Alliance Party Leader David Ford heads a delegation to London tomorrow [Wed 16th] to meet Westminster parliamentarians. They will discuss constructive amendments to the bill, focusing on three issues:
- the guaranteed safe return home of innocent exiles to their home
communities,
- the requirement that beneficiaries of the legislation appear before
court in person, and
- consideration of changes to current licensing arrangements for those
guilty of terrorist offences not serving their terms.
Among those meeting with Mr Ford are:
- Conservatives David Lidington (Shadow NI Secretary of State), Lord
Glentoran (Spokesman for NI in the Lords) and Sir Patrick Cormack (Chair
of the NI Affairs Select Committee at Westminster); and
- Liberal Democrats Lembit Opik and Lord Smith (spokesmen on NI is the
Commons and the Lords respectively).
Mr Ford plans to meet other parliamentarians and advisers too, including members of the Labour Party.