HC Deb 11 May 1978 vol 949 cc1382-6
5. Mr. Gow

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to publish the Bill to give effect to the recommendation of the Speaker's Conference on Electoral Law for the increase in the number of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland.

10. Mr. Farr

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what effect the passage of a Bill implementing the recommendations of Mr. Speaker's Conference will have on the need for a devolved form of government in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Mason

The Bill will be published in the normal way at the time of First Reading. That will be, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House on 19th April, as parliamentary circumstances permit. The Bill will have no effect on the need for a devolved form of government in Northern Ireland. It remains the Government's aim to establish a system of devolved government in Northern Ireland in which representatives of both sides of the community can participate on a fair basis.

Mr. Gow

Would it not be a welcome change for the Government to introduce a Bill into this House which had the support of my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition, of the Leader of the Ulster Unionist party and of the Leader of the Liberal Party? Since there will be support from the Opposition side for such a Bill, why will not the Secretary of State introduce a Bill forthwith to put right an injustice which Northern Ireland has suffered for too long?

Mr. Mason

For the main reason that there is already a packed legislative programme for this Session and, therefore, we could not fit it in.

Mr. Farr

As the Bill is regarded by hon. Members on each side of the House as being extremely important and a matter of great concern, will the Secretary of State tell the House whether it is his intention to see the Bill through this Session?

Mr. Mason

I cannot express any intention on that. It will depend upon the House itself. Irrespective of whatever all-party support it has—and I am pleased about that—we have to remember that this is a major constitutional Bill. It would have to be taken on the Floor of the House and it might take a lot more time than the hon. Gentleman suggests.

Mr. Goodhart

If all the technical problems could be removed, would the Secretary of State like to see the Bill on the statute book this Session?

Mr. Mason

There is no reason why work should not proceed on the basis of the Speaker's Conference. The Boundary Commissions can, if they wish, carry out preparatory work now, based on 17 seats, so that once the Act is on the statute book they will be in a position to make recommendations fairly quickly.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Does the Secretary of State realise that he has not answered the questions put by my hon. Friends? Is there not a risk of the Government appearing cynically opportunist in the matter?

In view of the offer by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition of bipartisan help with the legislation, would the Secretary of State care to talk to us about ensuring its early passage in the present Session of Parliament? There need be no delay and there need be no embarrassment to the Government's legislative programme.

Mr. Mason

I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman if he thinks that he is being misled, but it is not within my hands. Even if the Opposition offered time, they cannot know at this stage how much time the Bill might take on the Floor of the House. Because of all-party support it would no doubt get through Second Reading, but a major constitutional change of this sort would necessitate a lot of discussion in Committee.

Mr. Freud

Is the Secretary of State aware that he need not wait for a report from the Boundary Commission but could achieve the implementation of the recommendation of the Speaker's Conference by agreeing to hold an election now for the extra seats, using proportional representation?

Mr. Mason

The hon. Gentleman is now making one controversial subject doubly controversial. We already have the system of the single transferable vote in Northern Ireland, uniquely different from the system in the rest of Great Britain, and it would involve another major constitutional change if we were to talk about PR for electing Northern Ireland Members of this House.

Mr. McNamara

Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is rather surprising that we have had this sudden demand for these extra seats from the Opposition parties?

Mr. Farr

Sudden?

Mr. McNamara

The Conservatives introduced direct rule and could have made provision then for these extra seats had they wanted to do so. They did not do so because they wanted a devolved form of government. Should not our aim be to bring the people of Northern Ireland together to co-operate peacefully before we start extending representation?

Mr. Mason

I suppose that my hon. Friend would look at the Opposition and think that there is some political opportunism in this. They had the opportunity for many years when they were in office and they did not take it. The House must recognise that, once it had been said that after devolution in Scotland and Wales their present parliamentary representation would continue, the disparity between Great Britain and Northern Ireland was further highlighted. All we are doing is to give Northern Ireland, on a fair and just basis, its right parliamentary representation.

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