has made an excellent case. If he cares to cross the Floor, we will always find room for him.

Very briefly. The noble Lord has made an excellent case. If he cares to cross the Floor, we will always find room for him.