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I'm over in London today keeping an eye on this evening's Commons debate on the devolution of justice. Given the support of both Labour and the Conservatives the result is a foregone conclusion, but despite that the debate has had its moments.

The most striking intervention so far came from the sole Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon, who has already made it clear that she fundamentally disagrees with her own party's decision to vote against the transfer of powers in the assembly. So MPs were treated to the somewhat bizarre sight of the North Down MP cross questioning the Shadow Secretary of State over how much effort his leader David Cameron had really put in to persuading her leader Sir Reg Empey to change his mind.

Owen Paterson responded by asking Lady Sylvia why she wasn't addressing these questions directly to her own leader. He then went on as best he could to explain her colleagues' doubts about the workings of the four party coalition.

Although the divide between UUP opposition and Tory support has been well documented, the Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael drew attention to what he viewed as a division within Tory ranks. He drew Mr Paterson's attention to and asserted that the newly confirmed candidate for North Down was more in step with the UUP than the Conservatives on the justice issue.

The SDLP's Mark Durkan drew attention to the potentially destabilising impact of the 2012 sunset clause discussed previously on this blog. As I write, the Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson is on his feet concurring with Lady Sylvia's views on justice and quoting back some of Mr Durkan's comments about the "ugly scaffolding" of the Good Friday agreement back to him.

Earlier in the day Shaun Woodward released a written statement on the Saville inquiry which raised the prospect of the long awaited report being delayed yet again, until after the general election. The Conservatives took this further, urging the government not to release the report in the fevered atmosphere prior to the forthcoming election.

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