Member

The Government readily acknowledge, in paragraph 7.2, that UK citizens not subject to these regulations should, unlike the people of Northern Ireland, be afforded the principle of consultation, completely invalidating the attempted suggestion in paragraph 7.1 that consulting the people of Northern Ireland is not necessary. Can the Minister acknowledge that the Government, by doing this, are authenticating the sadly—I am afraid to say—widely held belief that UK citizens in Northern Ireland are treated as second-class? If it is imperative for GB citizens to have consultation before introducing legislation, surely citizens of another part of the same country must have that same principle applied. If that is not being seen as second-class, I really do not know what would be.