Lord Molyneaux of Killead: Once the Patten commission had been appointed I suppose it was inevitable that it would recommend the virtual destruction of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. When I say "destruction" I mean eroding its morale, authority and everything else. After the publication of his report Patten defended his decision by asking, "What did the authors of the Belfast agreement expect me to recommend?" At least...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: If the Committee will bear with me, I want to make a comment about the troubles in general. In the interval since the Committee last approached this matter on 12th October, intelligence sources have confirmed recent reports that a notorious terrorist supporter and American fund-raiser by the name of Martin Galvin, who is well known internationally, having originally represented Sinn Fein/IRA,...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: I support what has just been said. There is a great deal of unease about the position, even with the government amendments. There is also a great deal of confusion about the separation of Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, from the regulations that will apply in the bigger island. There are some other issues that I hope to touch on in a clause stand part debate, if that is...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: I have been caught up in various voluntary and quasi-voluntary bodies. I cannot help being surprised by the Treasury's generosity in funding and part-funding so many bodies. All too often, when someone feels that the information that they may be handling or discussing should not be revealed to the public gaze, their colleagues tend to comply with the suppression of such information for the...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: Does the Minister intend to reply to the question posed by the noble Baroness, Lady Fookes: member state of what? I am not being facetious. I hope that I do not weaken the strong case made by my noble friend Lord Shore. In Clause 49 there is no mention of the European Union. Does membership refer to NATO, the Commonwealth or the Council of Europe?
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: I am grateful to the noble Lord for giving way. Does he accept that the situation is far more serious than just citizens of the Republic of Ireland subscribing to parties in Northern Ireland or in the United Kingdom? The largest contributor is bound to be Sinn Fein, which obtains its funds not from any part of the British Isles but from the United States of America, where £7 million or £8...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: In general terms I support the amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth. The noble Lord said that he, and perhaps others, regarded the amendment as somewhat radical. If we review progress on this Bill thus far we are perhaps entitled to believe that certain radical remedies are called for. Successive governments exhort the citizens of Northern Ireland to behave as their...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: As a former election agent, an allied point comes to mind. I note that the electoral commission is given powers to regulate the requirements in relation to the annual statement of accounts. Can we have an indication as to whether the regulations will be published and at what stage that will happen?
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. Can he indicate whether the regulations will be standard throughout the United Kingdom?
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: I am inclined to support the opening words of the noble Lord, Lord Mackay. He rightly expressed deep concern that the electoral commission might at some point take it upon itself to take initiatives contrary to the will of Parliament and outwith its remit. I know that Northern Ireland is a very tiresome place but on this occasion I think that we can be of some assistance. I shall give two...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, I, too, congratulate the Minister on the Statement in regard to the rehabilitation and repair of the infrastructure of Montenegro. In the course of my contacts with the leaders of that country over many years, it was clear to me that they never supported the Belgrade regime.
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, is the Minister aware that the three dumps visited contained only obsolete weapons, already replaced by new weapons supplied from America where five members of the Provisional IRA have been convicted and imprisoned? Does the Minister share my hope that the American Government will not follow the practice of the Northern Ireland Office and release such prisoners within a matter of days?
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: In the early stages of the debate, I had feared that we might be ignoring the dangers to walkers and--perhaps more importantly--to the rescuers. I, too, pay tribute to the mountain rescue people and admire their courage. I sympathise with their relatives, as, I hope, do some irresponsible walkers and mountaineers when their rescuers are killed in the execution of what they regard as their...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, perhaps I may briefly support what the noble Viscount has said. It may be that the Chief Whip and the Government Front Bench are not aware of the fact that the Bill completed all of its stages in the other place on 26th January, so if they have not been in any hurry over the past six months, why are we rushing now when we shall have ample time to consider it later? We could give an...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, few people can produce any real justification for the Patten report and this Bill. It is rather as though in 1940 Churchill had decided to set up a commission to recommend drastic changes in the composition and structures of Royal Air Force Fighter Command and investigate the political and religious views of the pilots who won the battle. I wonder whether we can assume that...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord for giving way. I have privately made it known that those of us representing the Northern Ireland constituency areas would not feel greatly aggrieved if the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill were dropped from this part of the Session and brought back immediately after the Recess. It is not a delaying tactic but it seems to me that no benefit...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, can the noble Baroness indicate whether the freeze will also apply to the Queen's annual gift to the Treasury which amounted to £130 million in the last financial year? In response to the plea for transparency from the noble Lord, Lord Rodgers, should not that latter figure be given equal prominence with the £7.9 million granted in the Civil List, given that the Treasury and the...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, no. It is the income from the Crown estates.
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, I intervene very briefly, not to contradict or differ from what the noble Lord has just said, but for the benefit of those of your Lordships who have a fixation about the reliability of RUC officers. The suggestion is that, because they have been murdered in their hundreds, they might have a built-in resistance or enmity towards certain types of criminal. I realise that the noble...
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, I want to make one brief point. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, that, given the numerical increase in the number of terrorist groupings and then the further splintering of those organisations, we need to consider his amendment. I fear that we are about to enter a phase in which terrorists will be operating on a do-it-yourself, solo basis motivated by a grudge not...
