NORTHERN IRELAND (STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS) (Hansard, 14 January 1975)

§ Mr. James Molyneaux (Antrim, South)

I wish to thank the Leader of the House and his colleagues for their co-operation and the consideration they have shown for the views of the United Unionists in the handling of this motion. We appreciate that the Leader of the House has done his best to ensure that there is an opportunity for at least one of us to make a brief comment on the 410 subject. I shall take only a few minutes to make an observation that, I imagine, will attract the sympathy of the House and the Government.

As the 20-Member provision in the Standing Order offers no real safeguard to Northern Ireland's 12 Members, the Government will not move to send Ulster legislative orders to Standing Committee except in consultation and agreement with us. The Leader of the House has indicated that he recognises our difficulty and he has taken account of our views, but we are not happy with the suggested arrangement that the request for an order to be taken on the Floor of the House should have to come from us. We welcome the assurance that the Leader of the House will do his best to meet our wishes. That understanding, however, might not always be observed, particularly by one of his successors.

However, perhaps we may discuss that matter in the context of the discussion that the Leader of the House has offered in his proposals for a Northern Ireland 411 Committee that were outlined in his statement today. I can give the assurance that my colleagues and I have no wish to employ destructive tactics in establishing the machinery or in its functioning thereafter, but it will be recognised that in the handling of Northern Ireland business in this House we are embarking on an operation of great complexity. Much of what we do will be in the nature of evolution and experiment. My colleagues and I will welcome the opportunity of playing our part through agreement and consultation.

§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Privy Council Office (Mr. William Price)

May I say on behalf of the Lord President of the Council that we are grateful to the hon. Member for Antrim, South (Mr. Molyneaux) and his colleagues for their help in setting up this new system. I do not think we would disagree very strongly with anything he has said.

The point about the Orders Committee is that it should be essentially non-controversial, and if there are matters which are difficult they will be dealt with on the Floor of the House. We recognise that this can be done only on the basis of co-operation between all sides, and I can only repeat the pledge given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House that we will have full consultation with everybody concerned, particularly the Northern Ireland Members. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that it is the view of the Lord President—although I accept that I cannot commit anybody else—that if there were matters which Northern Ireland Members wanted to be dealt with on the Floor of the House rather than in Committee, we would do everything possible to ensure that that would happen.

With that assurance, and with our thanks for the help which we have received from the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues, we ask that this motion be agreed to.