To be fiscally irresponsible is to be socially irresponsible.

Under the Member States' legislation, their liability is reduced or negated and they are therefore sentenced to a period of internment for an indefinite period or else dispensed from appearing in court but interned in a special establishment because of the danger they represent for the general public.

D. whereas in Italy there is a practice enshrined in judgment No 1150/88 of the Constitutional Court under which, in cases of absolute immunity, it falls to the national court alone, after it has decided whether the facts are covered by absolute immunity, to decide whether to close the case definitively or to examine its substance; whereas, in the latter event, the Senator or Deputy concerned may bring the case before his Chamber; whereas the Chamber then makes a declaration that proceedings may or may not be pursued and the court must comply with that declaration, unless it decides to challenge it in the Constitutional Court,

1. Decides that the cases of Francesco Enrico Speroni and Alfonso Marra raise a prima facie case of absolute immunity and that the competent courts should be put on notice to transmit to Parliament the documentation necessary to establish whether the cases in question involve absolute immunity under Article 9 of the Protocol in respect of opinions expressed or votes cast by the members in question in the performance of their duties and that the competent courts should be invited to stay proceedings pending a final determination by Parliament;

To suggest otherwise is being totally irresponsible as a member of an opposition party (1345) It would be equally irresponsible for those of us on this side of the House not to talk about deficits.

This we cannot support. If it is irresponsible for the government to introduce legislation of this nature, we feel that it would be just as irresponsible to support such legislation.