Orders of the Day — Northern Ireland Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 4:44 pm on 10 May 1982.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr John Biggs-Davison Mr John Biggs-Davison , Epping Forest 4:44, 10 May 1982

In that case, I should like to know how long we must wait for this devolved government to come about. If there were agreement on sufficient scale in Northern Ireland and if the main elements in Northern Ireland politics were to come forward with a scheme of devolved government that they wanted, then, although we might have our reservations about the future of the Union and about what might happen in Scotland and Wales, we would have to accept what they wanted. But surely my right hon. Friend does not believe that this will happen. To set about trying to devolve central government powers without placing the minority in jeopardy is as difficult an operation as, or more difficult an operation than, trying to do the same in the sphere of local government.