Counter-Terrorism Bill
Tony McNulty (Minister of State (Security, Counter-terrorism, Crime and Policing), Home Office; Harrow East, Labour)
On a point of order, Mr. O’Hara. It is more a point of information. Members of the Committee will see that I have tabled a letter to you and to Mr. Bercow, your co-Chairman. I am glad to see that the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome has a copy, because, as I promised, it refers specifically to “noxious things”. There is also a reference to jurisdiction and the retrospective nature. But I draw the Committee’s attention to the comments on jurisdiction in relation to Northern Ireland: there is a remote possibility that such a transfer of jurisdiction could include the Diplock provisions. I do not want that to be the case, and nor does the Committee. I therefore draw the Committee’s attention to the part of the letter that says that I shall table an amendment on Report to ensure that that potential, however remote, does not occur in the context of the relevant clauses. I hope that that is helpful to the Committee.
Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South, Labour)
I shall treat that as a request to make a statement for the information of the Committee.
David Heath (Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
Further to that point of order, Mr. O’Hara. The Minister’s statement was extremely helpful. It is essential that we have sufficient time on Report to cover this now expansive range of issues. If there is any attempt to truncate the time available on Report, we will be in the same situation as we were with proceedings on the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.