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House of Lords Official Report Vol. 756 Tuesday No. 51 4 November 2014 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Questions Northern Ireland: National Crime Agency ...............................................................1535 Central African Republic............................................................................................1537 Airports: London.........................................................................................................1539 Sport: Funding ............................................................................................................1542 Wales Bill Order of Consideration Motion...................................................................................1544 Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill Second Reading ............................................................................................................1545 Shale Gas and Oil (EAC Report) Motion to Take Note ..................................................................................................1579 Grand Committee Deregulation Bill Committee (4th Day)............................................................................................GC 623 Written Statements ....................................................................................................WS 139 Written Answers .........................................................................................................WA 213 £4·00 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. No proofs of Daily Reports are provided. Corrections for the bound volume which Lords wish to suggest to the report of their speeches should be clearly indicated in a copy of the Daily Report, which, with the column numbers concerned shown on the front cover, should be sent to the Editor of Debates, House of Lords, within 14 days of the date of the Daily Report. This issue of the Official Report is also available on the Internet at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/index/141104.html PRICES AND SUBSCRIPTION RATES DAILY PARTS Single copies: Commons, £5; Lords £4 Annual subscriptions: Commons, £865; Lords £600 LORDS VOLUME INDEX obtainable on standing order only. Details available on request. BOUND VOLUMES OF DEBATES are issued periodically during the session. Single copies: Commons, £105; Lords, £60 (£100 for a two-volume edition). Standing orders will be accepted. THE INDEX to each Bound Volume of House of Commons Debates is published separately at £9·00 and can be supplied to standing order. All prices are inclusive of postage. The first time a Member speaks to a new piece of parliamentary business, the following abbreviations are used to show their party affiliation: Abbreviation Party/Group CB Cross Bench Con Conservative Con Ind Conservative Independent DUP Democratic Unionist Party GP Green Party Ind Lab Independent Labour Ind LD Independent Liberal Democrat Ind SD Independent Social Democrat Lab Labour Lab Ind Labour Independent LD Liberal Democrat LD Ind Liberal Democrat Independent Non-afl Non-affiliated PC Plaid Cymru UKIP UK Independence Party UUP Ulster Unionist Party No party affiliation is given for Members serving the House in a formal capacity, the Lords spiritual, Members on leave of absence or Members who are otherwise disqualified from sitting in the House. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2014, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1535 NI: National Crime Agency[4 NOVEMBER 2014] NI: National Crime Agency 1536 Baroness Randerson: My Lords, the Government House of Lords do not intend to breach the Sewel convention on this issue. We believe that there is still work that can Tuesday, 4 November 2014. profitably be done to bring all parties in Northern Ireland to agreement on this issue. If agreement is not 2.30 pm reached, the parties will have to decide what measures they need to take on devolved issues to deal with the Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Norwich. problems that they face. The Earl of Oxford and Asquith took the oath. Baroness Harris of Richmond (LD): My Lords, my noble friend has told us that these proposals are being talked about. Can she tell us whether they are being Northern Ireland: National Crime Agency talked about in the context of the talks taking place to Question try to resolve many of these issues? I was not quite clear. 2.38 pm Baroness Randerson: My right honourable friend Asked by Lord Empey the Secretary of State discussed these issues with the political parties last week as part of the wider issues To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the that were being discussed. National Crime Agency will be fully operational in Northern Ireland. Lord McAvoy (Lab): My Lords, with no disrespect to the Minister, we have heard before stories about it The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Wales happening soon and all the rest of it. We have repeatedly Office (Baroness Randerson) (LD): My Lords, we continue asked for the Secretary of State to get involved, which to urge all parties in Northern Ireland to make progress would show the urgency of the situation. The security on this issue. Justice Minister Ford has submitted a of the people of Northern Ireland is continually put at paper to the political parties which sets out enhanced risk by the absence of participation in the National accountability arrangements for the NCA. This paper Crime Agency’s operations. Instead of merely urging should allay remaining concerns about the NCA’s role the parties to get together, should not the Secretary of and allow all parties to support the full extension of State stop hiding behind the figure of David Ford and the NCA to Northern Ireland without further delay. get some action on the Government’s own account? Lord Empey (UUP): My Lords, does the Minister Baroness Randerson: I understand the frustration feel it appropriate for Her Majesty’s Government to that the noble Lord expresses, but I can assure him allow Sinn Fein to exercise a veto over the operation of that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State the National Crime Agency? Is she aware that when has been constantly involved in this issue and is regularly debating Commons Amendments to the Crime and in discussions with the political parties. However, the Courts Bill on 25 March 2013 the prospect of a Sinn noble Lord is correct in drawing attention to the fact Fein veto was anticipated? The noble Lord, Lord of that the same protection is not afforded to the people Taylor of Holbeach, announced that in such of Northern Ireland while the issue of the NCA is circumstances, unresolved. I can assure him that we are extremely keen to reach agreement on this. “any Government of the United Kingdom will respond in a responsible manner”.—[Official Report, 25/3/13; col. 832.] Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB): My Lords, how long When will the Government override Sinn Fein’s veto, will the Government wait to decide to override what is behave responsibly and fully establish the National not being done in Northern Ireland? Crime Agency in Northern Ireland right away? Baroness Randerson: I think the noble and learned Baroness Randerson: The noble Lord refers to the Baroness expresses the same view that has been made words of my noble friend Lord Taylor and to the clear around the Chamber not just today but in previous Government responding with responsibility.It is important discussions that we have had on this issue. It is important to remember that this is a devolved issue. In order to that we are given this opportunity to discuss it because retain the confidence of the people of Northern Ireland our frustration and concern need to be heard in Northern across the communities every effort should be made to Ireland in order to ensure that all the political parties reach the decision within Northern Ireland. The take this issue very seriously indeed. Government believe that the efforts being made by David Ford as Justice Minister in Northern Ireland Lord Browne of Belmont (DUP): My Lords, does the are working towards that end. Minister agree with me that it is vital for the security of the whole United Kingdom that the National Crime Lord Trimble (Con): My Lords, does the Minister Agency should be permitted unfettered freedom to agree that the Northern Ireland Act, which implemented operate within Northern Ireland as neither the Police the agreement, expressly reserves and protects this Service of Northern Ireland nor the Garda Siochana Parliament’s right to override that legislation, in just will have the necessary expertise and resources to counter the same way that it has the power to override others effectively the potential threat posed by international in the national interest? How long will the Minister terrorists and criminal gangs operating across the wait before the inevitable exercise of that power? United Kingdom’s only land border? 1537 NI: National Crime Agency[LORDS] Central African Republic 1538 Baroness Randerson: The noble Lord makes some that stage, they should take full control. The noble excellent points. It is important to emphasise the huge Lord mentioned elections: that is clearly a matter for pressure being put on PSNI while this issue remains President Samba-Panza to implement. I know that she unresolved. It is also important to point out that the is working as hard as she can to get the elections in NCA deals with serious
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