Police (Northern Ireland) Bill [HL]

My Lords, I accept that I inflated the figure by 10—I am sorry. If anybody has been discriminated against on the grounds of religion, it should be a concern of this House. It should be a concern of this Parliament. It should be a concern of people throughout the European Union who have signed up to human rights measures in many ways over a number of years. I was a little concerned about the Minister’s use of the word ““negative””; I felt he was suggesting that my noble friend Lord Rogan and I take a negative approach to these matters. Let us be absolutely clear: the only thing we are objecting to is the 50:50 arrangement. We are totally on the side of the police; we are totally on the side of modernising the police. I suggest that if the Minister had been to as many policemen’s funerals as we have, he would be slightly more circumspect when it came to criticising us for being negative. My next-door neighbour was shot near where I live; the only reason he was shot was because he was a very honourable, highly respected, Roman Catholic member of the police force. The Minister should think twice before he accuses any of us of being negative about policing. We are not negative about policing; we are negative about the lack of human rights and the fact that in Northern Ireland right now, people are being discriminated against on the grounds of religion. On Question, Bill read a second time, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.