Clause 2 - Certification commissioner
Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill
10:15 am
Lady Hermon (North Down, UUP)
I am enormously grateful to the Minister for allowing me to intervene on that point. He has indicated that the Bill—if it goes through as it stands—will come into force in early to mid-2007. Is he telling us that he has no confidence that there will be a restored Assembly before 2007? Does he think that there will be no First Minister and Deputy First Minister by then? Alternatively, if there is a restoration of devolution and he and his ministerial team walk out the door—we would be glad if they did and we had a devolved Assembly again —should we ignore the First and Deputy First Ministers and ignore the vote and the will of the people of Northern Ireland, despite everything else that has happened and all the opposition to the Bill?