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Extradition: UK and USA

My Lords, I thank the noble Lords, Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts and Lord Goodhart, for entering into what has now become a familiar debate. I shall answer the first two questions and speak to the issue raised about the nature of the extradition treaty before I go on to explain why the Government have come to their view. We do not intend to renegotiate the treaty with the United States, and I must disappoint noble Lords by saying that nor do we intend to revoke the designation of the United States as one of our partners. The noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, is absolutely right. We argued quite properly and extensively about all these issues during the 2003 debates on the Bill. As he will remember, those were extensive and comprehensive debates. This House and another place had an opportunity to have their say about whether the Bill was fit to become a statute. The House and the other place spoke, and, as noble Lords will know, the Bill has become law and now applies. I invite noble Lords to allow me, rather than repeating all those arguments, to rely on the answers that I gave then on those matters of detail. I will, however, deal with the general issues raised by the noble Lord.