Results 1-20 of 4,925 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Lord Maclennan of Rogart

Queen's Speech — Debate (3rd Day) (Continued) (23 Nov 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, I am very happy to share something with the noble Earl, Lord Ferrers; namely, a wheelie bin in Warwick Square. I hope that he does not feel the necessity to consign my remarks to it, but I promise him I will not supervise what he puts in it. I thoroughly agree with the noble Earl's view about the discontents of our country not beginning with the much published actions of the Members...

Quangos — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, I declare an interest, having been a member of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. Does the Minister recall the Cabinet Office's published guidance for departments on public bodies? It states that, "to provide independent advice and expertise on technical, scientific or other complex issues and take this outside the party political arena, for example on ethical issues,...

Fast-track Legislation: Constitution Committee Report: Motion to Take Note (10 Nov 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, like the noble Lord, Lord Parekh, who spoke earlier in this debate, I did not have the privilege to serve on this committee, but I think that the noble Lord, Lord Goodlad, and his committee have provided this House with a weighty, authoritative and well argued report. I adopt its conclusions and advocate strongly that the Government respond in detail, particularly to the two last...

Health Bill [HL]: Commons Amendments (9 Nov 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, I see three issues that have come under consideration in this debate. I would not want to protract it greatly, but one has not been addressed. The argument of the noble Lord, Lord Walton, on the harm that can be caused by tobacco commends itself to most people in this House, whatever view they take about this amendment. Therefore, like a lot of others, I favour restricting the sale...

Electoral Commission: Weekend Polling — Question (3 Nov 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords—

Electoral Commission: Weekend Polling — Question (3 Nov 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, when the Government respond to the consultation on voting will they indicate whether they have taken into account the fact that France, Germany, Spain, Italy and a majority of countries in the European Union hold their voting in general elections at weekends? What impact might that have on voting turnout?

Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Bill — Second Reading (10 Jul 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, I am most grateful to the Minister for giving way. Before he leaves the point that the noble Baroness made, she said that the Bill was not retroactive. Consequently, I am uncertain whether, following the passage of the Bill, it will be possible to deal with the Beneventan Missal case. Could the Minister help us on that?

Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Bill — Second Reading (10 Jul 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, I begin by expressing gratitude to the noble Lord who introduced the Bill and appreciation to Andrew Dismore in another place for so persistently pursuing these objects. All that needs to be said about the purposes of the Bill has been said with great eloquence during the debate, notably by the noble Lord, Lord Haskel, and the historical background was further expanded by the noble...

Policing and Crime Bill: Committee (2nd Day) (1 Jul 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: Will the Minister undertake to provide the Committee with the legal representations that he has received to make such a fundamental change to the law? Will he also undertake to indicate the view of the professional organisations involved with the law, and, indeed, to list all the indications he has received? He keeps referring to "we" as being determined to do this, but so far the only...

Building Britain's Future — Statement (29 Jun 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, bearing in mind that the Statement contains a number of important aspirations to improve the economic prospects of the under-25 generation—that is to some extent its thrust—why did the Government think it appropriate to add, in the 45th paragraph of a 46-paragraph Statement, the only substantive proposal for the reform of our system of parliamentary democracy, which is...

Political Parties and Elections Bill: Report (2nd Day) (17 Jun 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, I deliberately refrained from intervening until the noble Lord was close to the end of his speech. I am bound to say—I ask him to comment—that he appears to be endeavouring to support the view that political parties are unworthy objects of finance by members of the public. He seems to be prepared to accept a specious argument that because of some misbehaviour by a...

Political Parties and Elections Bill: Report (1st Day) (Continued) (15 Jun 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, is it seriously the Government's intention to suggest that the European Convention on Human Rights would restrict the prevention of an election from being bought by people who are not even resident in the European Union? The Minister has not answered in one respect my noble friend's inquiry as to whether there is any legal justification or legal precedent for the astonishing...

Iraq — Statement (15 Jun 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that by speaking as she did, in answer to a question, of the failure of the United Nations she indicated a partisan view, which was far from independent and, indeed, was prejudging what the inquiry may find? Further, does she also recognise that, by spreading this inquiry not only over the events that led up to the war but over the conduct of the war...

Constitutional Renewal — Debate (11 Jun 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords—

Constitutional Renewal — Debate (11 Jun 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, very quickly, does not the noble Lord accept that the development of the law of privacy has been on the basis of the Human Rights Act, which was enacted by Parliament, including this House? How he can suggest that it was not anything to do with Parliament but was to do with the courts is very hard to understand.

Constitutional Renewal — Debate (11 Jun 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, it is a privilege to follow the right reverend Prelate and then to discover that I am to be followed by another right reverend Prelate. A circle of sanctity is being put around my presence here. I express appreciation to my noble friend for the timeliness of this debate. I very much agree with his sentiments. Consequently, I will not need to repeat every word that he said. I broadly...

Constitutional Renewal — Statement (10 Jun 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, does the Leader of the House accept that the core of the message that she read out is that fundamental reform is required to restore the trust of the people in our parliamentary democracy; and that if that trust is to be restored, it must be accepted that the myth propagated by the Opposition Front Bench that the present voting system produces strong government has not been borne...

Parliamentary Standards Authority — Statement (20 May 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, does the Lord President not accept that Parliament cannot delegate its own responsibility for its own behaviour to any authority? If it tries to do that, it will simply further undermine public trust in itself. Does she not also recognise that, for too long, our democracy has lacked the bracing armature of a written constitution? The flexibility of our political conventions and the...

Civil Service — Question (13 May 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, the time of this Parliament is running out. Will the Government acknowledge that the Joint Committee of the two Houses found little to complain about in the part of the Constitutional Renewal Bill that was concerned with the Civil Service, and suggested that it might be severed from the other matters, which were considerably more controversial? In view of the fact that it is not...

House of Lords: Reform — Question (27 Apr 2009)

Lord Maclennan of Rogart: My Lords, whatever differences there may be about the ultimate shape of the House of Lords and how it is composed and elected, do the Government recognise that there is broad consensus that an interim measure, along the lines of my noble friend Lord Steel's Bill, would make a difference and meet the public recognition that change is appropriate now? Will the Government give a lead?