Clause 20

Part of Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 1:15 pm on 18 January 2007.

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Photo of Sylvia Hermon Sylvia Hermon UUP, North Down 1:15, 18 January 2007

That was a lengthy intervention.

I am terribly sorry to disagree with the Minister, but as all hon. Members who consider the Bill will clearly see, the reference that he made to clause 21 and to the powers of arrest refers only to the powers of arrest given to Her Majesty’s forces. There is no equivalence given to a member of the PSNI. The word “constable” does not appear in clause 21. The powers in clause 22, relating to entry to a building, noting what and who is in the building and so on, are given to a police officer. There is no equivalence between the powers of entry in clause 22 and what we are discussing in clause 20, namely the power to stop and to question. It would be helpful if the Minister could indicate the legislative provisions that give PSNI constables the right to do what a member of Her Majesty’s forces can clearly do under clause 20, because the Bill does not.