Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill - Commons Amendments – in the House of Lords at 5:15 pm on 5 September 2023.
Votes in this debate
Lord Murphy of Torfaen:
Moved by Lord Murphy of Torfaen
At end insert “, and do propose Amendments 44D, 44E, 44F and 44G as additional amendments to the words so restored to the Bill and Amendments 44H and 44J as consequential amendments—
44D: Clause 18, page 16, line 16, leave out “C” and insert “E”
44E: Clause 18, page 16, line 35, at end insert—“(6A) Condition D: in relation to immunity for offences causing death, consent of a close family member of the deceased has been sought, and the Chief Commissioner is satisfied that—(a) the close family member has given consent for the granting of immunity and no objections have been raised by any other close family member within three months of the consent being given, or(b) if no consent has been given by that close family member within three months or an objection has been raised by any other close family member, it is nevertheless in the public interest to proceed with the granting of immunity.(6B) Condition E: the Chief Commissioner is satisfied that P—(a) has complied with any conditions imposed by the ICRIR following the request for immunity under subsection (2), and(b) is likely to comply with any licence conditions imposed as part of the granting of immunity.(6C) For the purposes of subsection (6B), conditions imposed by the ICRIR, whether before or after the granting of immunity, may include—(a) attendance at a specified place,(b) provision of fingerprints and non-intimate samples,(c) restrictions on P’s ability to approach or otherwise communicate with—(i) a victim, in the case of injury, or(ii) a victim’s family, in relation to a death,without the consent of the victim or victim’s family (as the case may be), and(d) restrictions on activity which might allow P to gain financially from the offences for which immunity is sought or granted.(6D) The ICRIR may revoke P’s immunity from prosecution if the Chief Commissioner is satisfied that P has breached one or more licence conditions imposed by the ICRIR.(6E) A revocation of immunity under subsection (6D)—(a) has immediate effect, and(b) does not prevent a person making a further request for immunity under subsection (2).(6F) For the purposes of this section, a person (F) is a close family member of the deceased (D) if F—(a) was the spouse, civil partner or co-habitee of D on the day of D’s death (and for the meaning of “co-habitee”, see paragraph 2 of Schedule 3),(b) is a child of D,(c) is a parent of D,(d) is a brother or sister of D,(e) is a step-child of D (see paragraph 3 of Schedule 3), (f) was a step-parent of D on the day of D’s death or is a step-parent of D on the day on which consent is sought (see paragraph 4 of Schedule 3),(g) is a half-brother or half-sister of D, or(h) is a step-brother or step-sister of D (see paragraph 5 of Schedule 3).”
44F: Clause 18, page 16, line 36, leave out “C” and insert “E”
44G: Clause 18, page 17, line 22, at beginning insert “Other than in accordance with subsection (6D),”
44H: As an Amendment to Lords Amendment 111, in paragraph 1, leave out “C” and insert “E”
44J: As an amendment to Lords Amendment 111, in paragraph 6, leave out “C” and” and insert “E”
Lord Murphy of Torfaen
Labour
My Lords, I beg leave to test the opinion of the House.
Ayes 201, Noes 190.
Division number 1
Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill - Commons Amendments — Motion B1 (as an amendment to Motion B)
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.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
A person involved in the counting of votes. Derived from the word 'tallier', meaning one who kept a tally.
The House of Commons votes by dividing. Those voting Aye (yes) to any proposition walk through the division lobby to the right of the Speaker and those voting no through the lobby to the left. In each of the lobbies there are desks occupied by Clerks who tick Members' names off division lists as they pass through. Then at the exit doors the Members are counted by two Members acting as tellers. The Speaker calls for a vote by announcing "Clear the Lobbies". In the House of Lords "Clear the Bar" is called. Division Bells ring throughout the building and the police direct all Strangers to leave the vicinity of the Members’ Lobby. They also walk through the public rooms of the House shouting "division". MPs have eight minutes to get to the Division Lobby before the doors are closed. Members make their way to the Chamber, where Whips are on hand to remind the uncertain which way, if any, their party is voting. Meanwhile the Clerks who will take the names of those voting have taken their place at the high tables with the alphabetical lists of MPs' names on which ticks are made to record the vote. When the tellers are ready the counting process begins - the recording of names by the Clerk and the counting of heads by the tellers. When both lobbies have been counted and the figures entered on a card this is given to the Speaker who reads the figures and announces "So the Ayes [or Noes] have it". In the House of Lords the process is the same except that the Lobbies are called the Contents Lobby and the Not Contents Lobby. Unlike many other legislatures, the House of Commons and the House of Lords have not adopted a mechanical or electronic means of voting. This was considered in 1998 but rejected. Divisions rarely take less than ten minutes and those where most Members are voting usually take about fifteen. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P9 at the UK Parliament site.
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.
