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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

moved Amendment No. 29:"Page 17, line 45, after ““development”” insert ““and the implementation of fair trade””" The noble Lord said: I shall also speak to Amendments No. 30 and 31, which stand in my name. These are gentle, non-controversial amendments. I do not propose to speak for too long because I rehearsed the arguments for fair trade on Second Reading. Back home they got a fair airing in some of the Belfast papers. We in Northern Ireland believe that we are a generous and outward-looking people. Unfortunately, our history in the past number of decades has made us inward and siege-like. It is important to refocus people where possible to ask them to consider others in other parts of the world. That is why I am very keen to include the words,"““the implementation of fair trade””" along with ““sustaintable development””. Sustainable development for local authorities is obviously a good thing and I support it. The amendment is not saying that it is compulsory for local authorities and public bodies to implement fair trade; it is not saying that it is necessary for them to implement sustainable development, but they have to do their best. It has to be put on the agenda and I have great pleasure in proposing the amendment. I beg to move.