HC Deb 27 November 1991 vol 199 c509W
Mr. Amos

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements he has made to review the operation of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991.

Mr. Brooke

Viscount Colville of Culross, who has carried out an annual review of emergency legislation in previous years, has accepted my invitation to prepare a report on the operation of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. As with the former reviews, the intention is that the report should enable both Houses of Parliament to discharge effectively their responsibility to scrutinise the operation of the Act on the occasion of the annual debates on the continuance orders, and to determine whether any of the Act's temporary provisions could be allowed to lapse.

As the temporary provisions of the Act will lapse on 15 June 1992 unless continued in force by order, I have asked Viscount Colville to submit his report by the beginning of April next year.