Results 1-20 of 463 for speaker:Lord Smith of Clifton

Disabled People: Student Loans — Question (5 Nov 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, why does the Minister exude such complacency, given that there have been expressions of alarm and despondency from all sides of the House on this issue? He really must indicate to the House that he will make this a number one priority.

Northern Ireland: Cross-Border Police Co-operation — Question (29 Oct 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, will the Minister give us an assurance that this issue will be resolved before the transfer of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly? There really has been a great deal of procrastination by Dublin and London on this issue. My noble friend Lord Alderdice raised it over a year ago and the noble Lord, Lord Cope, did so again in June. I should like an assurance...

Freedom of Information Act 2000 — Question (15 Oct 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I support the noble Lord's Question. Like many of your Lordships, I, too, have been stalked. When I requested information, I could not get it, but I had my own methods. I said, "Why am I being stalked by you?", and the cub reporter said, "We're looking at Lords with Northern Ireland interests". I said, "Well, why is Lord Irvine's name on this?", and he said, "Because his first...

Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]: Commons Amendments (20 Jul 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, we very much welcome the Government's acceptance in the other place last week of the arguments put forward both in this House and there about the great benefits of the common travel area to the United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland in particular. We are pleased that the Government will not press ahead with their plans to introduce immigration checks for those travelling between the...

National Council for Democratic Renewal — Question (3 Jun 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords—

National Council for Democratic Renewal — Question (3 Jun 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, might it be more appropriate to convene a citizens' jury rather than a Cabinet sub-committee to look at this vital question?

Economy — Debate (7 May 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, for initiating this debate. The last time there was a general debate on the UK economy in this House was seven months ago. Since November, the collective failure of the three regulators—the Bank of England, the Treasury and the FSA—has become even more apparent. That said, this in no way absolves the bankers from...

Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]: Report (2nd Day) (1 Apr 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I beg to move Amendment 55B, to which I have spoken, and I wish to test the opinion of the House.

Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]: Report (2nd Day) (1 Apr 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I support Amendment 54 and will speak to my two amendments after Clause 48 in the group. The House had an extensive debate on the common travel area in Committee. We now support the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, in all the concerns he has raised under Amendment 54. The reforms proposed in Clause 48 could end the CTA as a passport-free zone, as the noble Lord said, with the Government...

English Language — Question (26 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have measures in place to safeguard the integrity of the English language.

English Language — Question (26 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, the one measure that the Minister did not mention, which I hoped he would, was trying to prevent the pollution of the English language by Ministers' increasing reliance on the use of weasel words and euphemisms to obfuscate reality. For example, "extraordinary rendition" might be applied to the talents of Callas and Pavarotti, but when it is used to disguise the torture of alleged...

Women: Economic Crisis — Debate (12 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Gould, on initiating this very important and timely debate. As the noble Baroness, Lady Flather, highlighted, the position of women worldwide in terms of status, freedom and equality is, with few exceptions, inferior to the position enjoyed by men. In far too many countries, the differences are gross. That is particularly so in Africa,...

Northern Ireland Bill: Committee (11 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: I thank the Lord President for her explanation. I heard what other noble Lords said. We are not unpicking the Belfast agreement; we are adding a new provision in the light of changed circumstances. My noble friend Lord Ashdown vividly described a situation where a Minister of Justice could find himself having to investigate, say, two quite different cases of corruption, which might be enough...

Northern Ireland Bill: Committee (11 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: I will also speak to Amendments 4 and 5. The amendments are partially inspired by the arguments made by the honourable Member for Foyle in Committee in the other place. As Mr Durkan accepted, there is nothing in the Bill to protect a Minister of Justice from being ousted from office on a somewhat capricious basis. In the Commons, the SDLP proposed that the nominating officer of a political...

Northern Ireland: Massereene Army Base — Statement (9 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for repeating the Statement. We on these Benches agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed by the Secretary of State. We must first extend our sincere sympathy to the families of Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar, the two soldiers who were killed on Saturday night. Those two young men were doing their duty and serving the whole community,...

Northern Ireland Bill: Second Reading (9 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I thank the Lord President for introducing this Bill. I associate these Benches with the condolences that have been expressed over the killings of the two soldiers and the best wishes for the full recovery of others who were wounded at the Massereene barracks in Antrim on Saturday last. These atrocities serve to support the arguments I shall adopt regarding the need to strengthen...

Banking: Executive Pay — Question (5 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, does the Minister agree that it is not just a question of payment? Given the ingenuity of the Artful Dodgers who sit on the boards of subsidised banks, is it not the total remuneration package which needs to be regulated?

Financial Services Authority — Question for Short Debate (2 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for giving way. I am grateful also for the full explanation he has given, which I think I fully accept. I am sorry that I implied that he had endorsed the pension arrangements of Sir Fred Goodwin. I thank him very much for his explanation.

Financial Services Authority — Question for Short Debate (2 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord James of Blackheath, on initiating this highly topical debate. I found the specific experiences that he described most illuminating. Regulation of the financial services sector must become much more effective in the future, as I am sure the noble Lord, Lord James, will agree. The current crisis has clearly revealed the weaknesses shared by the...

Railways: Network Rail — Question (2 Mar 2009)

Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords—