Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Bill

I stress that I do not condemn the Government’s approach to the deadlines. I can see exactly why this has happened. The important point that has emerged from tonight’s debate is one that any analyst could have seen coming. I refer to the clash between a deadline-led and a condition-led process. Does the Secretary of State accept that all we have been given tonight is an explicit outline of the challenge, which is to come to terms with the conditions required by the DUP for progress at the same time as coming to terms with the deadlines that the Government understandably want to fulfil? If that is the case, does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the real challenge between now and the beginning of March is to find a way of squaring the circle?