§ Dr. MawhinneyI beg to move amendment No. 18, in page 9, line 5, at end insert—
'(10) The repeal of the 1978 Act shall not affect the application of any provision of sections 28 and 28A of that Act in relation to any right to compensation under section 28 which arises before the date when the repeal takes effect.'.
§ Mr. SpeakerWith this we may take Government amendment No. 26.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe amendment safeguards the position of any person who suffers damage or loss through an action taken under the Act before its repeal. If a person has a claim outstanding when the repeal takes effect, that claim will continue to be dealt with as if the Act was still in force. Similarly, if a person has suffered loss or damage and has not yet made a claim, he may make his application after the repeal, provided that he does so within the time limit provided in section 28.
Amendment No. 26 simply provides that new subsection (10) shall not itself be repealed when the 1978 Act is repealed.
These are straightforward amendments, and I trust that they will command the support of the House.
§ Ms. Clare ShortI echo the words of the right hon. Member for South Down (Mr. Powell). In Committee, it was surprising how much we agreed on, despite the varying views that were taken. I think that there is a case for discussing some of the legislation in detail. The convergence of views is encouraging for the democratic process. This is not a controversial Government amendment. It protects those who need to be compensated for the damage that they have suffered as a consequence of the unhappy politics in Northern Ireland. The Opposition, therefore, accept the Government amendment.
§ Amendment agreed to.