Clause 4 - Making and dealing with applications for certificates
Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill
4:30 pm
Tom Harris (PPS (Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State), Department of Health; Glasgow South, Labour)
I rise to echo the words of the hon. Member for Solihull (Lorely Burt) and to remind my hon. Friend the Minister that there are those of us on the Government Benches who feel that, however intense the feelings on both sides, this legislation should find its way on to the statute book in some form. I must also tell him, however, that the loyalty of those on these Benches who support the Government should not be stretched too far.
There seems to be a real issue of natural justice here, and I hope my hon. Friend appreciates that there are those of us on these Benches who would normally agree with what has been said in moving the amendment. Can he reassure us that the Government are open to persuasion on this point?
I cannot understand why we would ever want to go down the road of allowing former members of terrorist organisations, who have murdered and tortured, not to need to appear personally to answer for their terrible crimes. I simply trust that the Minister can reassure me and my hon. Friends that the Government take the issue extremely seriously.