My Lords, given the interpretation that British courts and tribunals have put on the UN and European conventions in recent years, I assume that the entire population of places such as Sudan and Somalia would qualify for asylum and be granted it if they could get their feet on to British soil. Would the Government not prefer to tackle this legal problem, get our asylum rules back to common sense and consider putting a cap on the total numbers that our public services and society can absorb before opening up more safe and legal routes for people to come from these and other countries?

My Lords, given the interpretation that British courts and tribunals have put on the UN and European conventions in recent years, I assume that the entire population of places such as Sudan and Somalia would qualify for asylum and be granted it if they could get their feet on to British soil. Would the Government not prefer to tackle this legal problem, get our asylum rules back to common sense and consider putting a cap on the total numbers that our public services and society can absorb before opening up more safe and legal routes for people to come from these and other countries?

The Minister has several times failed to give any clear answer to the question of what is going to be done with the oil and the ship. He dodges that and, for some peculiar reason, the Department for Transport is now considering these important matters. Do I take it that...

The Minister has several times failed to give any clear answer to the question of what is going to be done with the oil and the ship. He dodges that and, for some peculiar reason, the Department for Transport is now considering these important matters. Do I take it that...

My Lords, one of the difficulties in discussing the vetting of Lord Mandelson seriously is that nobody outside the Government has the first idea what the grounds were for the recommendation that his vetting should be refused. I accept and completely agree with the process the Minister described whereby the...

My Lords, one of the difficulties in discussing the vetting of Lord Mandelson seriously is that nobody outside the Government has the first idea what the grounds were for the recommendation that his vetting should be refused. I accept and completely agree with the process the Minister described whereby the...

My Lords, one of the big problems that the Government faced when they took office was an unsustainable level of public debt and a totally unsustainable level of debt interest being paid by taxpayers each year on that debt. The Government saw clearly at the time that one thing they...

My Lords, one of the big problems that the Government faced when they took office was an unsustainable level of public debt and a totally unsustainable level of debt interest being paid by taxpayers each year on that debt. The Government saw clearly at the time that one thing they...

My Lords, the totally new twist to this long-running saga is the discovery that the Foreign Office officials failed to give any information about this failed vetting to their ministerial masters, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary. So far, I find this as mystifying as everybody else. Surely by...

My Lords, the totally new twist to this long-running saga is the discovery that the Foreign Office officials failed to give any information about this failed vetting to their ministerial masters, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary. So far, I find this as mystifying as everybody else. Surely by...

My Lords, if there is sufficient evidence to support the assertions two noble Lords have made about the extent of Fujitsu’s knowledge of the failures in their system—and I believe there is such evidence—have the Government not considered taking legal action against Fujitsu to enforce what would almost certainly be its legal liability to pay compensation for the massive losses its action has caused? Why are the Government just relying on a vague indication by Fujitsu that it has a moral obligation? A very great deal of money could be recovered for the taxpayer if a successful legal action was brought against this international company.

My Lords, if there is sufficient evidence to support the assertions two noble Lords have made about the extent of Fujitsu’s knowledge of the failures in their system—and I believe there is such evidence—have the Government not considered taking legal action against Fujitsu to enforce what would almost certainly be its legal liability to pay compensation for the massive losses its action has caused? Why are the Government just relying on a vague indication by Fujitsu that it has a moral obligation? A very great deal of money could be recovered for the taxpayer if a successful legal action was brought against this international company.

The private lives of the decadent rich are always going to arouse interest in the media and with the general public. The Prime Minister has failed to answer some very embarrassing questions about what he knew when he made this appointment. In my opinion, this whole thing became overwhelmingly more...

The private lives of the decadent rich are always going to arouse interest in the media and with the general public. The Prime Minister has failed to answer some very embarrassing questions about what he knew when he made this appointment. In my opinion, this whole thing became overwhelmingly more...

My Lords, I want to speak to my interest. About 30 years ago, I was a director of British American Tobacco. I started smoking when I was at school, and I have now been smoking for about 70 years. At the moment, the thought has not crossed my mind that...

My Lords, I want to speak to my interest. About 30 years ago, I was a director of British American Tobacco. I started smoking when I was at school, and I have now been smoking for about 70 years. At the moment, the thought has not crossed my mind that...

May I ask what evidence the noble Lord has for that? I well remember, when I was on the board of BAT, that we acknowledged the health risks. We were accused of somehow denying it, but the people with this bizarre conspiracy theory were never able to produce any examples...

May I ask what evidence the noble Lord has for that? I well remember, when I was on the board of BAT, that we acknowledged the health risks. We were accused of somehow denying it, but the people with this bizarre conspiracy theory were never able to produce any examples...

Does the noble Earl not agree that we would save many lives if we passed a law saying that nobody should be allowed to drive a motor car unless there is a man waving a stick walking in advance of them? Similarly, if we banned electric bicycles, we would prevent...

Does the noble Earl not agree that we would save many lives if we passed a law saying that nobody should be allowed to drive a motor car unless there is a man waving a stick walking in advance of them? Similarly, if we banned electric bicycles, we would prevent...

My Lords, if the Government are as keen on entrepreneurship as the Minister keeps suggesting, why did the Chancellor in her last Budget reduce the tax relief for venture capital trusts, which I set up in my last Budget in 1997 precisely to encourage the kind of investment she is so enthusiastic about?

My Lords, if the Government are as keen on entrepreneurship as the Minister keeps suggesting, why did the Chancellor in her last Budget reduce the tax relief for venture capital trusts, which I set up in my last Budget in 1997 precisely to encourage the kind of investment she is so enthusiastic about?

Anyone who drives north out of London on the M1, as I do twice a week, knows that there is always a 60 mph variable speed limit throughout Bedfordshire, whatever the traffic conditions and whatever the weather, which are usually identical to the weather and traffic conditions north and south of Bedfordshire. Can the Minister inquire why Luton needs to have the traffic going so slowly past it, and does the department occasionally question highway authorities to see whether some are not tempted to use variable speed limits plainly as a way of raising revenue by way of fines?

Anyone who drives north out of London on the M1, as I do twice a week, knows that there is always a 60 mph variable speed limit throughout Bedfordshire, whatever the traffic conditions and whatever the weather, which are usually identical to the weather and traffic conditions north and south of Bedfordshire. Can the Minister inquire why Luton needs to have the traffic going so slowly past it, and does the department occasionally question highway authorities to see whether some are not tempted to use variable speed limits plainly as a way of raising revenue by way of fines?

I was about to make exactly the same point, but the noble and right reverend Lord beat me to it. The Minister has not addressed this point at all. The strongest argument against the day-one issue is that employers plainly will not take the risk with ex-offenders, who we are...

I was about to make exactly the same point, but the noble and right reverend Lord beat me to it. The Minister has not addressed this point at all. The strongest argument against the day-one issue is that employers plainly will not take the risk with ex-offenders, who we are...

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the biggest problem facing the rehabilitation work in which he has been so involved

for decades now is that many of the prisons in which the training and other support is offered are overcrowded, dangerous, Victorian slums? As our incarceration rate is now the highest in Europe, thanks to the average prison sentence roughly doubling over the last few decades, would he consider reconsidering, with the Sentencing Council, the guidance given on the use of prison as a sentence to the courts? Does he agree that experience in the Netherlands and other countries where there has been enlightened reform shows that it has no adverse effect at all on the rate of offending and the crime rate in the country if incarceration rates are brought down to a more sensible level?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the biggest problem facing the rehabilitation work in which he has been so involved

for decades now is that many of the prisons in which the training and other support is offered are overcrowded, dangerous, Victorian slums? As our incarceration rate is now the highest in Europe, thanks to the average prison sentence roughly doubling over the last few decades, would he consider reconsidering, with the Sentencing Council, the guidance given on the use of prison as a sentence to the courts? Does he agree that experience in the Netherlands and other countries where there has been enlightened reform shows that it has no adverse effect at all on the rate of offending and the crime rate in the country if incarceration rates are brought down to a more sensible level?

My Lords, a perfectly good case can be made for proscribing Palestine Action, and I agree with that decision, but does the Minister know that in this country there has always been discretion not to prosecute in a case where there is no public interest in arresting and prosecuting? Does he not accept that what is happening with the arrest of hundreds of harmless old ladies simply for holding a placard is exactly what the demonstrators want the police to do? They see it as giving valuable positive publicity to their views on Gaza and the survival of the proscribed organisation. Could he at least discuss with the police authorities whether it is really in the public interest to carry on using these massive police resources for what is a counterproductive effect?

My Lords, a perfectly good case can be made for proscribing Palestine Action, and I agree with that decision, but does the Minister know that in this country there has always been discretion not to prosecute in a case where there is no public interest in arresting and prosecuting? Does he not accept that what is happening with the arrest of hundreds of harmless old ladies simply for holding a placard is exactly what the demonstrators want the police to do? They see it as giving valuable positive publicity to their views on Gaza and the survival of the proscribed organisation. Could he at least discuss with the police authorities whether it is really in the public interest to carry on using these massive police resources for what is a counterproductive effect?

My Lords, the recent rise in yields on bonds should serve as a warning that this country is much nearer to the risk of a financial crisis than the Government are even remotely acknowledging. It is not impossible to foresee a trip to the IMF eventually unless the Government can get their fiscal policy under control. They now have a very tough and difficult Budget to introduce, in which they will probably have to take some very unpopular decisions in the short term. Will the Minister assure us that the Government will stop floating various ideas to try them out in the newspapers, will look to raise revenue from the principal taxes that are usually used in these circumstances, which they foolishly ruled out as part of their election manifesto, and will curb and if possible reduce the level of borrowing they are making, and not simply define all borrowing as “investment” to say that it does not damage their fiscal policy? Only that kind of responsible action in the genuine medium and long-term national interest will stop the markets being as nervous as they have been.

My Lords, the recent rise in yields on bonds should serve as a warning that this country is much nearer to the risk of a financial crisis than the Government are even remotely acknowledging. It is not impossible to foresee a trip to the IMF eventually unless the Government can get their fiscal policy under control. They now have a very tough and difficult Budget to introduce, in which they will probably have to take some very unpopular decisions in the short term. Will the Minister assure us that the Government will stop floating various ideas to try them out in the newspapers, will look to raise revenue from the principal taxes that are usually used in these circumstances, which they foolishly ruled out as part of their election manifesto, and will curb and if possible reduce the level of borrowing they are making, and not simply define all borrowing as “investment” to say that it does not damage their fiscal policy? Only that kind of responsible action in the genuine medium and long-term national interest will stop the markets being as nervous as they have been.

Immigration is a global crisis, with every wealthy country in the world suffering social and political pressures from unsustainable levels of immigration from poorer countries. Do the Government therefore agree that there needs to be international co-operation involving the British Government before this can ever be solved? Are the Government engaging with the 15 or so European countries and the European Commission in the discussions that they are having about trying to close the southern European border? A policy on that subject would greatly reduce the number of people reaching the camps in Calais. Are the Government involved in that?

Immigration is a global crisis, with every wealthy country in the world suffering social and political pressures from unsustainable levels of immigration from poorer countries. Do the Government therefore agree that there needs to be international co-operation involving the British Government before this can ever be solved? Are the Government engaging with the 15 or so European countries and the European Commission in the discussions that they are having about trying to close the southern European border? A policy on that subject would greatly reduce the number of people reaching the camps in Calais. Are the Government involved in that?

My Lords, when the Treasury team are preparing the Budget, will they have a look at the precedent of Sir Geoffrey Howe’s Budget of 1981, which was delivered in very similar economic circumstances to those of today? It was the most unpopular Budget of my political lifetime but

also one of the most successful, because it paved the way for recovery with growth, lower inflation and rising living standards. Does the Minister think that the present Chancellor has the courage to concentrate on the public interest and the medium-term health of the economy, or will there be an obsession with rather reckless promises in the manifesto or short-term reactions in the newspapers and opinion polls?

My Lords, when the Treasury team are preparing the Budget, will they have a look at the precedent of Sir Geoffrey Howe’s Budget of 1981, which was delivered in very similar economic circumstances to those of today? It was the most unpopular Budget of my political lifetime but

also one of the most successful, because it paved the way for recovery with growth, lower inflation and rising living standards. Does the Minister think that the present Chancellor has the courage to concentrate on the public interest and the medium-term health of the economy, or will there be an obsession with rather reckless promises in the manifesto or short-term reactions in the newspapers and opinion polls?

My Lords, does the Minister accept that it is a scandalous disgrace that in this country some victims and people charged with offences have to wait months and sometimes years before a trial can take place? Does he therefore agree that, in those circumstances, the Government have no choice but...

My Lords, does the Minister accept that it is a scandalous disgrace that in this country some victims and people charged with offences have to wait months and sometimes years before a trial can take place? Does he therefore agree that, in those circumstances, the Government have no choice but...

My Lords, since the 2008 financial crisis, this country has built an unsustainable level of public debt in relation to our GDP, and the cost of servicing that debt is a serious constraint on financing public services. Does the Minister agree that any easing of fiscal rules in those circumstances...

My Lords, since the 2008 financial crisis, this country has built an unsustainable level of public debt in relation to our GDP, and the cost of servicing that debt is a serious constraint on financing public services. Does the Minister agree that any easing of fiscal rules in those circumstances...