Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Bill

Let us not be pejorative or trivialise the historic statement made on 28 July. Let us remember that that was not just noises. It was an extremely important moment—I accept that it was a moment—in the difficulties of Northern Ireland, and the act of decommissioning that subsequently took place was highly significant. Whatever may be said about anything else, we would all be making a mistake if we did not recognise the historic significance and described it as ““noises””. The hon. Gentleman is right to suggest that he should take no lectures from anyone who was not elected in Northern Ireland. I understand that, but, with the responsibility that we have, we judge that there have been significant improvements in the security situation in Northern Ireland, and on that basis we have reached the judgment that it is appropriate to renew the provisions, but only until July 2007. We recognise that the situation by then may not allow them to expire, so the safety net of a further 12 months is required. Let us not forget the assurance that the Secretary of State and his Ministers have given in the House and elsewhere that if the extension for a further 12 months is required, and if in the summer of 2008 the security situation does not allow for the provisions to cease to have effect, the Secretary of State will review the situation again in order to provide reassurance to people in Northern Ireland. The counter-terrorism provisions are targeted at the particular threat that continues to arise in Northern Ireland. There have been significant developments, but we think it is right to extend the provisions until the end of the normalisation programme. Many members have stressed the need for caution in our approach, and the Government entirely agree with those who urge caution. That is why we are not dispensing with the powers in February, and why the Bill includes a power to extend the provisions for a further year, should that be required. I return for a moment to Lord Carlile, that touchstone of debate this afternoon. He agrees with us that"““the duration of the powers proposed in the Bill is justified on the merits and proportional””." The House should be in no doubt that the first priority for the Government is and always will be the safety and security of the citizens of Northern Ireland. We will ensure that the police and other agencies that have provided and continue to provide protection to the people of Northern Ireland have the tools necessary to do the job. That includes, for the foreseeable future, section 108. As a matter of principle, we believe that if the police want that as a tool for prosecutions, it should be available to them, as it is in the Republic. It is important to note that they will continue to have at their disposal the permanent provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000 and other legislation. This framework collectively gives the UK the strongest and most effective counter-terrorism legislation in the world. Before closing, I would like to express my thanks to all those involved in proceedings on the Bill. I thank those who have joined the debate in the Chamber and I pay credit to the constructive manner in which it has been conducted. I am grateful to all hon. Members who served on the Committee for the manner in which they made their contributions. The Committee considered the Bill quite rapidly, and that is testament to the almost universal support in the House for its primary purpose, which is to continue in force the provisions beyond February 2006. We have also managed to explore and discuss some important issues of detail about the legislation, not least what ought to replace Diplock courts in the future. I am extremely pleased that the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will consider that later next year in a pre-legislative scrutiny exercise, as set out by the Secretary of State this morning in his letter to the Chairman of the Committee. Despite the comments of the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik), he should take it on trust that this Secretary of State will ensure that the Select Committee scrutinises those powers.