Results 1-20 of 2,967 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 Symons of Vernham Dean

Queen's Speech — Debate (1st Day) (18 Nov 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, the gracious Speech concentrated on four main themes, which the Government are determined to pursue in this next short parliamentary term. The first and overriding priority is, and must continue to remain, delivering a fair and prosperous economy for families and businesses. In the past 18 months, we have had to confront the first truly global economic recession. No matter where one...

Burma — Question (9 Nov 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Cox, for her extraordinary work on this issue, which she has carried out in this House for as long as I can remember. I regret to say that when I first answered questions on this issue 13 years ago, I had to give appallingly similar answers to those that my noble friend is giving. Can she shed light on this? Is there any realistic sign of a...

Armed Forces: Political Activity — Question (3 Nov 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, as I understand it, this appointment is being made in the period that is known as the period of terminal leave, which is a paid period. Can my noble friend tell us, as a matter of fact, whether there are any restrictions on the political activity of former members of the Armed Forces during the terminal leave period? Also, given the serious disquiet that there has been in some...

Commonwealth: Privy Council — Question (26 Oct 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Can my noble friend tell me whether, in doing exactly what the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lloyd, has said about looking at the law of the country, the committee has upheld the death sentence in those countries since it was abolished in this country?

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

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I, too, welcome my noble friend's emphasis in the Statement on housing, jobs, health and education. I think that the whole House would welcome the priorities that the Government have placed in those areas. On a more personal and focused level, the points on cluster munitions, on measures about violence against women and on climate change are very much to be applauded. But I, too,...

Gaza — Question (24 Jun 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, the problem has gone on for a long time and there are two directly conflicting interests, both of which one has a great deal of sympathy with. On the one hand, there is the humanitarian need and, on the other hand, there is Israel's need for security. Will my noble friend please come back to the House with a Written Answer on the Egyptian proposal and how that might work, with...

Israel and Palestine — Question (16 Jun 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, it is very obvious that there is—

Iraq — Statement (15 Jun 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, as the person who at the time was the Minister called upon most frequently in this House to defend the Government's position over the military action in Iraq, I welcome this inquiry. I welcome the opportunity to learn for myself some parts of what went on that maybe were not as clear as they might have been at the time. My noble friend might recall that, at the time of the run-up to...

Israel and Palestine: President Obama — Question (9 Jun 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, does my noble friend not agree that one of the most telling points about President Obama's intervention is that he has made it in the first six months of his first term, rather than leaving it to the tail end of a presidency, thereby demonstrating his determination to make this a key part of American policy? Can my noble friend also tell us how the United Kingdom will not only...

Human Rights: Women — Question (1 Jun 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, many of us will be very pleased to hear what the Minister has just said, but there is one particularly abhorrent practice in some countries, which is the hanging of young women under the age of 18 for perceived sexual misdemeanours. What action are the Government taking to try to stop that abhorrent practice?

Access to Parliament — Private Notice Question (12 May 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, is not the real problem that Parliament is the embodiment of freedom of speech in this country and that if access to Parliament is limited, however worthy the demonstrators' cause, that undermines the fact that they, too, have freedom of speech? The fact is that, if we cannot get to Parliament, freedom of speech is fundamentally undermined.

Iraq: Defence Industry Contracts — Question (27 Apr 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, is not one of the problems the fact that DSO no longer exists and the very specialised work that it undertook is now being undertaken by UKTI? What assessment is being done to look at whether UKTI is as effective as DSO used to be, with the support that it had from the Armed Forces, in promoting British defence companies in the sort of way that the noble Lord's Question implies?

Houses of Parliament: Use of CS Gas — Private Notice Question (1 Apr 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: To ask the Chairman of Committees what are the implications for the House of Lords of the incident involving the use of CS gas by the police on the evening of 30 March 2009 on the parliamentary estate.

Houses of Parliament: Use of CS Gas — Private Notice Question (1 Apr 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord the Chairman of Committees for that Answer, but I asked him quite specifically about the implications for this House, not what happened in another place. Two issues particularly concern this House. Another place has a screen in the Public Gallery and, of course, we do not. Therefore, we are not as secure as Members of another place from cross-contamination if...

Vehicles: Tax and Duty — Question (23 Mar 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, have the Government considered a scheme similar to that which, I understand, operates in some European countries, whereby cars that have high emissions can be traded in for scrap if the owners replace them with cars with low emissions? The scheme involves a €2,000 offset against the new car, which is financed by government, thereby helping both with the problem of emissions...

Banking: Money Supply — Question (10 Mar 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, would my noble friend be kind enough to tell us in simple terms what he hopes will be the outcome of the G20 meeting in London in April?

Freedom of Information Act 2000 — Statement (24 Feb 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, given what my noble friend has just said and what the Statement makes very clear about the principle of Cabinet confidentiality and collective responsibility, there seems to be—perhaps my noble friend could reflect on this—a degree of agreement between the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, and my right honourable friend in another place that actually a decision should be taken...

Israel and Palestine: Detained Parliamentarians — Question (3 Feb 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, with the leave of the House, may I ask my noble friend if he will reflect on the point he made a moment ago, that Hamas is actually the authority in Gaza and not of the Palestinian people? I do beg the House's pardon.

Foreign Policy — Question (3 Feb 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, will the Government also continue to press on other, very distinct differences that we have had with the United States on foreign policy? I am thinking in particular about the International Criminal Court, the protocols on chemical and biological warfare, and, of course, policies concerning Cuba. I hope that those will be pressed.

Gaza — Statement (12 Jan 2009)

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords—