HC Deb 18 June 1981 vol 6 c1163
3. Mr. J. Enoch Powell

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the points agreed by the conference of political parties held by him last year, additional to the agreement in favour of proportional representation and against restructuring local government which has already been disclosed by his Office.

Mr. Humphrey Atkins

The object of the conference was to identify the highest possible level of agreement on how powers might be transferred to locally elected representatives. In the light of the conference and other discussions, the Government published their Proposals for Further Discussion, Cmnd. 7950, in which they identified nine features of a possible system for Northern Ireland's government, which appeared to be broadly compatible with the policies of the four main parties. For the details I refer the right hon. Gentleman to paragraphs 24 to 34 of that Command Paper.

Mr. Powell

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I am much obliged to him for evading my question? Should he ever be tempted to renew the futile exercise of 1979–80, will he ensure that what is said by those participating in any such conference is said in an open and manly fashion in public, so that the public can know what has been said and so can the supporters of the participants?

Mr. Atkins

It is not my present intention to reconvene the conference. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman's party will take part in any discussions which I hold with the parties.

Mr. Peter Robinson

Will the Secretary of State confirm that the voting method suggested by the Democratic Unionist Party at the conference was the modified list system, which was proposed by the Official Unionist Party in the Northern Ireland Convention report? Will he also confirm that the Democratic Unionist Party's views on local government at the conference were identical to the views put forward in its manifesto, which received more votes than the Official Unionist Party?

Mr. Atkins

The White Paper said that a system of proportional representation had been in force in Northern Ireland for all elections except those for Westminster since 1973. There appeared to be no good reason to change that. There are, of course, a variety of systems. On the hon. Gentleman's other points, it is important that the precise points of view of all the parties should be made known widely throughout the Province, particularly at election time.