§ 11. Mrs. Knightasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to make the voting rights of Irish citizens in the United Kingdom elections conditional on the granting of voting rights to British citizens in Eire on a reciprocal basis.
§ Mr. MaudlingNo, Sir.
§ Mrs. KnightIs my right hon. Friend aware that if a United Kingdom citizen goes to live in Eire it is five years before he can even apply for naturalisation papers and that until he gets those papers he is not allowed to vote in a parliamentary election there, whereas Eire citizens coming to the United Kingdom merely have to be resident at a certain address here for three months to obtain a vote? Does my right hon. Friend consider that this is fair?
§ Mr. MaudlingI agree that there is no reciprocity here, but that applies in a number of Commonwealth countries as well. This arrangement has been going on under legislation for nearly a quarter of a century. I do not know whether, if we started afresh, these arrangements would apply. At present I am concerned to take no action that would in any way make more difficult the task of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I should he happy to consider at any time anything which I thought would contribute to solving the Northern Ireland problem.
§ Mr. DuffyIs the Home Secretary aware that I am loth to be party to a mean, narrow, ungenerous, uncharitable Question?
§ Mrs. KnightNonsense. Rubbish.
§ Mr. MaudlingI am not sure about local elections. I entirely repudiate the hon. Member's description of the Question. There is nothing mean or narrow-minded about asking whether it is reasonable to continue an arrangement which is unreciprocal.
§ Rev. Ian PaisleyWill the right hon. Gentleman confirm that the Irish Republic is not a member of the British Commonwealth? Will he also say whether in the present situation he thinks that a measure such as this would help to show the Government of Eire that the British Government mean business?
§ Mr. MaudlingAs I have already said, it I thought that a measure of this kind would help solve the problem of Northern Ireland, I should look at it in a totally different light.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsOnce again I applaud the Home Secretary's line on this matter because it is quite obvious that there is no argument simply on the grounds of incompatibility between these two positions. A liberal attitude on voting rights has always marked the United Kingdom's relations with the Republic of Eire, which is admittedly non-reciprocal but which, if changed at this time, would be open to grave misinterpretation.
§ Mr. MaudlingIf I welcome so many commendations from the Opposition benches it may cause me a certain amount of embarrassment. In looking at this problem in a very difficult situation one has to reach an assessment as to whether any particular move will or will not help in Northern Ireland. Perhaps my judgment is wrong and perhaps the judgment of my right hon. Friend is wrong. But, at any rate, having reached our judgment we should follow it up.