Duration and Expiry

Part of Orders of the Day — Elections (Northern Ireland) Bill – in the House of Commons at 11:45 pm on 6 December 1984.

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Photo of Mr James Molyneaux Mr James Molyneaux , Lagan Valley 11:45, 6 December 1984

That was the point that I attempted to make. Apart from the occasional mention of the problem, there was no consultation in the sense that ideas were put to parties or a consultative process was engaged in in a meaningful way in the interval.

The hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) referred to other items of legislation with a terminal date, and sought to show that they were different because they affected human rights. It is true that they affect the human rights of some people, but the Bill affects the basic human rights of all. Like the hon. Member for Antrim, North (Rev. Ian Paisley) I cannot accept that the right to vote unhindered is not one of the most basic human rights of all.

To be fair to the Government, they never concealed their doubts about the measure. The Minister has shown that he is aware of its difficulties and weaknesses. During previous debates he has made it clear that he is willing to reconsider and re-examine the legislation. It does not, therefore, seem unreasonable to hope even at this late hour —both chronologically and in our discussions—that the Minister will listen to our pleas and welcome the assistance that we are attempting to offer him by providing a way out in the new clause.

Three years is a reasonable period. It will take some time after the elections in May 1985 to evaluate the results and the voting patterns. That is important. If the Government feel that it could be done in a shorter period, we would offer no objections. Another time factor is involved with the drafting and processing of the Bill. It has emerged in previous debates that similar problems of vote-stealing have occurred in England. We have evidence that that has appeared fairly significantly in England. The Minister, and other Ministers, have said that they do not believe that because the Home Office does not know about it. Unless my calculations are far out, in the light of what many hon. Members who represent English constituencies have said, I shall be surprised if the Home Office is not made aware of those difficulties within the next three years.

Therefore, I would have thought that three years would be an appropriate period. That also raises the question of who urged the Northern Ireland Office to make haste and to take such speedy action in Northern Ireland. It is true that many Northern Ireland parties were aware of the vote-stealing activities of Sinn Fein, but we did not lose our heads over it. We had been through the problems before and managed to contain it.

One asks what were the sources of the pressure that forced or persuaded the Government into a Bill with such haste. Like the Government, those sources felt that they needed more time because they have not been enthusiastic in helping the rest of us make the Bill a little more workable.

We have listed the defects, and this is not the occasion to restate them. The Government admit that they are sailing in uncharted waters. We have put down numerous marker buoys to assist the Government and we trust that they will make use of those devices.

We hope that the Government and those who have to implement the legislation and try to make the mechanism work will, in due course, be able to report their conclusions to us. Even at this late stage we are offering the Government a way out. Like them, we shall be watching the working of all the devices.

I make the Minister a genuine and sincere offer—we are prepared to assist him in monitoring all this legislation for the next three years, and then to return and co-operate with him or his successor in framing a new Bill if that proves necessary. If the Minister maintains that he cannot concede and accept our amendment, I have no option but to urge all hon. Members to support the new clause one.