Rt Hon David Trimble: Has the Leader of the House seen the reports in this morning's papers to the effect that the Lord Chancellor has said that he and the Attorney-General would be quite happy to have a Select Committee established to deal with their functions? Does the Leader of the House think that that happy precedent will be followed by the Northern Ireland Office and that that Department will now stop...
Rt Hon David Trimble: On that general point, and especially on the cultural traditions programme, does the Minister consider that it would be better for the programme to promote the traditions of both communities, unlike the conference organised next week, which will reflect the interests of one community only, judging by those who will participate in it?
Rt Hon David Trimble: I thank the Minister for giving way to me for a second time. I take his point that the previous two conferences reflected both strands. They did so mainly because people from both communities were represented, partly through myself and my associates. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in the restructuring of the cultural traditions group people representing our outlook were excluded from the...
Rt Hon David Trimble: Northern Ireland.
Rt Hon David Trimble: It has been over 20 minutes.
Rt Hon David Trimble: I appreciate that time is now rather limited, so I will keep to the period suggested. For that reason, I will have to be brief in some of my comments. From the debate a few weeks ago on the draft Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland Consequential Amendments) Order 1990, the Minister will remember that I made some comments about Spelga hospital in Banbridge. He will...
Rt Hon David Trimble: The conference has not yet taken place. The group knew that he could not attend because the Saturday of the conference coincides with the annual general meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council. All officers of the council are elected annually, so that officer could not possibly have attended. It is not as if the cultural traditions group did not know that, because I had exactly the same...
Rt Hon David Trimble: I shall come to that. The background to this matter is that the cultural traditions group was formed a couple of years ago and the then chairman, hon. Members will be amused to hear, was a man whom I regarded with considerable suspicion; I told him so, so I am not saying anything behind his back. I doubted his attitude to the matter, but at least he recognised the need to include...
Rt Hon David Trimble: I should like to refer the Secretary of State to Tuesday's Irish Times, in which Mr. John Bruton, the leader of Fine Gael, the second largest party in the Irish Republic, is reported to have said: The deletion by the Irish Government"—
Rt Hon David Trimble: I am sorry, Mr. Speaker. I should like to refer the Secretary of State to Tuesday's Irish Times report in which Mr. John Bruton, the leader of Fine Gael, the second largest party in the Irish Republic, is reported to have said that the deletion by the Government of the Irish Republic of the reference to Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom from its latest proposals showed...
Rt Hon David Trimble: I should like the Leader of the House to give consideration to certain proposed Orders in Council that were published recently. Although I have them here, I do not intend to read or paraphrase from them. As can be seen, they are quite substantial documents. I understand that there is provision for consultation up to September, after which the orders will be brought before the House. Will the...
Rt Hon David Trimble: I particularly welcome the final sentence in the statement, in which the Secretary of State said that the outcome of any talks would have to be acceptable to the people, unlike the failed Sunningdale initiative, when an attempt was made to ignore the ballot box. Does not the Secretary of State agree that one difficulty that lies ahead is the prospect of an election which would not just...
Rt Hon David Trimble: rose——
Rt Hon David Trimble: I am grateful for the Prime Minister's information about the document to be published shortly, which he says will be comprehensive. When he has abolished the poll tax, will he proceed to abolish the last old rating system? Will the proposed new system apply to the whole country?
Rt Hon David Trimble: We appreciate that the need for speed and particular skills makes it entirely appropriate that our forces should be deployed in the way that the Secretary of State described. But does he appreciate the desirability of replacing our troops as soon as possible with a multinational United Nations force? The Secretary of State also referred to the rules of engagement of the troops to be deployed...
Rt Hon David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking to give individuals and non-governmental bodies an opportunity to participate in the CSCE process as extended by the charter of Paris.
Rt Hon David Trimble: The Minister will be aware that the charter of Paris, which was signed in November, specifically provided for widening the process to enable individuals and NGOs to contribute. We are especially anxious to have a means of contributing to the process, for several reasons. First, we would wish to ensure that the security provisions of the CSCE could be applied to the breach of the Helsinki...
Rt Hon David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will bring forward proposals for reform of the constitution and procedures of the courts for the trial of terrorist offences.
Rt Hon David Trimble: Will the Minister consider having plans to do so? Will he look at the examples that could be drawn from the other legal jurisdictions in the United Kingdom where there are procedures that would be of assistance in dealing with these matters? I refer especially to Scotland, where the inquisitorial system in pre-trial procedures would help to avoid some of the problems that have recently been...
Rt Hon David Trimble: We welcome the provision for a debate on the omsbudsman next week, but can the Leader of the House confirm that that debate will also include the Northern Ireland ombudsman and the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Complaints, who is responsible for complaints? Is the Leader of the House in a position to respond to the report of the Procedure Committee on Select Committees? Is he in a...