Terrorism (Northern Ireland) Bill

Absolutely; there is no question about that. It is important to consider the context. The Secretary of State wants us to achieve bipartisan support. Peace in Northern Ireland will be achieved only by consensus, and it is in that context that the Secretary of State wrote to the Chairman of the Select Committee today. The Government recognise that a serious risk of jury intimidation remains in a small number of cases. I can assure the House that we will put in place whatever arrangements are necessary to ensure the continuing effectiveness of the criminal justice system. The only question in our minds will be whether it can be done better. The standard by which everyone should approach the pre-legislative scrutiny of Diplock courts next year is whether the system can be bettered. Finally, I should like to express our gratitude to the independent reviewer of the Terrorism Act. He considered the Bill in a letter submitted to me that was placed in the Library of the House. His letter and his reports on the operation of the Act have played an invaluable role in informing our debates on the Bill. The Bill reflects both the confidence that the Government have in the normalisation process and the prudence that is required when dealing with the safety and security of the people of Northern Ireland. I commend it to the House.