Police (Northern Ireland) Bill [Lords]

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 9:31 pm on 10 February 2003.

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Photo of Mr John Taylor Mr John Taylor Conservative, Solihull 9:31, 10 February 2003

The hon. Gentleman would certainly acquit me of that. I have never told anybody from Northern Ireland what was good for them. He may be interested to know that, before he came to the House, the late Enoch Powell said something almost identical to me.

I must move on in accordance with convention and with one eye on the clock. Rev. Ian Paisley, with all his experience and power of recall, spoke of deterioration and loss of morale—I agree with what he said—and, in a separate context, of participation in policing boards, about which there is a good deal of domestic argument in Northern Ireland.

Brian White would have preferred a more radical solution. David Burnside spoke warmly of the past record of the RUC—let us not forget the RUC George Cross Foundation—and even anticipated a united Unionist family. I remind him that my party had the word "Unionist" in its old long title, but I do not think he had me in mind.

Mr. Bailey spoke with approval of what he called profound changes, and paid tribute to those in the police who had enabled them to take place.

The text for consideration is a disturbing matter, in our view, and is scarcely to be contemplated as it stands. It would be conceivable only in the context of acts of completion, as they have come to be called, and as defined.

Mr. Robinson set out the Democratic Unionist party's case for participation in police bodies, but castigated the 50:50 proposals. He invited Labour, I think, to stand in elections in Northern Ireland. Before doing that, the Labour party might allow people in Northern Ireland to join it.

I shall not seek to redeploy the arguments set out so well by my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford. We shall not oppose the measure tonight, but we shall seek to amend and improve it in Committee, as my party did in another place.