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| MPs to debate transfer of powers | MPs to debate transfer of powers |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Debate on the transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont is due to begin at Westminster on Wednesday. | Debate on the transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont is due to begin at Westminster on Wednesday. |
| Disagreements between Sinn Fein and the DUP led to the breakdown of the executive last year, although a deal was struck in November. | Disagreements between Sinn Fein and the DUP led to the breakdown of the executive last year, although a deal was struck in November. |
| It will be the first time politicians in Westminster can discuss the issue. | It will be the first time politicians in Westminster can discuss the issue. |
| The Conservatives want the Northern Ireland Secretary to assume transferred policing and justice powers if parties cannot agree within a time frame. | |
| In November, Sinn Fein and the DUP agreed to appoint a justice minster through cross-community choice, but the SDLP are putting down an amendment to have the minister appointed through the D'Hondt system, which would give the post to them. | |
| BBC Northern Ireland's political editor Mark Devenport said he would be surprised if the government was to allow anything to reshape the bill. | |
| It is in effect legislation for stand-off and stalemate after the assembly elections of May 2011 Mark DurkanSDLP leader class="" href="/1/hi/northern_ireland/7922237.stm">Criminal cases cost double in NI "Essentially they're pushing this through in order to enable the deal between the DUP and Sinn Fein to be implemented," he said. | |
| "They will want to see it go through more or less as they've drawn it up and they have the votes to ensure that it does." | |
| SDLP leader and Foyle MP Mark Durkan MLA said people should know what the proposed bill means. | SDLP leader and Foyle MP Mark Durkan MLA said people should know what the proposed bill means. |
| "It doesn't give a date for the devolution of justice," he said. | "It doesn't give a date for the devolution of justice," he said. |
| "Nor does it ensure that there is a nationalist minister for justice, as we are entitled to have under the Good Friday Agreement. | "Nor does it ensure that there is a nationalist minister for justice, as we are entitled to have under the Good Friday Agreement. |
| "But it does mean that if we actually get the devolution of justice, then it can collapse in both May 2011 and 2012. | "But it does mean that if we actually get the devolution of justice, then it can collapse in both May 2011 and 2012. |
| "It is in effect legislation for stand-off and stalemate after the assembly elections of May 2011, when the grandstanding will begin again as the DUP and Sinn Fein jockey for position ahead of 2012. | "It is in effect legislation for stand-off and stalemate after the assembly elections of May 2011, when the grandstanding will begin again as the DUP and Sinn Fein jockey for position ahead of 2012. |
| "This could lead to the bizarre situation of a department with no minister and is a crisis waiting to happen. | "This could lead to the bizarre situation of a department with no minister and is a crisis waiting to happen. |
| Cost | |
| On Tuesday, it emerged that the average legal aid bill for criminal cases in Northern Ireland is more than twice that for England and Wales. | |
| The disclosure was made to a committee which is trying to find out the cost of devolving justice to Stormont. | |
| The average legal aid bill for criminal cases in Northern Ireland was £14,000 compared to £6,000 in England and Wales. | |
| Committee member Ian Paisley Jnr said devolving justice could cost £700m. |