Northern Ireland Bill (Allocation of Time)

I was first alerted to the imminence of the Bill when during the week before the recess, through the usual channels, I learnt that the Government intended to publish it on Monday 23 February, the day on which Parliament resumed. The House would be given one full day to read it, understand it and table amendments before proceeding to consider all stages on Wednesday 25 February. It has always been our policy not to let party politics intrude on our deliberations on Northern Ireland. We have always striven to be a responsible Opposition, maintaining the broad bipartisan consensus that has brought the peace process so far. However, this proposal really did ask too much, as it gave us so little time in which to analyse a Bill that, although short, amends a number of earlier Acts. More negotiations followed, and I was pleased when the Government agreed to a further week, resulting in today’s business. It is highly unsatisfactory that any Bill should be put through all its stages in the elected House in one day, when even the non-elected House is given two days. There have been times when emergency legislation on Northern Ireland has been put through in a day, and those circumstances have been understandable. However, although there is no such emergency on this occasion, I was given to understand that the Government had set a timetable so tight that it would allow the Assembly time to consider the Bill, with the result that criminal justice and policing would be devolved before the summer recess. I was therefore very surprised when, during our brief debate on the business of the House last Wednesday, the right hon. Member for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson), who is present—the First Minister, no less—declared that no date for devolution had been agreed, and that time should be allowed for a full debate in the House. That makes the position even more unsatisfactory. However, given the Government’s majority and ability to control the programme, I fear that further debate and voting on this motion would eat into the limited time available for Second Reading and the Bill’s remaining stages. I am strongly tempted to vote against the motion, but I should prefer my hon. Friends—I know that they have strong feelings on the issue, which are quite justified—not to press the motion to a Division if they can possibly restrain themselves from doing so, thus allowing us to proceed to the main business.