Results 1-20 of 4,554 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Oliver Heald

Business of the House (19 Nov 2009)

Oliver Heald: The Leader of the House will know that the Kelly committee has a member from each of the main political parties, although we did not take part in the inquiry into Members' expenses for obvious reasons. However, there are 11 measures in the Kelly report that require primary legislation and which cannot be dealt with by IPSA or by resolution. If Sir Christopher sends her a list of those...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor has made a strong case for his view that the Lords amendment already goes far enough, but I am sorry to tell him that I still have doubts about that. The crucial thing about a coroner is that he is an independent judge who investigates and decides who a person was, whether they died, and if they did, why they died, or what they died of....

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: The Lord Chancellor and I may have to disagree on that point, but I believe that the decision about whether to suspend the inquest is different from the decision about whether to appoint a judge. The Lord Chancellor might take the view that the suspension is proper and the Lord Chief Justice might not agree, but he might none the less agree to the appointment of the judge if he feels that...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009)

Oliver Heald: I do not disagree with that, but what is the material on which the Lord Chief Justice will make his decision, and what will be the grounds for it? If he has to decide whether to appoint a judge to an inquiry, his view about the criteria, the material that he wants to see and so on may be different from his view if he has to second-guess and decide whether to suspend an inquest. They are not...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Does the hon. Gentleman think that there will be a full lock in the sense that the Lord Chief Justice could continue to refuse to accept the appointment of any judge—in effect, refusing one after another—thus dealing with the point made by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Grieve)?

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Will my hon. and learned Friend explain, in light of his amendment, the grounds on which the Lord Chief Justice would exercise his discretion to indicate approval or not? The Bill does not seem to contain anything solid that might tell the Lord Chief Justice how to approach that.

Coroners and Justice Bill: Schedule 1 — Duty or power to suspend or resume investigations (12 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Does my hon. and learned Friend think that the consequence of his amendment (a) would be that more information will have to be provided to the Lord Chief Justice than otherwise? Clearly, in deciding the identity and approving the judge, one set of criteria would be important—namely, that the appointment is suitable—but whether the suspension should occur is a slightly wider...

Business, Innovation and Skills: First Capital Connect (12 Nov 2009)

Oliver Heald: The Minister will appreciate that my constituents, who use the neighbouring line run by First Capital Connect running to King's Lynn and Peterborough, will want to know whether there is a risk of the action spreading. We have had Great Northern and we have had Thameslink. Does the Minister feel that he can reassure my constituents that there will not be a rolling series of disputes that goes...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: I have been wondering whether the CAG would be the right person to be in charge of the office for budget responsibility that the Conservative party has proposed. I wonder that for exactly the reasons that my hon. Friend has outlined: the independent nature of the CAG appointment process.

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: Clause 37 — The Comptroller and Auditor General (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: My first thought was that, to assess the sustainability of public finances, we need expert economists, as my hon. Friend just said. However, there would be two other aspects of the role of the new office: to audit fully the national debt—or debts—and to enforce a long-term strategy of value for money in public spending. Those fit in well with the role of the CAG. Would there be...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New Clause 21 — Chief executive of the Supreme Court (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Will the Minister give way?

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Is not the fault in the Minister's thinking the fact that, in Britain, that has never been our way of doing things? In Britain, all the power in the country is focused in the Cabinet, where we had the Lord Chancellor, a judge who spoke up for the judiciary, the Leader of the House, who spoke up for the Back Bencher, and the Attorney-General, who spoke up for the legal profession. That is an...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: I agree with the Minister that there are elements of separated powers in Britain, because each of the institutions has fought for its rights. The judges fought for theirs, Parliament fought for its right over the King, and so on. However, the compromise was that we had to have representatives of all the main interests right at the heart of power, at the Cabinet table, because the Executive...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Does the hon. Gentleman think there would be any difficulties with a system in which the Lord Chancellor asks the Lord Chief Justice for the runners and riders for the Court of Appeal and produces a shortlist? Would that produce a different list? If so, why?

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: It is one thing to hark back to the Victorian period, but the ladies justices of appeal, who have been so successful in recent years, were all appointed under the old system.

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: May I start by talking about the quality of judiciary that we want to attract in this country? We have an honourable tradition and a high standard, which has been set by giants such as Lord Devlin, Lord Denning and Lord Reid. There is a history of legal figures who have commanded respect not only for their wisdom, but for their great intellect, their ability to interpret the law, and through...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: The hon. Gentleman obviously has all the necessary trappings to become a judge, as he is asking who Dannii Minogue is— [ Interruption. ] Perhaps he prefers another member of the panel or perhaps he does not know what the panel is. It is a good idea, in some ways, to ensure that candidates have an appropriate level of knowledge. My hon. Friend the Member for North-West Norfolk said that...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that a combination of Lord Woolf and the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties saved the day by improving the Constitutional Reform Act considerably and, in Lord Woolf's case, agreeing the concordat? Without that, the changes would have been a disaster.

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Does my hon. Friend agree that the JAC is an important part of the patchwork of compromises and decisions that had to be made following the decision to abolish the position of Lord Chancellor? For example, there was also the concordat, a very lengthy document agreed with Lord Woolf, which had to be produced because the Government had no idea of the complexity of what they were trying to do...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New clause 20 — Lords Justices of Appeal (4 Nov 2009) has video

Oliver Heald: Does my hon. Friend agree that one great thing about ethnic minority solicitors is that they have been able to set up small firms that cater for the interests and needs of a particular community? One damaging aspect of the Carter review has been the attempt to force all firms to conform to a particular size and way of working. It has impacted, and will impact, badly on many ethnic minority...