Clause 13 - Appeals commissioners
Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill
2:45 pm
Jeffrey M Donaldson (Lagan Valley, DUP)
I rise to speak to amendment No. 110, which stands in my name and the names of my colleagues.
I welcome the Minister’s remarks, as it is important that the commissioners are representative of the community. We have had problems with various public bodies—the Equality Commission and the Human Rights Commission, to name just two—whereby the Government have given a commitment that they would be representative of the community. Unfortunately, the Government have not delivered on that, so I hope that the Minister will follow the commitment through in this case.
Under the provision as drafted, there is a limited duty on the Secretary of State to ensure that the commissioners secure widespread acceptance. That needs to be tightened up. Our amendment would place a much greater duty on the Secretary of State to ensure that the commissioners represented the community. It is vital that, in such a sensitive area, the community can have full confidence in people who are given this important task. For the Secretary of State merely to have regard to that requirement is a weak obligation that falls far short of his duty in other areas. We ask the Committee to accept the amendment.