Northern Ireland

My Lords, on the first part of the question, we are not threatening anyone with anything. The Assembly that is there now was elected during the time that the Assembly has been suspended. We are simply asking it to do what it was elected to do: to govern Northern Ireland. That is what the Assembly was there for: to deliberate and, indeed, to legislate; and to keep accountable an executive branch of government over there. That is what we are asking it to do, and a new election clearly would not satisfy that. We are faced with a new election next year, but for what? For four and a half years without an Assembly operating? I say to the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit, that this is not a threat; we are just asking the Assembly to do what it was elected and paid to do—to deliberate and to hold a power-sharing executive to account. We want to give it an opportunity to do that. There is no need for me to expand on what I have said. What I have said today about being for or against the police in Northern Ireland, I have said on at least four other occasions over the past 12 months, so there is no need for me to spell it out. Everyone knows exactly what I mean.