Clauses 32 to 34 agreed to. Schedule 5 agreed to. Clause 35 agreed to. Clauses 36 and 37 agreed to, as amended. Clauses 38 to 40 agreed to. Schedule 6 agreed to. Clause 41 agreed to, as amended. Committee adjourned.

Clauses 32 to 34 agreed to. Schedule 5 agreed to. Clause 35 agreed to. Clauses 36 and 37 agreed to, as amended. Clauses 38 to 40 agreed to. Schedule 6 agreed to. Clause 41 agreed to, as amended. Committee adjourned.

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. This short Bill extends the life of the provisions contained in Part VII of the Terrorism Act 2000 until 31 July 2007, with an option to extend the provisions for one year only thereafter. Without this Bill, the provisions...

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. This short Bill extends the life of the provisions contained in Part VII of the Terrorism Act 2000 until 31 July 2007, with an option to extend the provisions for one year only thereafter. Without this Bill, the provisions...

My Lords, I am grateful for the support—sometimes measured, sometimes almost unqualified, as the noble Lord just said—for the Bill. I shall do my best to answer some of the detailed points. We can address in Committee in the new year those that I do not cover. In one respect, we are continuing...

My Lords, I am grateful for the support—sometimes measured, sometimes almost unqualified, as the noble Lord just said—for the Bill. I shall do my best to answer some of the detailed points. We can address in Committee in the new year those that I do not cover. In one respect, we are continuing...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for bringing forward the Bill today. I want to open by expressing on behalf of my party our almost unqualified support for the Bill. It gives the House an opportunity to take stock of all that has been achieved in the progress towards a peaceful...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for bringing forward the Bill today. I want to open by expressing on behalf of my party our almost unqualified support for the Bill. It gives the House an opportunity to take stock of all that has been achieved in the progress towards a peaceful...

My Lords, it is, of course, extremely disappointing that we are still here today debating the necessity for the Bill as it touches on terrorism matters in Northern Ireland. But, as we have heard, it is still important to ensure that terrorism is fought wherever it appears—and, sadly, Northern Ireland...

My Lords, it is, of course, extremely disappointing that we are still here today debating the necessity for the Bill as it touches on terrorism matters in Northern Ireland. But, as we have heard, it is still important to ensure that terrorism is fought wherever it appears—and, sadly, Northern Ireland...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his explanation of the Northern Ireland terrorism Bill. In the Province there are many like me who have difficulty coming to terms with the need for this Bill at a time when the ““war is over”” according to the Government. In a...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his explanation of the Northern Ireland terrorism Bill. In the Province there are many like me who have difficulty coming to terms with the need for this Bill at a time when the ““war is over”” according to the Government. In a...

: My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill so succintly. There is a somewhat surreal quality to the debate today in the light of the recent Stormontgate revelations, but that is for another time. During the progress of the Terrorism Act 2000 through Parliament, the Liberal Democrats welcomed the...

: My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill so succintly. There is a somewhat surreal quality to the debate today in the light of the recent Stormontgate revelations, but that is for another time. During the progress of the Terrorism Act 2000 through Parliament, the Liberal Democrats welcomed the...

My Lords, the Minister’s speech has already dealt with many of my concerns, but I shall nevertheless reiterate them. My chief concern with the Bill is to support the provisions which retain and strengthen the powers of the police and the status of the judicial system. I believe that the Diplock courts...

My Lords, the Minister’s speech has already dealt with many of my concerns, but I shall nevertheless reiterate them. My chief concern with the Bill is to support the provisions which retain and strengthen the powers of the police and the status of the judicial system. I believe that the Diplock courts...

My Lords, before the Minister sits down and my noble friends get settled, will he try to persuade his colleagues, the Secretary of State and No. 10 Downing Street, to improve the spin so that, when we read the press about Northern Ireland and the Government’s activities, we get more confident? We...

My Lords, before the Minister sits down and my noble friends get settled, will he try to persuade his colleagues, the Secretary of State and No. 10 Downing Street, to improve the spin so that, when we read the press about Northern Ireland and the Government’s activities, we get more confident? We...

My Lords, I will transmit that request. The Government do not run the press. The press in Northern Ireland is fairly new to me, but I have gone into it in detail in the past seven months, and it has to be seen to be believed. You have to see it—that is...

My Lords, I will transmit that request. The Government do not run the press. The press in Northern Ireland is fairly new to me, but I have gone into it in detail in the past seven months, and it has to be seen to be believed. You have to see it—that is...

Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Bill. Lords econd reading debate. Agreed to on question and committed to a Grand Committee.

Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Bill. Lords econd reading debate. Agreed to on question and committed to a Grand Committee.

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. I congratulate the Government on their sensible handling of the timetable for this legislation. This is one occasion on which there has been no issue of process, but there has been an issue of content. For that reason,...

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. I congratulate the Government on their sensible handling of the timetable for this legislation. This is one occasion on which there has been no issue of process, but there has been an issue of content. For that reason,...

The first stage of repentance is acknowledgement. It is a step in the right direction if someone at least admits that they have done wrong. We can then lead them further down that road. The Bill is an acknowledgement that there is a terrorist problem: it is called the Terrorism...

The first stage of repentance is acknowledgement. It is a step in the right direction if someone at least admits that they have done wrong. We can then lead them further down that road. The Bill is an acknowledgement that there is a terrorist problem: it is called the Terrorism...

First, I want to thank right hon. and hon. Members for their continuing kindness and support, and their empathic approach, following the death of my brother. I recognise that while this is a personal tragedy for me, what we are really debating today is a whole raft of personal tragedies...

First, I want to thank right hon. and hon. Members for their continuing kindness and support, and their empathic approach, following the death of my brother. I recognise that while this is a personal tragedy for me, what we are really debating today is a whole raft of personal tragedies...

We discussed this matter in Committee; it was probably the longest discussion that we had. Indeed, I tabled a similar amendment to this one at that stage. While I have every respect for the points made by the hon. Members for Belfast, South (Dr. McDonnell), for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik) and...

We discussed this matter in Committee; it was probably the longest discussion that we had. Indeed, I tabled a similar amendment to this one at that stage. While I have every respect for the points made by the hon. Members for Belfast, South (Dr. McDonnell), for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik) and...

Absolutely not. Despite the sedentary intervention from the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire—and I thank him for his encouragement—I shall try and explain why my approach is not contradictory. First, it is worth bearing in mind that one reason why the section has not been used is that cases have collapsed....

Absolutely not. Despite the sedentary intervention from the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire—and I thank him for his encouragement—I shall try and explain why my approach is not contradictory. First, it is worth bearing in mind that one reason why the section has not been used is that cases have collapsed....

: I wish to continue where my hon. Friend the Member for Lagan Valley (Mr. Donaldson) left off. In looking at the double standards in the Bill, I will try not to wander from the path, as he did, or be led astray by the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit...

: I wish to continue where my hon. Friend the Member for Lagan Valley (Mr. Donaldson) left off. In looking at the double standards in the Bill, I will try not to wander from the path, as he did, or be led astray by the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit...

My hon. Friend speaks with a huge amount of understanding on these issues. Does he agree with me that what he has just said illustrates the complete and total illogicality of saying that one lot of terrorism is somehow all right, but that if it happens after a certain date,...

My hon. Friend speaks with a huge amount of understanding on these issues. Does he agree with me that what he has just said illustrates the complete and total illogicality of saying that one lot of terrorism is somehow all right, but that if it happens after a certain date,...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Government said that there was a huge urgency about the on-the-runs legislation? If they are offering the concession of pre-legislative scrutiny on the Diplock courts, why on earth could they not do the same for the on-the-runs provisions? It makes no sense whatever...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Government said that there was a huge urgency about the on-the-runs legislation? If they are offering the concession of pre-legislative scrutiny on the Diplock courts, why on earth could they not do the same for the on-the-runs provisions? It makes no sense whatever...

Is my hon. Friend aware that many of the people who wanted the Army observation post taken down, particularly in south Armagh, are terrorists involved in smuggling across the border?

Is my hon. Friend aware that many of the people who wanted the Army observation post taken down, particularly in south Armagh, are terrorists involved in smuggling across the border?