Part of Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL] - Commons Reasons – in the House of Lords at 3:33 pm on 19 May 2025.
Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom
Conservative
3:33,
19 May 2025
My Lords, when I was Opposition Chief Whip in Another place, I was never really sure whether it was my job to make sure that legislation was as good as possible for the good of the country or as bad as possible in order to make sure that the Government were not re-elected. With this Bill, we have done our best to make sure that this legislation is better but, I am afraid, without success.
The noble Lord, Lord Vallance, said that you could not end up with two different sources of digital verification that showed two different biological sexes. Will the noble Baroness the Minister confirm that, because of the muddle that has existed for years on this, you could have two documents that are different: one document saying one gender and another saying the other? This Bill is a missed opportunity, although I shall not seek to divide the House on Motion A.
The government chief whip, whose official title is parliamentary secretary to the Treasury, is appointed by the prime minister and is responsible to him.
The chief whip has to maintain party discipline and to try to ensure that members of the party vote with the government in important debates.
Along with the other party whips he or she looks after the day-to-day management of the government's business in Parliament.
The chief whip is a member of the Cabinet.
It is customary for both the government and the opposition chief whips not to take part in parliamentary debates.
The chief whip's official residence is Number 12 Downing Street.
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Peers return the gesture when they speak of the Commons in the same way.
This arcane form of address is something the Labour Government has been reviewing as part of its programme to modernise the Houses of Parliament.
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