To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many volunteer reservists in each service were deployed on operations in each year since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many volunteer reservists in each service were deployed on operations in each year since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what average number of nights members of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy, (c) the Royal Air Force and (d) all service personnel spent away from home in each year since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what average number of nights members of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy, (c) the Royal Air Force and (d) all service personnel spent away from home in each year since 1997.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the deployment of all Mastiff and Vector vehicles to Afghanistan is on schedule to be completed by autumn 2007; and how many Mastiff and Vector vehicles are available to service personnel for training purposes prior to deployment to Afghanistan.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the deployment of all Mastiff and Vector vehicles to Afghanistan is on schedule to be completed by autumn 2007; and how many Mastiff and Vector vehicles are available to service personnel for training purposes prior to deployment to Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's Harmony Guidelines have been met across all three services since the publication of the Autumn Performance Report in 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's Harmony Guidelines have been met across all three services since the publication of the Autumn Performance Report in 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Royal Air Force flights were scrambled to intercept aircraft approaching the UK in each month for the latest year for which figures are available; and in each case from which countries the approaching aircraft originated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Royal Air Force flights were scrambled to intercept aircraft approaching the UK in each month for the latest year for which figures are available; and in each case from which countries the approaching aircraft originated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the (a) total UK military helicopter fleet and (b) the helicopter fleet deployed in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan are considered (A) fit for service and (B) fit for purpose, broken down by helicopter type.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the (a) total UK military helicopter fleet and (b) the helicopter fleet deployed in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan are considered (A) fit for service and (B) fit for purpose, broken down by helicopter type.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will provide a full answer to question 155132, on Royal Air Force flights, tabled by the hon. Member for Kettering on 5 September for named day answer on 12 September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will provide a full answer to question 155132, on Royal Air Force flights, tabled by the hon. Member for Kettering on 5 September for named day answer on 12 September.

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall repeat a Statement made by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Justice in another place. The Statement is as follows: ““Mr Speaker, with permission, I should like to make a Statement about our programme of constitutional renewal....

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall repeat a Statement made by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Justice in another place. The Statement is as follows: ““Mr Speaker, with permission, I should like to make a Statement about our programme of constitutional renewal....

My Lords, I have had just a few more minutes than the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, to examine the Statement and the consultation documents. This is as much as anything a restatement in a number of important directions but, nevertheless, my noble friends and I welcome it. To deal with...

My Lords, I have had just a few more minutes than the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, to examine the Statement and the consultation documents. This is as much as anything a restatement in a number of important directions but, nevertheless, my noble friends and I welcome it. To deal with...

Not for the first time, I shall talk about something that I know absolutely nothing about, my Lords. The first issue that the Minister addressed was the decision-making power of Parliament to approve a declaration of war. The Statement rightly said that there was a long and constructive debate in...

Not for the first time, I shall talk about something that I know absolutely nothing about, my Lords. The first issue that the Minister addressed was the decision-making power of Parliament to approve a declaration of war. The Statement rightly said that there was a long and constructive debate in...

My Lords, in my understanding, one of the essential qualities of our democracy has been the integrity of the voting process. I confess to having been completely shattered by the result announced by the independent commission appointed to look into the situation regarding the Scottish elections last May. I would...

My Lords, in my understanding, one of the essential qualities of our democracy has been the integrity of the voting process. I confess to having been completely shattered by the result announced by the independent commission appointed to look into the situation regarding the Scottish elections last May. I would...

My Lords, clearly we would very much welcome the contribution of the judiciary and Members of your Lordships’ House in commenting on the details in the consultation documents. The noble Lord is right about what my right honourable friend said yesterday. The position of the House of Lords is set...

My Lords, clearly we would very much welcome the contribution of the judiciary and Members of your Lordships’ House in commenting on the details in the consultation documents. The noble Lord is right about what my right honourable friend said yesterday. The position of the House of Lords is set...

My Lords, I will respond to the last point first, as it is very important. In general, we need to get the balance right. We do not want to inhibit good people from coming forward; equally we want to make sure that there is public confidence in the way in...

My Lords, I will respond to the last point first, as it is very important. In general, we need to get the balance right. We do not want to inhibit good people from coming forward; equally we want to make sure that there is public confidence in the way in...

My Lords, I, too, was present in the Gallery watching that debate, and the noble Lord will probably know that I resigned from the Government the next morning, so I am in some position to say to him that I very much agree with what he said. Clearly, in relation...

My Lords, I, too, was present in the Gallery watching that debate, and the noble Lord will probably know that I resigned from the Government the next morning, so I am in some position to say to him that I very much agree with what he said. Clearly, in relation...

My Lords, can the Minister can confirm the answer that I believe I got on the previous occasion when we discussed one of these wide-ranging essays on the governance of Britain, that the Government have no plans to involve the House of Commons, or Parliament as a whole, in the...

My Lords, can the Minister can confirm the answer that I believe I got on the previous occasion when we discussed one of these wide-ranging essays on the governance of Britain, that the Government have no plans to involve the House of Commons, or Parliament as a whole, in the...

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords, I find myself in some difficulty in responding to the Statement. At about 11.40 am, while I was engaged in the debate on the Legal Services Bill, I was handed three documents, which, as I understand it, form the basis of the ministerial Statement. It is simply not...

My Lords, I find myself in some difficulty in responding to the Statement. At about 11.40 am, while I was engaged in the debate on the Legal Services Bill, I was handed three documents, which, as I understand it, form the basis of the ministerial Statement. It is simply not...

My Lords, that will depend on the results of the consultation and I very much welcome the noble Baroness’s input into it. Noble Lords may be interested to know that between 1 August 2005 and December 2006 there were 17 convictions and one caution as a result of transgressions against...

My Lords, that will depend on the results of the consultation and I very much welcome the noble Baroness’s input into it. Noble Lords may be interested to know that between 1 August 2005 and December 2006 there were 17 convictions and one caution as a result of transgressions against...