Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 13 December 1973.
But when Mr. William Craig, Mr. West and I visited the Secretary of State, we were told that they were going as members of the Executive-designate, as a group, that it would be a group conference attended by the Southern Government, Her Majesty's Government and the parties of the Executive-designate. In our last debate in Stormont on the Assembly, the Chief Whip of the SDLP said that that was totally untrue, that the Secretary of State had told them that they were going as separate parties. That is on the record at Stormont.
As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The government chief whip, whose official title is parliamentary secretary to the Treasury, is appointed by the prime minister and is responsible to him.
The chief whip has to maintain party discipline and to try to ensure that members of the party vote with the government in important debates.
Along with the other party whips he or she looks after the day-to-day management of the government's business in Parliament.
The chief whip is a member of the Cabinet.
It is customary for both the government and the opposition chief whips not to take part in parliamentary debates.
The chief whip's official residence is Number 12 Downing Street.
