Northern Ireland Bill (Allocation of Time)

It is difficult to respond to that rationally, but I will do my best. I simply say to the hon. Gentleman that I am working on the facts and the speeches that were made in the Assembly. It is not my responsibility what Mr. Ford says or does not say; I can only report what he has said. In reporting what he has said, it is perfectly clear to me that he had the opportunity, if this was an issue of such concern, to raise it. With huge respect to the hon. Gentleman, it is not entirely irrational for me to have expected Mr. Ford to raise the issue at that time. All I say to the hon. Gentleman is that if his criteria are stability and fairness—if they are the two criteria we should operate on—what represents the greater unfairness and the greater instability? Those measures were not asked for in the Assembly. They have not been asked for by Mr. Ford and were not asked for by the Alliance party in the Assembly debate, which was voted on. Those measures are not a fair reflection of where the Assembly is. Therefore, with huge respect, if we choose to depart from that, we will have to accept the consequences. It is my judgment that, for that reason, we should not accept these proposals. However, I ask him to remain our candid friend. I know that he might not like what I have said this afternoon, but there is nothing I can add to what I have already said. For the reason I have given, the Government oppose the amendments, as they constitute a departure from the position that has been agreed. The Government recognise that there have been concerns that the power could be used vexatiously. That is why proposed new subsection 3D(13) of section 21A of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, as amended, which is in schedule 1 of the Bill and provided for at line 5 on page 7, restricts the circumstances in which a motion for removal can be tabled. It needs either to have the support of 30 or more MLAs or to be tabled by the First and Deputy First Ministers acting jointly. Those filters are the same as those that already apply to exclusion motions under section 30 of the 1998 Act. Amendment 3 would provide further protection against such vexatious requests by providing that the Assembly’s Standing Orders may limit the number of removal motions that may be moved during any period. However, the power for the Assembly to regulate its own proceedings by Standing Orders is already provided by section 41 of the 1998 Act. It is therefore the Government’s position that such an amendment is not required.