Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, this is an important Bill, but it has to be examined closely so that it does not create more problems than it sets out to solve. Ordinarily, I would almost instinctively be in favour of legislation that gave protection to our troops from vexatious legislation and the miseries of legal ambulance chasers. My association with the Armed Forces has left with me a huge respect and...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, what do you say in two short minutes on one of the most important treaties signed in our lifetime? Well, first, I can say that this process of scrutinising an already signed deal is an accountability disgrace. The Brexiteers said “Bring back control,” but the Maastricht treaty took 300 hours of scrutiny over 14 months whereas this hugely significant treaty is only going to get a...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what due diligence was carried out on PPE Medpro Ltd prior to it being awarded a contract for the supply of personal protective equipment to the NHS; and what account was taken of that company having been incorporated in May with a share capital of £100 prior to it being awarded that contract.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, I join other noble Lords in congratulating the Minister on his fortitude and, indeed, his patience in dealing with all these regulations. Of course, they are all to do with enforcement, whether through self-discipline or the force of law, and that is extremely important. I think that the problem for this Government is that, with the internal market Bill coming up and raising the...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: Do the Government realise that they are losing control of the virus because they are losing control of public support? Public support and the self-discipline that we have seen up to now requires that any more rigorous regime is the subject of people seeing and believing the evidence on which the Government make their decision. In addition to that, local and national elected representatives...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply but, sadly, it raises many more questions than answers. Do the Government not recognise that the post of National Security Adviser was designed for giving impartial advice in the national interest? By appointing a Conservative Peer as the National Security Adviser, it will instead be political advice in the Conservative interest. I first ask the...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, over these last few weeks during this emergency, NATO has especially proved its worth. I put on record what I think is our collective gratitude to the UK delegation to NATO for its work, especially on social media, to make people aware of what NATO is doing at this point. However, is the Minister as shocked as I am by the recent public opinion survey by King’s College London,...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) which, ministers they intend to send to the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, due to be held in Stockholm from 19 to 20 February.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deliver on the road safety aspects of the UN Global Sustainability Goals, as outlined in the 2017 UN report Road Safety: Consideration in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, published in 2017.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Ritchie of Downpatrick. We have listened with great interest and admiration, and in much agreement with what she says. She brings a unique experience to this House in all the fields that she has served, and she comes from a part of the United Kingdom which deserves her voice in its affairs. She was...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ministers attended the commemoration of 50 years of Continuous At Sea Deterrence held at HM Naval Base Clyde (Faslane) on Friday 5 July.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, I believe—because I have no experience—that it is conventional at the end of long legislation to thank all those who were involved in the process. This may be slightly more difficult for me this evening than it would be in normal circumstances but, as many noble Lords have said, this is an historic moment. We are on the verge of some very significant discussions and negotiations...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Rooker, I beg to move that the Report be now received. Report received.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, I will break my Trappist silence.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: Momentarily, of course, because that silence has been purely motivated by my loyalty to the Government Chief Whip and his assurance last Thursday about the speed with which this legislation would be put through. Like the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, I am not a lawyer, I am simply—like him—a politician. I heard one of the Bishops this morning on “Thought for the Day” quoting somebody as...
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: As the sponsor of the Bill, I suggest that they are taken together.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Rooker, who is not here today, and with his agreement, I beg to move. Motion agreed. Clause 1: Duties in connection with Article 50 extension
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, along with Amendment 1, I shall also speak to Amendments 2 and 3. As the Leader of the House has outlined—more eloquently than I could—this is a technical amendment designed to ensure that the other place can debate the Bill tomorrow. It arises from a confusion between parliamentary days and calendar days. I therefore beg to move. Amendment 1 agreed.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: On behalf of my noble friend Lady Hayter, and with her agreement, I beg to move the Motion standing in her name on the Order Paper.
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: My Lords, I have the right to speak at the end of this brief debate, but because everyone agrees that the debate should be brief, I do not intend to use that opportunity. Motion agreed.