Troubles amnesty: 'Why do Tories persist with this unwanted and unloved bill?' asks Dodds as government keeps details of 'game-changing' amendments to itself

With only the Tory government in support of it, Lord Dodds wondered why “this bill persists, this bill grinds on, unwanted and unloved... for the life of me, I fail to understand why they cling to this obnoxious piece of legislation”.

The bill is currently in its final phase of committee stage in the Lords (although this is something of a misnomer, because this committee stage was held on the main debating floor of the house, open to all, rather than in an actual committee).

It received a renewed pummelling from peers, who have joined MPs in heaping disdain on the planned law.

Near the outset of proceedings, Lord Dodds rose to speak, saying it was proper "to pay tribute to the army, UDR, the RUC, part-time members and full time in the security services, and all who worked to safeguard the people of NI through some of the worst decades of Troubles, and remember the innocent victims cut down by terrorism, whether from loyalists or republicans".

He added: "It's worth putting on record every time we debate these matters: the overwhelming number of deaths and murders were carried out by terrorists."

On the subject of the government amendments, which had been promised yesterday by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris before the bill’s Report Stage – the next step on its parliamentary journey – Lord Dodds noted that the bill is well on its way to becoming law, and wondered why these amendments haven’t already been tabled.

"He was vey adamant these would really be very, very significant amendments indeed,” he said.

"It seems a shame we should be kept waiting, having gone through the entire committee stage of the bill - now into our fourth day - to be told there's going to be game-changing amendments."

Nuala O’Loan, a former Police Ombudsman, now a cross-bench (non-party-affiliated) peer, said: "There is no evidence that the Government intend to do anything other than force the bill through, despite its incompatibility with our international legal obligations.

"I am aware of an article that the Evening Standard ran last night – there have been various rumours about the Government introducing further amendments, which they have chosen not to introduce in committee.

"I am not sighted on those amendments, but the amendments produced thus far do not cause me to get excited about them.”

And Baroness Ritchie, a Labour peer and former SDLP leader, likewise chimed in.

“Like the noble Lord, Lord Dodds, and the noble Baroness, Lady O’Loan, I heard the Secretary of State refer yesterday to ‘game-changing amendments’, to which reference has been made today on the BBC Northern Ireland website.

"Can the Minister tell us what those game-changing amendments are that will be brought forward on report?

"The only amendments should be those that reject this bill; like all the other bills that have been withdrawn or substantially changed, it should be withdrawn.”

The debate ended without any votes being taking on the amendments which actually have been tabled to date; it is expected this will happen at the report stage, whenever that will be.

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