Results 1-20 of 2,701 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 Avebury

Queen’s Speech — Debate (5th Day) (15 May 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, I warmly echo the remarks of the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, and the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, on the right of the Chagossians to return to their homeland, from which they were ejected many years ago in one of the most shameful episodes in British colonial history. I also join her in welcoming the review by the Government of their Chagos policy, which I hope will lead to the...

India: Aid — Question (15 May 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords—

India: Aid — Question (15 May 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, further to the Question of the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries, what discussions has DfID had with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in India, and with the state governments in Bihal, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, about how they might be able to continue after 2015 with the projects that were undertaken by DfID, possibly with some transitional assistance from...

UK Clothing Sector: Safety — Question (13 May 2013)

Lord Avebury: Will my noble friend consider asking the Bangladeshi authorities whether we could offer advice on ensuring that building regulations in Dhaka are fit for purpose and that inspectors police the enforcement of building regulations free of corruption?

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill — Commons Amendments (24 April 2013)

Lord Avebury: I shall add a 15-second contribution to what the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, has already said about our gratitude to the Minister, who, as he said, has listened carefully to the representations that have been made. I only wish that she could have seen the joy that the announcement caused among the communities, which was displayed in a demonstration in...

Crime and Courts Bill [HL] — Commons Amendments (23 April 2013)

Lord Avebury: Before my noble friend sits down, perhaps he could help me on material that is published in the cloud. He went into very helpful detail on blogs, but material can be aggregated in the cloud in specific folders. Can the Minister say whether that is exempt in the same way that blogs are?

Crime and Courts Bill [HL] — Commons Amendments (23 April 2013)

Lord Avebury: Would material which is aggregated in a cloud folder with something such as Dropbox, where you can put a number of different items which may be news or other kinds of material, be exempt in the same way that blogs are?

Crime: British Victims Abroad — Question (23 April 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, further to the question of my noble friend Lord Dholakia, is it not correct to say that the Vienna Convention on consular relations prohibits our consuls, or the consuls of any other country for that matter, from making representations on behalf of their citizens who are also citizens of some other country?

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill — Commons Reasons and Amendments (22 April 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, I, too, welcome the forthright statement by the Minister that caste discrimination is unacceptable, unfair and must be eliminated. However, I disagree with the diagnosis that she offered, which involves a delay at least until the end of the year before anything positive is done. I think that your Lordships will agree with the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries of...

Afghanistan: Interpreters — Question (27 March 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, how many of our interpreters have already been assassinated and how many have received death threats from the Taliban? Does my noble friend not think that there should be a moral obligation on all NATO allies to adopt a common policy in this respect to protect those who have been our faithful servants throughout our tenure of office in Afghanistan?

Bangladesh: Riots — Question (14 March 2013)

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have received regarding the number of people killed in recent riots in Bangladesh, and the theft or arson of property belonging to minority communities.

Bangladesh: Riots — Question (14 March 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, I very much welcome the statement issued by my noble friend yesterday condemning the violence which, as she said, has led to the deaths of more than 70 people, most of whom died at the hands of the security forces. Have the Government of Bangladesh ordered the security forces not to use live ammunition against demonstrators unless it is absolutely unavoidable, in accordance with the...

Inequality: Income and Wealth — Question (11 March 2013)

Lord Avebury: Has my noble friend studied the evidence published by the Equality Trust, which shows that across all the OECD countries, and similarly across all the states of the United States, there is a strong correlation between income inequality and indices of social malfunction such as crime, alcoholism, and teenage pregnancies? Considering that we are the second most unequal state in the whole...

Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill — Committee (2nd Day) (5 March 2013)

Lord Avebury: This is the third or fourth time that my noble friend has mentioned that the arrangements under Section 4 are temporary, but will she acknowledge that some people remain on them for many years? In one case that we were told about, I think it was seven years.

Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill — Committee (2nd Day) (5 March 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, I agree with the noble Baroness that the payments made to people who have applied for asylum should be treated in the same way as any other benefits and should be subject to review by your Lordships. Instead, as the noble Baroness explained, there is no obligation to uprate the benefits or even to make a statement, nor, in particular, for the Government to explain whether they...

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill — Report (2nd Day) (4 March 2013)

Lord Avebury: Did my noble friend note the quotation I gave from the NIESR report which talked about the educational effect of legislation? The fact is that because employers would have to discharge their responsibilities, they would educate their workforces and thus the whole of society.

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill — Report (2nd Day) (4 March 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, I have seldom listened to a more powerful speech in this House. I agree with every single word that was said by the noble Lord, Lord Deben, except for one very minor point which has to be mentioned. The Government are not proposing to undertake any further investigation, but simply to review the investigations that have already taken place. Therefore, what they are proposing to do...

Medical Research: International Rare Diseases Research Consortium — Question (28 February 2013)

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support, if any, they are providing for the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium.

Medical Research: International Rare Diseases Research Consortium — Question (28 February 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, I declare an interest as a sufferer from myelofibrosis, which is one of the 6,000-plus rare diseases that have been identified which affect 3.5 million people in the UK. May I ask my noble friend to comment on how the £100 million genome sequencing project is expected to contribute to the understanding of rare diseases? Secondly, will the rare diseases stakeholder forum that he...

Health: Midwives — Question (25 February 2013)

Lord Avebury: My Lords, my noble friend may have had a chance to look at the report published today by the Refugee Council and Maternity Action on the deficiencies in the support for pregnant asylum seekers. Will his department hold discussions with the Home Office on amendments to the guidance for those women to make it compatible with NICE guidance on the maternity care of women with complex social...