§ Mr. McNultyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she intends to publish the report by Mr. J. J. Rowe QC on the operation during 1998 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996. [84334]
§ Marjorie MowlamMr. Rowe's Report is being published today and copies are being placed in the Library. I note that Mr. Rowe recommends that the legislation be renewed.
The UK's counter terrorism legislation is currently under review. The Government intend to bring forward, as soon as possible, new UK-wide legislation to replace the existing temporary provisions.
In December last year, the Government published a consultation paper entitled, "Legislation Against Terrorism". Around eighty responses have been received. The process of examining each contribution and preparing the Government's legislative response is well underway. The Government have made clear that during the period the new legislation is being prepared it will not leave the people of Northern Ireland without the protection of necessary counter-terrorism measures. For that reason I propose to continue the EPA in force for a temporary period and I shall lay before the House as soon as possible a draft Order for consideration which would have that effect.
The Government are committed to steadily transforming the security environment in Northern Ireland and achieving complete normalisation as part of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as a whole. In such circumstances, the Government's position is that there will be no need for any temporary Northern Ireland specific powers. The Government will make a judgment about that nearer the time the new UK-wide legislation is introduced.