Clause 19 - Fixed-term appointments
Police (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords]
8:55 am
Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne, Conservative)
I believe that I have got my mind around this.
I welcome back several Members, and I imagine that this sitting will last slightly longer than one or two previous ones. I am remarkably relieved that there were no entries in the weekend press about who said what about being got out of bed of a morning. I am grateful to have escaped that. Those who were not here should read the Official Report of the previous sitting, which is enlightening.
On a more serious note, I am grateful for the Government's assurance that they will not use the Committee to introduce anything that is not immediately relevant to the Bill. True to their word, they have made no attempt to do so, and it would be churlish not to say that I appreciate that. That is what they said and that is what has happened, but there are discussions about a possible two days of consideration on Report. I wonder why we need two days on Report to discuss matters that we have not covered in Committee.
I am full of alarm at what is being contemplated, and I repeat that the Bill should not be used at any stage to address new issues that may have arisen from recent discussions. It is entirely proper that further changes to the Police Service of Northern Ireland should be made under new legislation, so that both Houses of Parliament can give them the fullest possible
scrutiny. We should not find that little bits have been tagged on to a Bill that has almost completed its progress through the House.