My Lords, before I contribute to this extremely interesting debate, I will pay a small tribute to those who are connoisseurs of these debates, and recognise the late Lord Skidelsky, who died unexpectedly and sadly last month. I felt particularly close to him because, although he was born in Harbin,...

My Lords, before I contribute to this extremely interesting debate, I will pay a small tribute to those who are connoisseurs of these debates, and recognise the late Lord Skidelsky, who died unexpectedly and sadly last month. I felt particularly close to him because, although he was born in Harbin,...

I pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Davies, and to the noble Lord, Lord St John of Bletso, who made an excellent valedictory speech. I had no idea that both of them had a stammer. I might mention that Nye Bevan had a stammer as well. That is a...

I pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Davies, and to the noble Lord, Lord St John of Bletso, who made an excellent valedictory speech. I had no idea that both of them had a stammer. I might mention that Nye Bevan had a stammer as well. That is a...

My Lords, briefly, I support the remarks made by my noble friend Lord Callanan, and I particularly support his Amendment 47. I also support Amendment 50 from the noble Lord, Lord Purvis.

The scrutiny of this Bill by the House of Lords has been excellent, far better than in the House...

My Lords, briefly, I support the remarks made by my noble friend Lord Callanan, and I particularly support his Amendment 47. I also support Amendment 50 from the noble Lord, Lord Purvis.

The scrutiny of this Bill by the House of Lords has been excellent, far better than in the House...

I think we can all agree, my Lords, that if anyone deserves a debate on a subject of their choice, it is my noble friend Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts. This is not simply because of this particular report, with its brilliant title asking us to look to the future,...

I think we can all agree, my Lords, that if anyone deserves a debate on a subject of their choice, it is my noble friend Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts. This is not simply because of this particular report, with its brilliant title asking us to look to the future,...

He is pointing at my noble friend Lady Hodgson of Abinger, his wife.

I am eternally grateful to my noble friend for all that he has done. As for this report, there are a number of reasons why we should adopt an authority looking at population. First, population and migration are...

He is pointing at my noble friend Lady Hodgson of Abinger, his wife.

I am eternally grateful to my noble friend for all that he has done. As for this report, there are a number of reasons why we should adopt an authority looking at population. First, population and migration are...

My Lord, any competent economist alive or dead recognises that a crucial part of a Government’s economic performance, particularly one which is predicated on getting more growth, is to control public spending. Margaret Thatcher, although she was not an economist but a chemist, recognised that. When she took over, public...

My Lord, any competent economist alive or dead recognises that a crucial part of a Government’s economic performance, particularly one which is predicated on getting more growth, is to control public spending. Margaret Thatcher, although she was not an economist but a chemist, recognised that. When she took over, public...

I will follow my noble friend Lord Hannan on this subject of consultation. It really is quite shocking that there is no mention in the agreement of any consultation with the Chagossians—no mention at all. Indeed, as I said at Second Reading, there is only one mention of Chagossians and...

I will follow my noble friend Lord Hannan on this subject of consultation. It really is quite shocking that there is no mention in the agreement of any consultation with the Chagossians—no mention at all. Indeed, as I said at Second Reading, there is only one mention of Chagossians and...

I should just correct the noble Baroness. When Mr Henry Smith was the Conservative MP for Crawley, he listened very carefully to the people in his constituency. He was also an active member of the APPG on Chagos, of which I am a member.

I should just correct the noble Baroness. When Mr Henry Smith was the Conservative MP for Crawley, he listened very carefully to the people in his constituency. He was also an active member of the APPG on Chagos, of which I am a member.

My Lords, we recently celebrated the centenary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher. I think we all realise that we could do—as many people say today—with another Margaret Thatcher to

deal with the mess confronting us. We certainly need her ability to centre on the economic problems of the country...

My Lords, we recently celebrated the centenary of the birth of Margaret Thatcher. I think we all realise that we could do—as many people say today—with another Margaret Thatcher to

deal with the mess confronting us. We certainly need her ability to centre on the economic problems of the country...

My Lords, I shallow narrow down the grand anti-colonial views of my noble friend Lord Hannan—it was a splendid piece of radical demography, if I may say so, and really well done—to the point made very clearly by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, and my good and noble friend Lord...

My Lords, I shallow narrow down the grand anti-colonial views of my noble friend Lord Hannan—it was a splendid piece of radical demography, if I may say so, and really well done—to the point made very clearly by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, and my good and noble friend Lord...

I am very interested in the remarks made by the noble Lord, Lord Kerr. He always makes a very pertinent point, but this is surely wrong in common sense. I do not speak as a lawyer, as the noble Lord, Lord Faulks, did, but this is common sense. Surely, as...

I am very interested in the remarks made by the noble Lord, Lord Kerr. He always makes a very pertinent point, but this is surely wrong in common sense. I do not speak as a lawyer, as the noble Lord, Lord Faulks, did, but this is common sense. Surely, as...

To adjudicate between my noble friends Lord Harper and Lord Jackson, I think that my noble friend Lord Harper has a point. We can do something short of full-scale electronic data collection and the identity card system. The problem at the moment, frankly, is the cost, and it was a...

To adjudicate between my noble friends Lord Harper and Lord Jackson, I think that my noble friend Lord Harper has a point. We can do something short of full-scale electronic data collection and the identity card system. The problem at the moment, frankly, is the cost, and it was a...

Like the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, I am a veteran of those dreadful, seemingly endless debates and I too recall them with some horror, including the ping-pong. But let us put this in perspective. That policy was chosen because it replicated the only purely successful means of stopping illegal immigrants...

Like the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, I am a veteran of those dreadful, seemingly endless debates and I too recall them with some horror, including the ping-pong. But let us put this in perspective. That policy was chosen because it replicated the only purely successful means of stopping illegal immigrants...

That is not true; it was offloading as well, because the decisions were taken by the Government in Nauru at the behest of the Australian Government, although they obviously had a back-up situation and did not entirely hand it over. However, if the noble Lord will look at it, he...

That is not true; it was offloading as well, because the decisions were taken by the Government in Nauru at the behest of the Australian Government, although they obviously had a back-up situation and did not entirely hand it over. However, if the noble Lord will look at it, he...

Exactly. It is such a pity. We made the point on ID cards just recently that one of the worst aspects of our system of government is new Governments coming in and instantly reversing policies carried through by the preceding Government. ID cards were an example where my noble friend...

Exactly. It is such a pity. We made the point on ID cards just recently that one of the worst aspects of our system of government is new Governments coming in and instantly reversing policies carried through by the preceding Government. ID cards were an example where my noble friend...

With respect, it is not completely different. The fact is that the Australians arranged a successful deterrent, which is what all Governments are trying to achieve. What the last Conservative Government were trying to achieve was obviously not entirely the same as the Nauru/Australian example, but it was broadly the...

With respect, it is not completely different. The fact is that the Australians arranged a successful deterrent, which is what all Governments are trying to achieve. What the last Conservative Government were trying to achieve was obviously not entirely the same as the Nauru/Australian example, but it was broadly the...

It was never deployed as a deterrent. As my noble friend Lord Davies of Gower said, it was never put into operation. The idea that the Minister can say that it did not work is nonsense, because it was never actually tried. First, there were all the judicial reviews and...

It was never deployed as a deterrent. As my noble friend Lord Davies of Gower said, it was never put into operation. The idea that the Minister can say that it did not work is nonsense, because it was never actually tried. First, there were all the judicial reviews and...

My Lords, I add my compliments to my noble friend Lord Harper on his characteristically deft maiden speech. With his great political experience, he will always command a hearing in this Chamber, although perhaps a few people will hope fervently that, as a former Chief Whip, he does not write...

My Lords, I add my compliments to my noble friend Lord Harper on his characteristically deft maiden speech. With his great political experience, he will always command a hearing in this Chamber, although perhaps a few people will hope fervently that, as a former Chief Whip, he does not write...

My Lords, this is an extremely worthwhile report. Its worth is reflected in the fact that, despite the turbulence of the last six months, it is as relevant today as it was when it came out in September last year. As the report says, it invokes the need to make...

My Lords, this is an extremely worthwhile report. Its worth is reflected in the fact that, despite the turbulence of the last six months, it is as relevant today as it was when it came out in September last year. As the report says, it invokes the need to make...

Unlike the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, I am afraid that I do not possess a great knowledge of farming. However, it is interesting how many noble Lords who do not possess a knowledge of farming have been drawn into this debate; it shows the concern that everybody has for farming...

Unlike the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, I am afraid that I do not possess a great knowledge of farming. However, it is interesting how many noble Lords who do not possess a knowledge of farming have been drawn into this debate; it shows the concern that everybody has for farming...