Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 12, subsection (3), line 11, to delete "is set out in the Schedule to the 1973 Act" and substitute the following:

"in the English language is set out for convenience of reference in Schedule 2".

The purpose of this amendment, which seems to have been accepted by the Minister, is to pick up on the fact that if the 1973 Act were to be repealed, the Schedule to the Act would also be repealed. Therefore, it would seem appropriate to set out a reference to the text of the genocide convention in the Bill. That is what we set out to do in amendments Nos. 4 and 21.

I see the Minister has put forward alternative amendments. I accept he is entitled to do so. Amendment No. 5 may have better wording, but why did the Minister put forward the alternative to amendment No. 21? I believe amendments Nos. 21 and 22 are the same. Was there any reason amendment No. 21 could not have been accepted?

I welcome that the Minister has seen the same issue that we have pointed out and that he has, in effect, accepted our amendment in principle.