Results 1-20 of 217 for speaker:Lord James of Blackheath

Succession to the Crown Bill — Third Reading (22 April 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: I thank the Minister for his reply. I reassure him immediately that my concern here is not about the religion of the monarch. I gave up religion at the age of 19 when I was studying for ordination to the Church of England. I discovered that while the Catholics burnt people because they thought it released the soul to go to heaven quicker in order to plead for mercy, the Protestant church was...

Succession to the Crown Bill — Third Reading (22 April 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, this is in the nature of being a semi-probing amendment. I want to test the extent to which we have arrived collectively at answers to each of the four questions that I have developed through the currency of this Bill, and see whether my noble and learned friend the Minister can satisfy us, in his conclusions, that each of the tripwires and pitfalls that we have seen are now capable...

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Report (3rd Day) (20 March 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, I feel mounting concern as a result of what I said in Committee about this clause in a discussion on the financial assistance Act. What we have just heard makes my original anxiety even greater. I asked the Minister at that time whether he would give an opinion as to the application of the Act to this clause. I think the situation has got even worse. Where there is in effect a deal...

Succession to the Crown Bill: Report (13 March 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: I thank the noble and learned Lord for that response. The first of my two amendments is, I agree, improper because it anticipates a resolution that the Scottish Government cannot pass. The second amendment was intended to provide an alternative and a way around the problem if it was still seen to be a problem. In that context, I wonder whether another meeting between myself and the noble and...

Succession to the Crown Bill: Report (13 March 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, I came to Second Reading with one major concern in my mind. By Committee I had two and now I have three. Perhaps I should stop coming to these debates because my list will only grow. It leads me to wonder whether we are here with unreasonable haste on something that should not have great haste: namely, an important and challenging constitutional issue. We all know that there will be...

Succession to the Crown Bill: Committee (Continued) (28 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: The noble Lords, Lord Forsyth and Lord Deben, have both got very close to being the first Peers in this debate to mention that here we are addressing the concern of whether we can alter the Bill of Rights. Sooner or later, that issue will have to be debated in much more detail than allowed for by today's agenda. I have one technical question for the noble Lord, Lord Cormack: does he believe...

Succession to the Crown Bill: Committee (28 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, my noble friend Lord Deben has been singing from the same song sheet as my noble friend Lord Trefgarne. In effect, he is saying that this is too complicated to rush and we need more time on much more detail. We are on only the third amendment and already we are looking at a series of complexities which have not so far been considered. This Bill is riddled with the potential for...

Succession to the Crown Bill: Committee (28 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, I sought guidance on this. I did not get adequate guidance to enable me to formulate a wording which I could see was appropriate. I wholly agree that it is required. Given time it can be done, but we do not have time.

Succession to the Crown Bill — Second Reading (14 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, I had anticipated the argument concerning the alteration of the Declaration of Rights, but I think that the only occasion on which it has ever actually been amended was in 1825 when it was found that there were insufficient jurors available to fulfil the obligation to run the courts. On that occasion the threshold for serving on a jury was reduced to include £10 rental holders....

Succession to the Crown Bill — Second Reading (14 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, 325 years ago, the streets were full of a tumult of people celebrating the fact that the previous day, William and Mary had jointly accepted the Throne of England and committed to supporting the Protestant religion as a right of the people. I do not come today to say that I disagree with the principles that the Bill seeks to establish. However, as we have heard this morning, it...

Succession to the Crown Bill — Second Reading (14 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: I am grateful for that intervention. The fact that that would apply in this case should be read into the record of Hansardbefore we are asked to vote. It should come from the Leader of the House. We need that on authority. There are other reasons why this might be. It might be that the Majesty of the Crown is concerned that this is already seen to be in breach of the coronation oath and it is...

Succession to the Crown Bill — Second Reading (14 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: I am grateful for all helpful contributions. The Bill of Rights was read to William and Mary by Mr Joe Browne, who was then the Clerk of the Parliaments, or rather he should have been reading it to them but he had sent his footman down with a sicky in the morning to say that he was feeling too unwell and could not turn up. He subsequently said that it was because he felt an irritation at the...

Succession to the Crown Bill — Second Reading (14 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: 1952, sorry. We have a very serious question now as to the legitimacy of the action that we are taking in this House. I am sorry if that causes disruption and dispute but I really believe that we have a problem here that has not been adequately addressed. It is not reasonable that we should not have better, stricter and further guidance from the Privy Council, the Clerk of the Parliaments and...

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee (5th Day) (6 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: The noble Lord is correct; that is what I am saying-you need two sets of lawyers in any case.

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee (5th Day) (6 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: Will the noble Viscount please also assure the Committee that there will be an absolute bar on companies lending individuals the money to pay that tax? They will be in enough trouble already.

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee (5th Day) (6 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: Can the noble Viscount please explain what would happen in the event of a rescue rights issue?

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee (5th Day) (6 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, it would be extremely helpful if the clause contained a clearer definition of "profit share" and "equity participation". That is where the confusion will arise and cause the greatest difficulty. Profit share is relatively clear, straightforward, simple and very motivating. I wholly agree with the noble Baroness who talked about that earlier. That is fine, but profit share does not...

Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee (5th Day) (6 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: Will the noble Lord draw a distinction between the legal advice to be given in the potential sale of a listed company, where the majority shareholders have a separate set of interests and the minority shareholders-the working shareholders possibly have a very different set of interests? Are we to have two separate and parallel sets of lawyers to avoid a conflict of interest between those...

Shipping: International Maritime Law — Question (4 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will issue any guidance to ex-Navy personnel or independent commercial organisations offering security and escort convoy services to shipping off the coast of Somalia regarding their rules of engagement and their compliance with international maritime law.

Shipping: International Maritime Law — Question (4 February 2013)

Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that response, but I am a little disappointed not to hear that it is possible for us to ban altogether this independent commercial activity. It is seriously prejudicial to the interests of, perhaps, formerly redundant members of our services who find deliverance from their predicament by joining, given the extreme hazard that they will represent under...