I have given the Government evidence that hundreds of children with special educational needs and disabilities are avoidably killing themselves because of public authority negligence and misconduct, including my constituent Jen Bridges-Chalkley. Does the Minister agree that the first step in tackling this problem is knowing how many of these...

I have given the Government evidence that hundreds of children with special educational needs and disabilities are avoidably killing themselves because of public authority negligence and misconduct, including my constituent Jen Bridges-Chalkley. Does the Minister agree that the first step in tackling this problem is knowing how many of these...

The Office of the Chief Coroner has continued work to improve access to prevention of future deaths reports, while the Government seek to strengthen arrangements for responding to concerns raised through them, including better and more strategic use of technology. In addition to the work that the Public Administration and...

The Office of the Chief Coroner has continued work to improve access to prevention of future deaths reports, while the Government seek to strengthen arrangements for responding to concerns raised through them, including better and more strategic use of technology. In addition to the work that the Public Administration and...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations about harmonising support for mobile children in Armed Forces families.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations about harmonising support for mobile children in Armed Forces families.

Since the election, this Government has taken steps to support local renewal, including investment through the Pride in Place Programme, fairer local government funding, publication of the Northern Growth Strategy, and further progress on fiscal devolution and community empowerment. Today I’m announcing a new programme of reform to further restore...

Since the election, this Government has taken steps to support local renewal, including investment through the Pride in Place Programme, fairer local government funding, publication of the Northern Growth Strategy, and further progress on fiscal devolution and community empowerment. Today I’m announcing a new programme of reform to further restore...

My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed OBE MP) has today made the following statement:

Since the election, this Government has taken steps to support local renewal, including investment through the Pride in Place Programme, fairer local government funding, publication of the...

My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Steve Reed OBE MP) has today made the following statement:

Since the election, this Government has taken steps to support local renewal, including investment through the Pride in Place Programme, fairer local government funding, publication of the...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations about harmonising support for mobile children in Armed Forces families.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations about harmonising support for mobile children in Armed Forces families.

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they had with (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, and (3) Northern Ireland about participation of children in those nations in puberty blocker trials; and whether they requested participants in the puberty blocker trials from the health departments of the devolved administration, or whether the...

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they had with (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, and (3) Northern Ireland about participation of children in those nations in puberty blocker trials; and whether they requested participants in the puberty blocker trials from the health departments of the devolved administration, or whether the...

Lords report stage fifth day. Amendment 394 disagreed to on division (44 to 153). Amendments 395 to 397 agreed to. (Part 2 of 2).

Lords report stage fifth day. Amendment 394 disagreed to on division (44 to 153). Amendments 395 to 397 agreed to. (Part 2 of 2).

Moved by

Baroness Doocey

393: After Clause 167, insert the following new Clause—

“Suspension of chief constables

(1) The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 38 (appointment, suspension and removal of chief constables), after subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) Before suspending a chief constable under this section, the police...

Moved by

Baroness Doocey

393: After Clause 167, insert the following new Clause—

“Suspension of chief constables

(1) The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 38 (appointment, suspension and removal of chief constables), after subsection (2) insert—

“(2A) Before suspending a chief constable under this section, the police...

My Lords, Amendment 393 seeks to protect the operational independence of chief constables by introducing vital safeguards at the point of suspension—the moment when they are most vulnerable to political pressure in practice.

In Committee, I tabled an amendment addressing a later stage of the formal dismissal process. However, after listening...

My Lords, Amendment 393 seeks to protect the operational independence of chief constables by introducing vital safeguards at the point of suspension—the moment when they are most vulnerable to political pressure in practice.

In Committee, I tabled an amendment addressing a later stage of the formal dismissal process. However, after listening...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, for her amendment. It is a measured proposal that would simply require a police and crime commissioner, before suspending a chief constable, to be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for doing so and to consult His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, for her amendment. It is a measured proposal that would simply require a police and crime commissioner, before suspending a chief constable, to be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for doing so and to consult His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary...

I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, for her amendment. I say at the outset that she has a point: the process by which police and crime commissioners may suspend a chief constable should be looked at.

The noble Baroness has suggested that His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and...

I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, for her amendment. I say at the outset that she has a point: the process by which police and crime commissioners may suspend a chief constable should be looked at.

The noble Baroness has suggested that His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and...

Amazed is the word.

Amazed is the word.

I hope she can recover from that shock. I ask her to look at paragraph 134 of the White Paper, From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, which we published on 26 January. It says:

“We will reform the process for the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables...

I hope she can recover from that shock. I ask her to look at paragraph 134 of the White Paper, From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, which we published on 26 January. It says:

“We will reform the process for the appointment, suspension and dismissal of Chief Constables...

The noble Lord, Lord Pannick, tells me that it is a victory. I thank the Minister for that confirmation, and I am very pleased that it is not just when some chief constables are going to be sacked; it is actually at the stage I asked for in my speech....

The noble Lord, Lord Pannick, tells me that it is a victory. I thank the Minister for that confirmation, and I am very pleased that it is not just when some chief constables are going to be sacked; it is actually at the stage I asked for in my speech....

Moved by

Lord Pannick

393B: Clause 168, page 219, line 13, leave out subsections (3) and (4) and insert—

“(3) The court may, on application by or on behalf of D and on notice to the media, make an order—

(a) withholding from the public in proceedings before the court—

(i) D’s name,

(ii) D’s address,

(iii)...

Moved by

Lord Pannick

393B: Clause 168, page 219, line 13, leave out subsections (3) and (4) and insert—

“(3) The court may, on application by or on behalf of D and on notice to the media, make an order—

(a) withholding from the public in proceedings before the court—

(i) D’s name,

(ii) D’s address,

(iii)...

My Lords, I hope the Minister will give me as satisfactory a response in relation to this group as the other Minister just gave to the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey.

Amendments 393B to 393F in this group are in my name. They address Clauses 168 to 171, which will create a...

My Lords, I hope the Minister will give me as satisfactory a response in relation to this group as the other Minister just gave to the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey.

Amendments 393B to 393F in this group are in my name. They address Clauses 168 to 171, which will create a...

My Lords, I shall speak to just two amendments, Amendments 393B and 394. Amendment 393B is the amendment that the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, has introduced about anonymity. Noble Lords will not be surprised to hear that I do not agree with him. However, I shared with him a few...

My Lords, I shall speak to just two amendments, Amendments 393B and 394. Amendment 393B is the amendment that the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, has introduced about anonymity. Noble Lords will not be surprised to hear that I do not agree with him. However, I shared with him a few...

My Lords, Amendment 403 in this group is in my name.

The group that we are talking about raises the issue whether authorised firearms officers deserve any special protection if they are, or may be, prosecuted for their conduct or if they are convicted. Some would say that they are not...

My Lords, Amendment 403 in this group is in my name.

The group that we are talking about raises the issue whether authorised firearms officers deserve any special protection if they are, or may be, prosecuted for their conduct or if they are convicted. Some would say that they are not...