Statement on constitutional renewal (Inc ref to the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill - Cm 7342).

Statement on constitutional renewal (Inc ref to the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill - Cm 7342).

Lords statement on constitutional renewal.

Lords statement on constitutional renewal.

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall repeat a Statement made by my right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor in another place. For the convenience of the House, I should make it clear that in reading this Statement, where a reference is to ““this House””, it refers...

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall repeat a Statement made by my right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor in another place. For the convenience of the House, I should make it clear that in reading this Statement, where a reference is to ““this House””, it refers...

My Lords, I hope that your Lordships will forgive me for not having read the three-volume edition of the Government’s latest views on the constitution, which arrived on my desk some 20 minutes ago. My reaction will have to be based on what the Minister said. There are some things...

My Lords, I hope that your Lordships will forgive me for not having read the three-volume edition of the Government’s latest views on the constitution, which arrived on my desk some 20 minutes ago. My reaction will have to be based on what the Minister said. There are some things...

My Lords, we, too, on these Benches thank the Minister and his colleagues for giving us a little advance notice of a very detailed Statement, White Paper and draft Bill. At the beginning of this process, the Prime Minister in his first speech in the other place said: "““The right...

My Lords, we, too, on these Benches thank the Minister and his colleagues for giving us a little advance notice of a very detailed Statement, White Paper and draft Bill. At the beginning of this process, the Prime Minister in his first speech in the other place said: "““The right...

My Lords, I cannot answer for my noble and learned friend, except to say that the comfort felt by the House is nothing compared to the comfort that I feel when she sits beside me.

My Lords, I cannot answer for my noble and learned friend, except to say that the comfort felt by the House is nothing compared to the comfort that I feel when she sits beside me.

My Lords, I welcome the comments of the noble Lords, Lord Kingsland, and Lord Tyler. I congratulate both noble Lords on their perceptive remarks with such short notice. I welcome the support that the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, has given to a number of the proposals encompassed within the debate....

My Lords, I welcome the comments of the noble Lords, Lord Kingsland, and Lord Tyler. I congratulate both noble Lords on their perceptive remarks with such short notice. I welcome the support that the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, has given to a number of the proposals encompassed within the debate....

My Lords, the fact that the Minister is able to say with a serious face that the proceedings of the cross-party working group are progressing well can lead one to only one conclusion—that the working group is manifestly unrepresentative of the diversity of opinion that exists on this topic. That...

My Lords, the fact that the Minister is able to say with a serious face that the proceedings of the cross-party working group are progressing well can lead one to only one conclusion—that the working group is manifestly unrepresentative of the diversity of opinion that exists on this topic. That...

My Lords, on the latter point, as the White Paper makes clear, we considered that it would be extremely valuable to have a Minister occupy the role of Attorney-General in terms of the legal advice to be given to Ministers and the Government, as chief legal adviser, and drawing on...

My Lords, on the latter point, as the White Paper makes clear, we considered that it would be extremely valuable to have a Minister occupy the role of Attorney-General in terms of the legal advice to be given to Ministers and the Government, as chief legal adviser, and drawing on...

My Lords, I have two questions for my noble friend, the first of which is on public appointments. Can he confirm that whatever proposals the Liaison Committee comes up with on parliamentary involvement, they will not cover judicial appointments, which will be treated separately, and that the Judicial Appointments Commission...

My Lords, I have two questions for my noble friend, the first of which is on public appointments. Can he confirm that whatever proposals the Liaison Committee comes up with on parliamentary involvement, they will not cover judicial appointments, which will be treated separately, and that the Judicial Appointments Commission...

My Lords, I welcome the Government’s announcement on the repeal of those SOCPA clauses clamping down on protests around Parliament. However, I should like to add that it is slightly unfair of the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, to claim that the Conservative Benches fought vigorously against them. That tribute has...

My Lords, I welcome the Government’s announcement on the repeal of those SOCPA clauses clamping down on protests around Parliament. However, I should like to add that it is slightly unfair of the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, to claim that the Conservative Benches fought vigorously against them. That tribute has...

My Lords, I am bound by convention to comply with what the noble Baroness says. Does not the Minister—and indeed the Government—realise that this overambitious agenda is likely to lead us into ill-considered and ill-thought-out conclusions on a range of matters which deserve immensely detailed and careful consideration? Does he...

My Lords, I am bound by convention to comply with what the noble Baroness says. Does not the Minister—and indeed the Government—realise that this overambitious agenda is likely to lead us into ill-considered and ill-thought-out conclusions on a range of matters which deserve immensely detailed and careful consideration? Does he...

My Lords, it is ambitious and I do not underestimate the importance of conventions and unwritten law. The noble and learned Lord is right that the development of a protocol to be laid before Parliament on the relationship between the Attorney-General and the prosecution authorities will require very careful drafting....

My Lords, it is ambitious and I do not underestimate the importance of conventions and unwritten law. The noble and learned Lord is right that the development of a protocol to be laid before Parliament on the relationship between the Attorney-General and the prosecution authorities will require very careful drafting....

My Lords, I welcome the comments in the Statement about the senior posts within the Church of England. Will the Minister reaffirm, in the context of the comment on no change to establishment, both the importance of the responsibility of the Church to the nation expressed partly, but by no...

My Lords, I welcome the comments in the Statement about the senior posts within the Church of England. Will the Minister reaffirm, in the context of the comment on no change to establishment, both the importance of the responsibility of the Church to the nation expressed partly, but by no...

My Lords, in the context of the intention of Her Majesty’s Government to repeal statute law in relation to the protection of Parliament from protests in its environs and precincts, I invite the Minister to study an episode that occurred in the first half of the 19th century. I think...

My Lords, in the context of the intention of Her Majesty’s Government to repeal statute law in relation to the protection of Parliament from protests in its environs and precincts, I invite the Minister to study an episode that occurred in the first half of the 19th century. I think...

Yes, my Lords, the Government would very much welcome further discussion with the General Synod on the practical details of the new appointments procedures. I repeat what I said in the Statement. The Government remain committed to the establishment of the Church of England and greatly value the role played...

Yes, my Lords, the Government would very much welcome further discussion with the General Synod on the practical details of the new appointments procedures. I repeat what I said in the Statement. The Government remain committed to the establishment of the Church of England and greatly value the role played...

My Lords, I should be grateful if the Minister could say what he means by consensus in the context of the cross-party group on House of Lords reform.

My Lords, I should be grateful if the Minister could say what he means by consensus in the context of the cross-party group on House of Lords reform.

My Lords, on the substantive question that the noble Baroness raises on sessional orders, there has clearly been a lot of concern about whether some provisions of the SOCPA are necessary and whether they are an inhibitor to legitimate protests and demonstrations outside Parliament. However, there is also concern that...

My Lords, on the substantive question that the noble Baroness raises on sessional orders, there has clearly been a lot of concern about whether some provisions of the SOCPA are necessary and whether they are an inhibitor to legitimate protests and demonstrations outside Parliament. However, there is also concern that...

My Lords, I welcome my noble friend’s characteristically clear exposition of the relationship between the two Houses on war powers and treaties and his view, quite rightly, that in these areas—particularly war powers—the primacy of the Commons should be unarguable, if only for the practical reason that it would be...

My Lords, I welcome my noble friend’s characteristically clear exposition of the relationship between the two Houses on war powers and treaties and his view, quite rightly, that in these areas—particularly war powers—the primacy of the Commons should be unarguable, if only for the practical reason that it would be...

My Lords, the consensus that I talk about is consensus between the political parties on the basis of the votes in the other place. Those votes were for two options: an 80 per cent or a 100 per cent elected House. That is the consensus that we seek. The Government...

My Lords, the consensus that I talk about is consensus between the political parties on the basis of the votes in the other place. Those votes were for two options: an 80 per cent or a 100 per cent elected House. That is the consensus that we seek. The Government...