Northern Ireland Assembly Members Bill [HL]

My Lords, the Government have said, quite clearly, that they agree with the Kelly report. We agree that double-jobbing must end by 2015. What we are talking about is timing. We are trying to ensure that there is a consensus among the political parties in Northern Ireland, and we believe that ultimately this is what all the parties wish to do. One reason why they wish to do it is to ensure that new talent comes forward. We have to nurture that talent in order to nurture democracy—and goodness knows we all need to take care of our democracy and nurture new talent. We feel strongly that this decision should be taken by the politicians in Northern Ireland, and indeed by the electorate. Of course, I heed what the noble Lord says. Clearly he believes that there is a sense of urgency. We hope that the politicians in Northern Ireland will grasp that sense of urgency. The noble Baroness asked how the amendments would affect Sinn Fein. The intended effect of the amendments would be that Sinn Fein MLAs who are also MPs would go from receiving the full MLA salary to receiving nothing. That is the effect of the amendments. Were these amendments to be accepted, we at Westminster would be imposing a change of elected representative on many constituents in Northern Ireland. Whatever our opinions here about dual mandates, people in Northern Ireland saw fit to elect people to more than one legislature. Although I hear what noble Lords have said—