Results 1-20 of 1,442 for in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates' speaker:Baroness Wilcox

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

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, the gracious Speech includes a defence Bill and I speak to encourage the Minister of Defence to hold the Government’s position on recruitment and training of 16 to 18 year-olds to the Armed Forces, because siren voices are complaining that Army recruitment of under-18s is a waste of money. Other voices say that the Government should reconsider allowing 16 year-olds to enlist....

Council of Europe: Local and Regional Democracy — Question for Short Debate (6 February 2013)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I am delighted to speak tonight, albeit briefly, in support of my noble friend Lord Dundee and his championing of local democracy, the role of the Council of Europe in promoting such local democracy and the opportunity which our Parliament and Government now have to assist local democracy in Europe and to guide and lead institutions and good practice initiatives and to encourage...

Marine Navigation (No. 2) Bill — Committee (1 February 2013)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I concur with the excellent points made by my noble friend. The clause will not reduce the standards required by the competent harbour authorities of applicants for a pilotage exemption certificate. It simply states that deck officers and members of the crew with navigation responsibilities can hold a certificate if-and only if-they meet those standards. I met the chairman of the...

Marine Navigation (No. 2) Bill: Second Reading (18 January 2013)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have contributed to the debate today which, as is so often the case in your Lordships' House, has given us the benefit of much experience, from shipping Ministers to lyrical speakers and sailors in smaller boats. I thank all noble Lords, of course, and especially my noble friend the Minister who has stated the Government's position clearly and has...

Marine Navigation (No. 2) Bill: Second Reading (18 January 2013)

Baroness Wilcox: Shipping! That was a Freudian slip: the noble Earl is always buying boats. The noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, strongly outlined the view of the United Kingdom Maritime Pilots' Association, as I would expect him to do as the president. He felt that the availability of pilotage exemption certificates to deck officers would be too great a step. I understand the concern expressed out of a desire to...

Marine Navigation (No. 2) Bill: Second Reading (18 January 2013)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, the UK ports and shipping industry is a success. It works day in and day out. It is efficient and effective. Ninety-five per cent of the total volume of our import and export trade passes through our ports. It is one of this country's greatest assets and enables our nation to compete on a global scale. I believe that my Bill will help the industry to grow even stronger and even more...

Economy: Growth — Question for Short Debate (6 December 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I thank the Minister for allowing me to speak for a moment from personal experience in support of the call from my noble friend Lord Heseltine for empowering the chambers of commerce. In the 1990s, I went to France to take over the largest fish-canning factory in France, on the docks of the port of Boulogne. I took a new landing and processing method from Britain, and some of our...

Armed Forces — Motion to Take Note (5 November 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Astor of Hever for bringing this debate to us today. I, too, add my welcome to my noble friend Lady Garden to the Front Bench; I have been working with her on the Front Bench in the past two years, but this is her coming home to a subject that she knows so well and a life that she has been part of for some years. It is thanks to the contribution of the...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] — Third Reading (24 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, in our discussion of Clause 2 of the Bill on Report, I mentioned that we had identified that it would be sensible to bring Article 11 of the groceries supply order 2009 up to date to reflect the Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010. I said that we would consider a minor and technical amendment to the Bill to facilitate this, and we are now proposing such an amendment. This was helpfully...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] — Third Reading (24 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, the relationship between this Bill and the groceries supply order is evidently an important one. The noble Lord, Lord Knight, has proposed a technical amendment to ensure that references to the groceries supply order will refer to the order as varied, if that order is subsequently varied. There is no general rule of construction as to whether references to an instrument include...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, the adjudicator's obligation to maintain strict standards of confidentiality is integral to the Bill. I therefore thank the noble Lord, Lord Browne, for his careful consideration of how we can make these standards exacting. As I said in Committee, the Government are confident that the deputy adjudicator and people acting on behalf of the adjudicator would be bound by the duty of...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, the amendments tabled by my noble friends Lord Howard of Rising and Lord Eccles are ones that we have discussed before. As I said in Committee, the Government's intention to fund the adjudicator via a levy is clearly set out in the Bill and in previous policy statements, so I see no need to require an order to be made first. Regarding the suggestion of consultation on any increase...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord True, for bringing forward this interesting amendment. While we cannot support this specific amendment, I am able to take into account the noble Lord's broader points about ensuring that sub-headings are accurate and clear. First, italicised sub-headings in themselves are not a recent innovation. For example, the Slave Trade Act 1873 groups its clauses...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I fully understand the sentiments behind these amendments. All three parties have expressed their agreement that an adjudicator is needed, and the Government have no wish to enable the abolition of the adjudicator without proper parliamentary scrutiny. I remind noble Lords that the intention of Clause 16 is to bring the Bill into line with the broader policy on sunsetting and...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: I am delighted to answer the noble Lord's question. Fines can be introduced within six months or so of the need being identified. I thought that I had just said that but I am very happy to repeat it. Amendment 16 agreed. Amendments 17 and 18 not moved. Clause 10 : Recovery of investigation costs Amendments 19 and 20 not moved. Clause 11 : Advice Amendment 21 Moved by Lord Howard of Rising...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I have sympathy for the spirit of all three amendments. On Amendments 21 and 22, we certainly consider that an important role of the adjudicator will be to provide advice and guidance. That is why we have included these clauses. It is clearly better if the adjudicator can encourage compliance with the code through light-touch means, such as advice, rather than by enforcing it after...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I would like to propose government Amendment 28. I am sure that noble Lords will agree, whatever their perspective on the adjudicator, that it would be appropriate and helpful for a copy of his or her annual report to be laid before Parliament. This should improve scrutiny of the adjudicator both here and in the other place. I hope that noble Lords will welcome this, whether they...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, the question of appeals is important and I can fully understand the desire of my noble friends Lord Howard of Rising and Lord Eccles to return to it at this stage of the Bill. However, although we have considered the matter carefully, the Government's position remains unchanged. Financial penalties clearly deserve a full merits right of appeal and the Bill provides for this....

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, the question of financial penalties has been central to our deliberations on the Bill. It is, as we have heard today, an important question. The Government have consistently stated their view that financial penalties should be a reserve power, but that it should be possible to bring them in quickly if they prove to be necessary. At Second Reading and in Committee a number of noble...

Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill [HL] Report: Report (16 July 2012)

Baroness Wilcox: My Lords, I do not want anyone to think we are lukewarm. We introduced this Bill as a priority and did so as soon as possible in this Session. Ever since we started discussing the establishment of an adjudicator, people have been concerned to know whether the adjudicator will have teeth. Central to that discussion has been financial penalties: should they be available at all, should they be a...