My Lords, I wish to raise problems relating to the charity commissioners. I am encouraged by the fact that my noble friend talked about their impartiality and integrity, which has been mentioned by other noble Lords. However, I worry about the charity commissioners because I feel that they have shown prejudice and partisanship, particularly with regard to independent schools. I confess to an...
My Lords, as an old history master, I must give a little correction; Peers assessed themselves until, I think, 1663. That said, the noble Lord, Lord Desai, was right to say that you must consider the history of every country when you consider their constitutions. As the 38th speaker on the speakers list, I can only underline what other noble Lords have said. The fact is that the British...
Can I correct the noble Lord? What about Canada?
I am puzzled that this amendment was rejected on the ground that it had been heard before. It is true that we voted to protect the churches, but an amendment relating specifically to Catholic orphanages has not yet been discussed. I would like the noble Baroness to explain this act to me.
We did not have a vote.
My Lords, since the late Lord Falkland has been mentioned, his last words, when he turned to the enemy and got himself shot, were that he was leaving a world that he no longer liked and no longer wanted to live in. Let us hope our legacy is not that.
Why should I and noble Lords trust the Executive to deal with mice when they cannot deal with the economy?
Would the noble Lord explain how other members of the European Community-France, for example, and Germany to some extent-restrict teaching in their faith schools to members of the faith and the practice of the faith? How have they avoided the European Court?
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that the Parkinson's disease drug Midodrine is prescribed uniformly across Somerset and across England.
asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether it is conducive to prisoner rehabilitation to have one education place for every 20 men in HM Prison Brixton.
asked Her Majesty's Government: On what criteria they expect universities to give preference to applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds; and how the information on the basis of which these criteria apply is to be ascertained.
asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether copies of the consultation document on school admissions were sent to all schools and governing bodies; and who else received the consultation document.
asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will provide a comparison of the annual number of water course pollution prosecutions carried out by the predecessor water authorities and those inaugurated by the Environment Agency.
asked Her Majesty's Government: How far the Environment Agency is facilitating the conservation of ecosystems by enforcing the law regarding pollution of rivers.
asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 1 November (H.L. Deb., cols. 1515–17), what level of complaints about the individual learning accounts scheme justified their decision to strengthen the scheme in the summer; and Further to the answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 1 November (H.L. Deb., cols. 1515–17), when they obtained evidence of real fraud...
asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the length of time they are taking to answer Questions for Written Answer, with especial reference to Question for Written Answer, HL381, dated 17 January, by Lord Shore of Stepney.
