Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Bill

Since this is the last amendment with which I will be troubling the Committee, I would like to say a few words. This House has an extremely good procedure in the Grand Committee. It enables us without votes to go through a Bill in this way. It also enables the Scrutiny Committee, which serves both Houses, to have its points put to the Minister and for him to answer those points in this Committee before we return at Report. Unfortunately, the other place does not have a similar procedure, nor are Members of the other place as interested—maybe that states too highly the interests of people in this Committee—in the subject matter that we have been discussing today as are noble Lords. It is important to say that because I am sure that the Joint Committee on Human Rights is extremely grateful that it has this opportunity through Members of the House to debate and discuss these matters with the Minister. The product of what we do is significant, not only because it may be considered by our courts and the European Court, but, above all, by the general public and by the police and Armed Forces. We are extremely grateful to the Minister for the way in which he has answered these points and I am sure that our Committee will reflect further.