HL Deb 18 November 1982 vol 436 cc633-4

3.27p.m.

Lord Belhaven and Stenton

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the stated intention of the Government of the Irish Republic to allow British subjects resident in the republic to vote in parliamentary elections and whether this stated intention includes the granting of full rights of citizenship including immunity from the racial discrimination practiced by the Irish Land Commission.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, these are matters for the Irish authorities. But the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ireland in a Written Answer in the Dail on 15th July said that his Government intended to proceed with legislation as quickly as possible. I am unable to comment on what provisions this legislation might contain. I am not aware of any discrimination by the Irish Land Commission against British subjects resident in the Republic.

Lord Belhaven and Stenton

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Would he think that, in view of the campaign which is proceeding in certain quarters in this country to deprive very large numbers of Irish residents here of the vote, there is something that the proponents of this campaign have not thought through? The results of doing this would be rather deplorable. Would it not be a good idea if Her Majesty's Government pressed the Government in Dublin, whichever one it is to be, to get on with implementing their intention of giving British subjects the vote and of giving them the same treatment in Ireland as Irish people receive in this country?

Lord Belstead

My Lords, I entirely agree with my noble friend that the removal of the Irish vote in this country would not be something to be taken lightly. So far as the last part of my noble friend's question is concerned, the last three Governments of the Irish Republic have all expressed their intention to introduce legislation as soon as their parliamentary timetable allows. I think the last undertaking of this kind was by the Irish Foreign Minister, and of course that was before the general election was called. I think we have got to wait just a little longer to see whether that undertaking is fulfilled.

The Marquess of Sligo

My Lords, will the Minister say how many British citizens do in fact live in the Republic of Ireland? Can he also say whether he thinks that this query, at this time of difficulties between England and Ireland so far as the Government are concerned, is really rather unnecessary?

Lord Belstead

My Lords, again, I am most grateful to the noble Marquess for the last part of his question, which I am sure is right. I cannot answer the first part of the question as to how many British citizens there are in the Irish Republic who would be allowed to vote if legislation were passed; but I can say that the percentage of the electorate in Britain who are from Ireland and who vote is lower than would be the percentage of British subjects in Ireland if they had the vote there.

The Marquess of Sligo

My Lords, as there are under 3 million people, I can quite understand that.

Lord Belhaven and Stenton

My Lords, would my noble friend agree that my Question is a matter of principle, and that it would not matter if there was only one British subject resident in Ireland? The principle is the same.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, I entirely agree with that. But I was simply responding to the noble Marquess and trying to give him my figures. So far as the matter of principle is concerned, I think that the House will probably join with the Government in welcoming the fact that the Select Committee on Home Affairs in another place has chosen to make this subject part of its current inquiry into the Representation of the People Act 1949.