Results 1-20 of 747 for speaker:Baroness Whitaker

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

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, for his trailer for my remarks, and for his support. The gracious Speech promises to, “ensure the security, good governance and development of the Overseas Territories”.—[ Official Report , 8/4/13; col. 3.] This is sorely needed for the Chagos Islands, the inhabitants of which were exiled from their homeland by...

Judicial Review — Question (23 April 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how their proposed new policy on judicial review ensures the right to a fair hearing in respect of time for individual applicants to prepare and lodge their cases, and the opportunity for an oral permission hearing in all circumstances.

Judicial Review — Question (23 April 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, the consultation paper refers to problems with challenges to large planning developments. Why should individual applicants, often unfamiliar with legal processes or perhaps not even very good at reading and writing, like some Gypsies and Travellers, pay the price with so much less time? Secondly, does the Minister agree with Lord Justice Laws when he said, "that judges ... change...

Written Answers — House of Lords: Gypsies and Travellers (23 April 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Traineeships described in the document The Future of Apprenticeships in England; Next steps from the Richmond review will provide for the specific needs of Gypsy, Traveller or Roma applicants.

Written Answers — House of Lords: Education Act 1996 (22 April 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what account they will take in their consideration of the repeal of Section 444(b) of the Education Act 1996 of the case for providing opportunities for distance learning for the children of travelling families to enable them to receive an improved education.

Written Answers — House of Lords: Gypsies and Travellers (22 April 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to address the significant disparity between the educational attainment of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils at secondary schools and that of the general population; and what evidence they have as to the effectiveness of those steps.

Written Answers — House of Lords: Commonwealth Charter (10 April 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Warsi on 4 March (WS 117-8), how the principles of the Commonwealth Charter apply to the situation of the Chagossian people.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2013: Motion to Approve (27 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: Before the noble Lord sits down, I am not sure that he quite dealt with the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Phillips, about a culture change. Does he not agree that these regulations mark a complete reversal of our prior ideas about access to justice and equality before the law?

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Third Reading (26 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, I declare an interest as the president of the South Downs Society. I support this amendment very warmly. I have very little to add to what the noble Lord said-I could not have put it better myself-but I urge the Minister to keep in mind that the national parks are one of the greatest achievements of this country, and that we should be very careful how we safeguard their value, which...

Marine Conservation Areas — Question (13 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, can the Minister confirm that most marine protection areas benefit very much from the original inhabitants living there and helping to look after it, unlike those of the Chagos Islands, whose disgraceful exile means that they can play no part?

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Report (2nd Day) (12 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, I echo the thanks of my noble friend Lord Adonis for the very detailed explanation by the noble Baroness, who was very helpful to the many organisations which share my concerns. I am also grateful for her specific explanation of the role of the framework directive as this will now be in Hansard and will be official. That also will be helpful. Her remarks on the consultation on the...

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Report (2nd Day) (12 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, I declare my interest as president of the South Downs Society. Amendment 35A is in my name and that of the noble Lord, Lord Renton, who very much regrets that he is not able to get away from snowy Sussex today. The amendment would ensure that the stated intention of Clause 8, to facilitate the rollout of broadband in the national parks, does only that. Mobile phone masts would not...

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill: Report (4th Day) (11 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, I am grateful for the authoritative support of the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin of Roding. In response to my noble friend Lord Howarth of Newport, I remind your Lordships' House of the double damage done by undervaluing individual creativity in design: the disincentive and loss to a significant sector of our economy on the one hand, and the simple, yet common, injustice of yet again...

Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill: Report (4th Day) (11 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, I support the amendments of my noble friend Lord Stevenson of Balmacara in this group, but I will speak to the ones in my name. I tabled these amendments in Committee and will not repeat what I said at that time. The reason for their reappearance is that in his reply on 28 January the Minister said that I had raised an interesting point which deserved further consideration. He went...

Written Answers — House of Lords: Chagos Islands (11 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Foreign Secretary's undertaking on 20 December 2012 to "be as positive as possible in our engagement with Chagossian groups", and the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on 20 December 2012, whether they will make provision for the individual fishing rights of the Chagossians and of Mauritius in the British Indian Ocean Territory marine...

Violence against Women and Girls — Question (7 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, does the Government's action plan address the considerable violence and bullying meted out to girls of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller origin?

Written Answers — House of Lords: Gypsies and Travellers (5 March 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the statistical returns for 2010-12 for school attendance, attainment and retention of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children.

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Report (1st Day) (27 February 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, I agree with my noble friend Lord McKenzie's inference from the responses to the consultation and welcome the direction of travel of the Minister's amendment, but I shall argue for more specificity in the Bill. I speak to Amendment 10 in my name and that of the noble Earl, Lord Lytton, who regrets that he cannot be here today. What I shall say has been drawn up with him, and I am...

Written Answers — House of Lords: Gypsies and Travellers (1 February 2013)

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will encourage the European Commission to monitor and enable implementation of the European Union framework for national Roma integration.