European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill

The hon. Gentleman will know that I want the Welsh Assembly and the Welsh Government�and the Scottish Parliament�to be consulted, to have a say and, I hope, to join in with the settlement, in whatever form it takes that can make the situation for my constituents and the country as a whole much calmer and better. He will know, and the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon) will know�I am pleased to see her in her place�that the amendment would be a block in the event of the Northern Ireland Assembly not being restored. It is not even a block simply in relation to the Northern Ireland Government; it is a block even if direct rule is restored, for example, because the amendment refers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. We have no definitive date for that restoration, and while I would want it to happen tomorrow�it has been 12 years since I was the last direct rule Minister in Northern Ireland, and I would like to see the Assembly restored�ultimately, that is not going to happen.