Bill rushed, MPs complain

Leading the assault on the tight timetable for scrutiny of the legislation, Mr Richard Shepherd (Con) complained: "This is no…

Leading the assault on the tight timetable for scrutiny of the legislation, Mr Richard Shepherd (Con) complained: "This is no way for the House to do its business. The government is acting manipulatively. We have been knee-jerked here."

Ms Gwyneth Dunwoody (Lab) said that to rush legislation through without it being properly tested was not fulfilling MPs' proper task.

"I have very grave reservations about the way in which our proceedings today are being organised," she said.

Sir Peter Emery (Con) claimed the government was "thrusting to one side" all normal procedures of the House, with nothing to be gained.

READ MORE

Ms Audrey Wise (Lab) said she was "deeply affronted" that the Omagh aftermath was being mixed in with other issues.

Mr Alan Beith, Liberal Democrats deputy leader, said there was a widespread view that it would not be possible to do justice to the Bill's Northern Ireland provisions and still have enough opportunity to do justice to the other measures dealing with international terrorism.

Mr Robert Marshall-Andrews (Lab), a barrister, complained that the Bill was one of the worst drafted he had ever seen. "This Bill isn't in a fit condition to be debated by the House," he complained.

Mr Andrew Robathan (Con) said of the Bill's provisions on international terrorism: "This has more to do with President Clinton's arrival tomorrow."

Mr Donald Anderson, Labour chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said many MPs were moving to the view that the clauses dealing with conspiracy to commit offences abroad should be "excised" from the Bill as they were not as urgent as the Northern Ireland provisions.

"I accept the symbolism that the Dail and our own parliament march together in respect of terrorism. I am less happy to accept the symbolism that we have to rush our proceedings through because of the visit of the President of the US to Ireland."

Replying to the concerns raised, the Commons Leader, Mrs Margaret Beckett, strongly denied that the House was dealing with the Bill in an unprecedented fashion.

In an intervention, the Liberal Democrats chief whip, Mr Paul Tyler, said that having listened to the arguments expressed he was withdrawing his name from the motion to rush the Bill through the Commons in a day.

Mrs Beckett told MPs the issues would be kept under review. The motion was backed by 317 votes to 87, a government majority of 230.