Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill

There are two issues here. One is the protection of the operation of the secret services. That is adequately policed, and need not be policed by anyone else. The body mentioned by the Minister exists. The other is the confidence of agents. If agents feel there is any danger that they are going to become an interesting subject in a report, you will not get agents. That will affect not just Northern Ireland but the whole country. Intelligence is indivisible across the United Kingdom, basically. We have to remember that the agent who looks at reports like that is going to go away and say, ““I don’t think I will co-operate after all. It is much safer to keep my head down, keep my mouth shut and not do anything””. Please let us remember that too.