Results 1-20 of 1,265 for in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates' speaker:Caroline Lucas
- Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill: Schedule 6 — Marriage overseas (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: So much has been said about same-sex marriage over the past couple of days. It is important on the occasion of Third Reading to return to the fundamental principle that underpins what we are trying to achieve. That principle is equality. Ultimately, this is about basic human rights. Nobody should be denied on the basis of their sexuality the opportunity to be legally married. We are righting...
- Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill: Clause 9 — Conversion of civil partnership into marriage (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: Will the Minister explain what the situation will be if the Government lose the appeal, which seems entirely likely given the legal case?
- Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill: Clause 9 — Conversion of civil partnership into marriage (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert). I will address many of the issues he has raised. As he said powerfully, the amendments seek to provide some small right to the dreadful wrong that has been done to those couples who were forced by the state to annul marriages in order for one of them to avail themselves of their most basic civil rights. Amendments 18 and...
- Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill: Clause 9 — Conversion of civil partnership into marriage (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: The hon. Lady makes an interesting point. Given that we are talking about a symbolic apology, it would be generous and appropriate for it to be offered in Northern Ireland too. My argument is not a narrow legal argument. A wrong was done. To the extent that the wrong was done by the Government, one can make an argument that the measure is relevant only to those who were living in the country...
- Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill: Clause 9 — Conversion of civil partnership into marriage (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: I thank the hon. Lady for that clarification. In that case, my answer is simple: yes, I would. Amendment 22 would remove any reference to compensation and deal specifically with the reinstatement of marriages in cases where couples had their marriages annulled, so that a person could obtain a gender recognition certificate and continue to live together without forming a civil partnership. In...
- Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill: Clause 9 — Conversion of civil partnership into marriage (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: Yes, I think it does underline the benefit. As we have said, the numbers are not huge, but for the individuals involved, it was very distressing, so I think it appropriate that we take this opportunity to address the situation. My amendment 49 would address the continuing discriminatory hurdle in the Bill around pensions. The Bill allows employers and pension providers to award gay spouses...
- Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill: Clause 9 — Conversion of civil partnership into marriage (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: I am grateful to the right hon. and learned Gentleman for that intervention. I know he has had first-hand experience in his constituency of exactly this issue. Paragraph 18 of schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010 allows employers and pension providers to ignore the service and contributions of gay employees made before 5 December 2005 when it comes to assessing survivor benefits for their...
- Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill: Clause 9 — Conversion of civil partnership into marriage (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: I absolutely agree with the hon. Lady. We are talking about genuine equality. That means legal equality, as well as symbolic or any other kind of equality. That tribunal was a landmark case. Interestingly, the Government lost the case, so one could argue that agreeing to my amendment 49 might save them money, as they would not need to pay out in future legal cases that might go against them....
- Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Judicial Review (Reforms) (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: What recent discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on the costs and benefits of his reforms to judicial review.
- Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Judicial Review (Reforms) (21 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: Figures published by the Minister’s Department confirm that the proportion of judicial review applications for planning and environmental cases has remained unchanged since 2005. Does she agree that, rather than facing a culture of so-called meritless judicial review applications, what we actually face is a meritless attack on people’s fundamental constitutional rights to...
- Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: New Clause 16 — Review of civil partnership (20 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: I will be brief. I put my name to new clauses 10 and 11 in good faith. Opening civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples is something that I have campaigned on for years, so I am hugely disappointed to see such political games being played. I put my signature to those new clauses because I want to promote equality. It is important to allow everyone—same-sex couples and opposite-sex...
- Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: New Clause 16 — Review of civil partnership (20 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: There is, indeed, strong support for the principle. I welcome the review to the extent that it speeds up the process, but it should only be about the details; it should not be about the principle. The principle is about equality, and that is what should be enshrined in the Bill tonight.
- Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: New Clause 16 — Review of civil partnership (20 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: Will the Minister explain why she thinks that the proposal would cause such a delay? Many of the consequential amendments about including civil partnerships for opposite-sex couples were considered when civil partnerships were first introduced, so why are we suddenly being told that this would create a huge delay?
- Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: New Clause 1 — Education Act 1996 (20 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
- Oral Answers to Questions — Work and Pensions: Syria (20 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: Given the accelerating humanitarian crisis in Syria, the Foreign Secretary will know that Oxfam and other humanitarian organisations are warning not only of the importance of diplomacy, but about the amount of weapons going into the country. Will he give serious consideration to the fact that if the embargo is lifted and more weapons go in, it will be akin to pouring petrol on a fire?
- Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Forests and Woodland (16 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: The Forestry Commission’s strategy stated clearly that recent outbreaks of tree health problems, such as oak processionary moth, underline the need to maintain an experienced team of pathologists and entomologists capable of carrying out both strategic research and “fire brigade” investigations of new problems. Will the Minister therefore rule out any new cuts to DEFRA and...
- Oral Answers to Questions — Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Topical Questions (16 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: The Government said that the pilot badger culls are being carried out to test whether badgers can be killed humanely. They still have not released the criteria by which the cull will be assessed to ascertain whether it is humane. When will those criteria be published—or is the Minister holding them back because he knows perfectly well that they will demonstrate that it is not possible...
- Cost of Living (14 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: I should like to concentrate on the final two words of the Gracious Speech, which, unfortunately, give the impression of having been tagged on the end, almost as an afterthought. Those words are “climate change”; I am sure that I will not disappoint the hon. Member for North East Somerset (Jacob Rees-Mogg) in what I am about to say. The forthcoming legislative programme shows...
- Cost of Living (14 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: If the options were either nuclear or more and more fossil fuels, obviously nuclear would be the least worst option. But that is a false choice that we are not facing. There are plenty of technologies out there that need further support—solar, wind, geothermal and many others that are now coming to be equal in terms of price parity. We do not need to go down the nuclear route, which is...
- Cost of Living (14 May 2013)
Caroline Lucas: rose—