CLAUSE 2.—(Short title and application to Northern Ireland.) (Hansard, 5 November 1948)

§ Mr. John Beattie (Belfast, West)
I should like to ask for an explanation how Clause 2 applies to Northern Ireland, and what is the Act which the Government of Northern Ireland have not passed but which this Clause seeks to continue. What is the power of this Government in Northern Ireland which is not subject to ratification by the Government of Northern Ireland? There are a number of very bad laws giving powers to this House in Northern Ireland, and I should like to know if these bad laws are to be continued indefinitely. There are some good laws, but there are some very bad ones, and I should like the right hon. Gentleman to inform the House why he seeks power in this Clause to continue laws of which I am not aware, and the continuance of which, if I was aware of them, I should oppose. I might endanger some of the good laws which operate from this House, but, for the purpose of clarification for myself, as I am the only Irish Member now present, I ask the Government for an explanation.

§ Mr. Glenvil Hall
We are dealing in this Clause with enactments or part of enactments set forth in the Schedule, and some of them apply to Northern Ireland and some quite clearly do not. For instance, the Rent of Furnished Houses 1142 Control (Scotland) Act does not apply to Northern Ireland nor to England, nor does the Education (Exemptions) (Scotland) Act. Clause 2 simply continues certain legislation, and where an Act does not apply to Northern Ireland it shall not apply in the future.

§ Mr. Beattie
The right hon. Gentleman's explanation has not clarified the position for me. He has wonderful ways of going forward and going backward. If these laws to which he refers do not apply to Northern Ireland why bring them in here when we have a Government of Ireland Act, 1920? Under it we have the same powers to create and operate laws as has this Government. What I wanted from the right hon. Gentleman were details of the Acts which this Bill applies to Northern Ireland and which we in Northern Ireland cannot make for ourselves. What laws are operating in Northern Ireland which we in Northern Ireland have not the power to operate through the medium of the Government of Northern Ireland? The right hon. Gentleman has not divulged this information. I agree there is the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act. Many times we have suffered by that Act and still hon. Members of this Parliament call us friends. I should like the right hon. Gentleman to clarify the position along the lines I have suggested.

§ Mr. C. Williams
At this stage someone ought to get up and point out that there are a considerable number of Acts which apply to the whole of the United Kingdom—to Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and even England, and that most of those laws are very good. What should be taken notice of this morning is that the hon. Member for West Belfast (Mr. J. Beattie) made a speech which for a great many reasons was one of the best advertisements we have ever had of the great value and virtue of the Government of Northern Ireland. I am glad to see that he thinks the Government of Northern Ireland is absolutely first class.

§ Mr. Beattie
The hon. Member wants to ask the Government of Northern Ireland what they think of me.