§ 3.50 p.m.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE, NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE (Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge)My Lords, with the permission of the House, I will repeat a Statement which my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made in another place this afternoon. He said:
"The Report of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention has now been transmitted to me by the Chairman. The Report will be published as soon as possible in the new Session of Parliament and will be laid in accordance with the requirements of the Northern Ireland Act.
"The House will recall that the Convention was set up under the Act of 1974 for the specific purpose of 'considering what provision for the government of Northern Ireland is likely to command the most widespread acceptance throughout the community there'. This was the sole task of the Convention. It was not a Parliament or an Assembly and, as a Convention, had no advisory or other functions in the governmental field. It was in the discharge of its statutory task that it transmitted its Report to me.
"Under the provisions of the Act, the Convention is now dissolved, although there is a provision under which it may be recalled at any time within six months of the date on which the Report was submitted, which takes us to 7th May. In answer to a Question on 31st October by my honourable friend the Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe, I announced that I had decided to exercise my discretion under the Act to continue to pay salaries to Members of the Convention. Suitable allowances will also be paid. I regard it as essential that members of the Convention 1601 should continue to be available for further consultations on constitutional matters. I wish to make it clear again that the Convention is not cannot be—an advisory body to me. No decision has been taken whether or not tore call it for its constitutional purposes.
"The House will not expect me at this time to make any substantive comment on the Report. As will be seen when the Report is published, it deals with a number of fundamental issues affecting the future government of Northern Ireland. These include, for example, the form of that Government, its powers and functions, its legal authority, questions of constitutional rights and its relationship with Parliament, financial assistance and taxation and responsibility for law and order and the use of the Army. Both the Government and this House will wish to consider these matters very carefully, and I also hope that the people of Northern Ireland will ponder upon them since they profoundly affect the future of Northern Ireland. It is important that Parliament should now have time to consider the Convention's Report so that when, at an appropriate moment, we come to debate these matters, we shall do so on the basis of considered views. Nevertheless, I should make it clear that the British Army is under the control of this Parliament only, and the sovereignty of the Queen in the Parliament of the United Kingdom rests also at Westminster.
"There is no quick and easy solution to the problems of Northern Ireland, and my strong view is that everything we say and do should acknowledge this. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland will continue to be governed by, and from, this Parliament. It is in accordance with this principle that the Northern Ireland Act 1974 provides for all functions of government to be exercised by me, with the help of other Ministerial colleagues. That is the position until Parliament decides otherwise.
"I should finally wish to take the opportunity—and I am sure that the whole House will join with me in this —of paying a warm tribute to the Chairman of the Convention, Sir Robert Lowry, and his staff, for the 1602 way in which he has guided the work of the Convention."
My Lords, that ends my right honourable friends' Statement.
§ 3.54 p.m.
ord BELSTEADMy Lords, the Statement which the noble Lord, Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge, has just repeated is of considerable importance because it means that the Northern Ireland Convention has at last completed its task. I should like to echo the thanks which the noble Lord has expressed to Sir Robert Lowry and to his staff. It is somewhat unusual for a Statement of this sort to say in the same breath that publication will be at some future date. I should be grateful if the noble Lord could indicate approximately how long the time span is likely to be. Are we waiting simply for printing, or are we to await a considered view by the Secretary of State to accompany the publication?
Although the Convention is now dissolved, I particularly welcome the fact that salaries are still to be paid so that members of the Convention should continue to be available for further consultations on constitutional matters. In this respect may I express the hope that any future consultations may include consultations between the Convention Parties and the Secretary of State. Although I fully understand the reasons for the Secretary of State's policy, I have previously ventured to express regret that a wall of silence should seem to exist between the Secretary of State and the Convention. We all know from the newspapers that between the UUUC and the SDLP there remains this fundamental divide; namely, any agreement about representation of minority groups in the Government of Northern Ireland. I think that if any solution to this intractable problem is to be found, then the Secretary of State must now discuss it with the Convention Parties in Northern Ireland.
§ Lord BEAUMONT of WHITLEYMy Lords, I too should like to join in the thanks to the Chairman of the Convention. We on these Benches are delighted that the framework of the Convention is to be kept going in case it can be of assistance. In time we shall, of course, have many questions to ask. I do not think that this is the moment for them, particularly since we have not had 1603 the Report. I should merely like to add this to what the noble Lord, Lord Belstead, said when asking about the date of the publication of the Convention's Report. Could we please have an assurance that, in as short a period after that as is consonant with our being able to digest and consider the Report, we may be allowed to debate the matter in this House? When this Report is published, whatever it says, it will be of the greatest importance for the future not only of Northern Ireland but of the United Kingdom.
§ Lord DONALDSON of KINGSBRIDGEMy Lords, I am grateful to both noble Lords who have so graciously accepted this Report. My advice over the date is, as early as possible in the new Session. That means within days of the opening of the new Session. The reason why a firmer date is not given is that it depends on nothing but printing. We are not waiting for Government Statements or views on the Report before it is published. The noble Lord, Lord Belstead, asked that we should press the Secretary of State to discuss the future and the Report with Party members of the Convention. May I say that he has every intention of doing so. He has already expressed this view. He is going to give himself time to study the Report, and will then discuss its implications separately with each of the Parties in Northern Ireland with a view to putting together those matters of agreement, of which there are a certain number, and estimating the matters of difference. I do not think it is profitable to say more about this at this stage, and I am grateful for being allowed not to do so.