Sexual Offences Bill [HL]

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 6:15 pm on 9 June 2003.

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Photo of Lord Glentoran Lord Glentoran Conservative 6:15, 9 June 2003

My Lords, I rise to speak briefly—wearing my hat as Opposition Front Bench spokesman on Northern Ireland affairs—in support of my noble friend's amendment. I am intervening purely and simply because of the number of letters that I have received on the subject from across the Province. There is no sign that those letters were organised. They have come from north, west, south and east of the Province. They have come handwritten on little pieces of paper, formally typed and informally typed. This issue has produced the largest postbag from people in Northern Ireland since I became Northern Ireland spokesman in your Lordships' House.

It is quite wrong to leave the law so exposed. The key points made by my correspondents concern safety for children and sneaking through this sort of legislative change in the Province while it does not have a Assembly in which the issue can be raised. I support Amendment No. 192.