Results 1-20 of 4,588 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 Bach

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

Lord Bach: My Lords, it is a great privilege to be opening today's debate on Her Majesty's gracious Speech, not least since it is usually the lot of Ministry of Justice Ministers to close this debate. Today, we discuss the Government's proposals on home affairs, justice and constitutional affairs for the final Session of the Parliament. Such Sessions can often seem to generate more heat than light. Our...

Prisoners: Voting — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, the second consultation on the voting rights of convicted prisoners closed on 29 September 2009. The Government are carefully studying the responses and will set out the next steps in due course.

Prisoners: Voting — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, our record on responding to the European Court is good, as has been acknowledged generally. This is a particularly difficult and complex issue, involving both what we should do and how we would do it when we allow some prisoners to vote. We have completed a second consultation on the enfranchisement of prisoners. It set out a range of options for prisoner enfranchisement based on...

Prisoners: Voting — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: I can confirm what the noble Lord, Lord Henley, has put to me—he is absolutely right. The European Court of Human Rights did not say which prisoners should be given the vote. The court held that the blanket ban was unlawful—of course we accept that—but expressly recognised that each member state has some discretion as to who should be given the vote. It is on that basis that...

Prisoners: Voting — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, it has been a substantial time, although the date that the noble Baroness should go back to is October 2005, when the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights upheld the court's initial ruling. It is a substantial time but, as I have said, these are complex and difficult issues, about which the public also have views. It remains our view that the right to vote goes to the...

Prisoners: Voting — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, we are looking not for a perfect solution but for a workable one—one that will work in practice. Of course we accept that we have to implement the judgment.

Prisoners: Voting — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, there is a lot in what my noble friend says. The educational part of the work that goes on in prisons these days is much improved from what it was in the past. There is absolutely no reason why we should not do as he says.

Prisoners: Voting — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: On the second part of the noble Lord's question, we have undertaken no polling of that kind, but I should be interested to hear his views on that. As to the first part, I can only repeat that the Government are carefully studying the responses to the second stage consultation and will consider the next steps in due course.

Prisoners: Voting — Question (12 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: That sounds rather like the "Flying Dutchman" example referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Elystan-Morgan.

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: The noble Lord makes a fair point.

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: I think that I already have done that. The noble Lord made a fair point. The point that I am trying to make is that this lady would not fall foul of this legislation, whether or not there was a freedom-of-expression clause.

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: I am grateful. I was just about to move on to ACPO and what the noble Lord, Lord Dear, told us. He said in July: "However, my recent discussions privately with senior ACPO figures, including those most closely involved with issues of this nature, reveal two facts critical to our debate today: first, not only has ACPO not declared an official stance but it has not given an unofficial view in...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: I hope that I have answered my noble friend; he knows ACPO's position. I repeat that these offences relate only to threatening words and behaviour intended to stir up hatred. They were introduced because of the fact that gay men were often subject to attacks of this kind. That is why the legislation was introduced. Those uttering such words or exhibiting such behaviour should not have the...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken in the debate on both sides of the issue—starting with the noble Lord, Lord Waddington. I will deal with a couple of preliminaries. I was interested that the noble Lord reaffirmed that, in this House at least, his party is on a free vote. That was not the case in the Commons the other day. The honourable Mr Dominic Grieve said: "We on...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, I will not. This is government policy and we expect Members on our Benches to support the Government—I make no bones about it. It is not we who are ambiguous about this, but the noble Lord's party. In the Commons, their Front Bench spokesman said that their Front Bench would vote to support the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Waddington. That did not sound to me like a free...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, there is no answer to that. I will cut the cackle, but it will be interesting to see whether there will be a repeat of what happened last time there was a "free vote", when about 109 out of 111 of the party opposite voted in one Lobby and their Whips were seen in the Lobby during the vote. We will see tonight whether that changes. My second point is that the noble Lord, Lord...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, the honourable Claire Ward, a member of the Labour Party in the House of Commons, spoke very well on that occasion. The noble Lord says there is no settled will of the other place. The settled will was expressed in the majorities of 169, 202, 154 and 197. That seems to me to represent conclusively the settled will of the other place. It is perhaps time, on this issue, that this...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, I cannot give guarantees about any future Government. That provision was passed by a majority of one vote in the House of Commons and became the law. Of course I understand that completely. However, the noble Lord may hope that his party will come to power in a few months; if that is to be the case, how can I possibly give any guarantee as to what it may or may not do? This is not...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, we return once again to the offences of inciting hatred on grounds of sexual orientation and, in particular, to the question of whether these offences need to be accompanied by a so-called "freedom of expression" saving. The key point for your Lordships' House is whether, in the light of the clear and unambiguous views of the elected Chamber on many occasions, it is right for this...

Coroners and Justice Bill: Commons Reasons and Amendments (11 Nov 2009)

Lord Bach: My Lords, I am grateful to noble Lords who have spoken, not least the noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford; although I have to say to him that in his learned speech I was waiting for him to put his amendment, and I waited a long time. He seemed to be opposing root and branch the Government's amendment, which we are seeking to get back into the Bill, quite understandably given his attitude to...