A Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee (Liaison Committee Report)
Debate between Lord Gardiner of Kimble and Lord Dodds of Duncairn
Lord Empey (UUP)
My Lords, I take this opportunity to thank the Liaison Committee for its consideration. A number of us lobbied strongly, and I am very pleased that it has responded. I think what is not understood is that the legislation proposed by the European Union that affects Northern Ireland can have reach-back implications for the entirety of the United Kingdom. I hope that the Northern Ireland Assembly will eventually have a committee that can deal with its part of it. It is totally underresourced at the moment.
I would be failing in my duty not to put on record, for those of us who were members of the sub-committee, the enormous effort put in by the noble Lord, Lord Jay of Ewelme. He achieved miraculous results in getting virtually unanimous agreement for every report that the committee made, given the pretty mixed bunch of us that were on it. He did a fantastic job, and that should be put on the record.
Lord Dodds of Duncairn (DUP)
My Lords, I join the noble Lord, Lord Empey, in thanking the Liaison Committee for agreeing to set up a new Select Committee, following on from the work of the previous sub-committee. I, too, pay tribute to the work of the noble Lord, Lord Jay of Ewelme, and the staff of the committee who did a tremendous job.
I was honoured to be a member of the previous committee. We produced excellent reports, which have been received very warmly in Northern Ireland, with a lot of interest from civil society right across all sectors of the community and the economy. It is vital that this House continues to play an important role in scrutinising legislation for Northern Ireland that is now being made by a foreign political entity without any input from Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly or Members of Parliament. It is an extraordinary situation, which makes it all the more important that this House, which has done tremendous work in the past and has been the only Chamber doing this work is able to continue that. I think everybody in Northern Ireland, from all sides, will warmly welcome this announcement today.
The Senior Deputy Speaker (Lord Gardiner of Kimble)
My Lords, the noble Lords, Lord Empey and Lord Dodds of Duncairn, have articulated why the Liaison Committee found this a compelling case and have made this recommendation to your Lordships.