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Orders of the Day — Northern Ireland (Sentences) Bill

House of Commons, 28 July 1998.

SENTENCE REVIEW COMMISSIONERS

Adam Ingram (Labour, East Kilbride)

I beg to move, That this House does agree with the Lords in the said amendment.

Betty Boothroyd (Speaker, West Bromwich West)

With this, it will be convenient to discuss Lords amendments Nos. 20, 21 and 23.

Adam Ingram (Labour, East Kilbride)

These are all Government amendments concerned with the appointment of joint chairmen of the sentence review commissioners. The reason behind the amendments is to ensure that the Secretary of State will be able to satisfy clause 1(3), which states: In making appointments the Secretary of State shall have regard to the desirability of the Commissioners, as a group, commanding widespread acceptance throughout the community in Northern Ireland. The appointment of a chairman is of particular significance, and it is felt that there could be considerable merit in appointing joint chairmen, hence the amendments.

Andrew MacKay (Conservative, Bracknell)

I rise briefly to say that the Opposition fully support this group of amendments. To prevent us from wasting further time on the Bill, I can tell the House that we agree with all the other amendments. It has been extremely helpful for the Government to have improved and modified the Bill in the other place. We are grateful to them, and we appreciate the trouble that the Minister has taken.

Phil Willis (Liberal Democrat, Harrogate and Knaresborough)

The Liberal Democrats support all the amendments, which are clearly improvements to the Bill. We support the Government on all the amendments tabled.

Betty Boothroyd (Speaker, West Bromwich West)

May I collect the voices on all the amendments?

Kevin McNamara (Labour, Kingston upon Hull North)

No, Madam Speaker.

Betty Boothroyd (Speaker, West Bromwich West)

Sorry, on amendment No. 1. Do you wish to speak, Mr. McNamara?

Kevin McNamara (Labour, Kingston upon Hull North)

I thought, Madam Speaker, that you were suggesting that our voices should be collected on all the amendments. I want to get advice from the Minister about the content and meaning of the new clause. I would be delighted if you wanted to take amendments Nos. 1 to 15.

Betty Boothroyd (Speaker, West Bromwich West)

I cannot. I must take them individually. I shall first collect the voices on amendment No. 1.

New clause

Adam Ingram (Labour, East Kilbride)

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment. This amendment would add a new clause giving a definition of "terrorism" that is the same as the definition contained in the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989. The Government consider that it would be of value to have such a definition to avoid any possibility of ambiguity or a suggestion that the term might be used in a different sense in this Bill than in other legislation.

Kevin McNamara (Labour, Kingston upon Hull North)

I was interested to know why the new clause was necessary when there was a definition of "terrorism" in the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 and the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991, under which people covered by this Bill had already been sentenced. I could see no reason why that definition was not being used when it was the definition under which they were sentenced. We now have an explanation from my hon. Friend the Minister, for which we are grateful. I thank him for it.