Results 1-12 of 12 for gay speaker:Maria Eagle

Written Answers — Justice: Charities (12 Feb 2009)

Maria Eagle: ...Education Association 4,400 Devon Youth Association 30,000 Devon Youth Association 30,000 Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre 30,000 Eaves Housing for Women 30,000 Gay London Police Monitoring Group (Galop) 28,084 Genesis 27,400 Gloucestshire Rape Crisis Centre 10,000 Grimsby and Scunthorpe Rape Crisis 29,930 Hansard Society 128,060 ...

Orders of the Day: Schedule 26 — Hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation (6 May 2008)

Maria Eagle: ...it is high time that Parliament reached a settled conclusion on the matter. Today gives us an opportunity to do so. The last prosecution under these laws was in 1977, in the case of Whitehouse v. Gay News Ltd, and there has been no public prosecution under them since the 1920s. There have therefore been no cases since the introduction of the Human Rights Act in 1998. Given that these laws...

Orders of the Day: Schedule 26 — Hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation (6 May 2008)

Maria Eagle: ...to note that we have tried to listen to each other's views and deal with the various points, issues and concerns raised in the debate. I welcome the general recognition across the House that gay and lesbian people should be protected from being attacked on the basis of their sexuality and from incitement to hatred. From Second Reading through the evidence-taking in Committee, the important...

Orders of the Day: Schedule 26 — Hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation (6 May 2008)

Maria Eagle: ...—I hope that this, too, is accepted throughout the House; it has certainly been endorsed by the Liberal Democrats and by the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert)—that gay and lesbian people ought to be defended and protected from threatening words and behaviour intended to incite hatred against them purely on the grounds of their sexuality. That is the...

Orders of the Day: Schedule 26 — Hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation (6 May 2008)

Maria Eagle: ...publicised to all interested parties. In conclusion, we have a clearly defined offence that would bite only on words or behaviour that is both threatening and intended to incite hatred against gay and lesbian people because of their sexuality. We do not believe that it needs further embellishment to protect freedom of speech. The real protection in the offence is the very high threshold...

Orders of the Day: "Part 3B — Hatred against persons on transgender grounds (9 Jan 2008) has video

Maria Eagle: ...Parliament reached a settled conclusion on the issue. We accept that the offences have largely fallen into desuetude. The last prosecution for blasphemy was in 1977, in the case of Whitehouse and Gay News Ltd, as Members will recall. It follows that there have been no cases since the Human Rights Act 1998. The idea that the offences appear to be moribund was reinforced by the High Court's...

Public Bill Committee: Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: Schedule 21 (29 Nov 2007)

Maria Eagle: ...be caught, and he should not suggest that they are. The hon. Gentleman referred to the Attorney-General, who was reported in The Times, on 26 November, as being “set to scupper plans to make gay hate a crime”—that is what the headline said. That proves that we cannot believe everything that we read in the newspapers, given that the Government amendments, which have to be...

Public Bill Committee: Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: Schedule 21 (29 Nov 2007)

Maria Eagle: ...language, which we have specifically excluded from the offence. That is our difficulty and I think that the hon. Gentleman recognises that. He wished to highlight a particular concern, which is that gay, lesbian and bisexual people are sometimes portrayed by those who wish to incite hatred as paedophiles who intend to corrupt and harm the young.

Public Bill Committee: Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: Schedule 21 (29 Nov 2007)

Maria Eagle: ...we agree with—that there is a lacuna, in that there are already offences dealing with hatred leading to violence against an individual; it is an aggravating feature to be motivated by hating gay and lesbian people. The lacuna relates to the fact that it is not presently unlawful to incite hatred of a group of people, without picking out an individual on the basis of their sexuality....

Public Bill Committee: Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: Schedule 21 (29 Nov 2007)

Maria Eagle: ...to incite hatred. Anything short of that will not fall foul of the offence. I seek to be clear with the Committee. We believe that this is the correct way in which to protect people who are gay, lesbian or bisexual from incitement to hatred on the basis of their sexuality, while balancing the needs of our society to support freedom of speech. I do not seek to be obfuscatory, but it is...

Public Bill Committee: Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: Schedule 21 (29 Nov 2007)

Maria Eagle: ...diverse organisations. I hope that I have said enough to demonstrate that we have taken those views seriously, and that we have sought in particular to balance properly the requirement to protect gay, lesbian and  bisexual people from incitement to hatred and to cover the lacuna that I have mentioned, while ensuring that the offences are necessary and proportionate and that we can...

Public Bill Committee: Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: Schedule 21 (29 Nov 2007)

Maria Eagle: ...in relation to the desirability of such legislation and the form that it should take. The Government believe that it is desirable. The Government have a good record in ensuring that the rights of gay, lesbian and bisexual people are protected, and we are committed to ensuring that all people can live free from the fear and discrimination that can and does ruin lives and blight communities....