Lord Sandberg: My Lords, I was at school during the war, and about the only thing I learnt—because we were distracted by the probability of getting killed—was how to smoke. So I am rather sad that the one thing I learnt at school should now be so heinously voted against. My colleague's amendment is sensible and reasonable. I do not see why we should be killjoys in what we are doing today. Of course, no...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, what the Government are doing is obviously very sensible, but why was the museum confined to the City of London in the original agreement? It seems absurd.
Lord Sandberg: asked Her Majesty's Government: What discussions they have had with the United States or coalition authorities about the whereabouts and status of Saddam Hussein and the legal procedures envisaged for bringing him to trial.
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. Saddam Hussein has been in custody for something like half a year. He is, I think, a prisoner of the coalition rather than just of the United States. We understand that US intelligence personnel have had access to him. God knows what they have learnt: perhaps that there never were any weapons of mass destruction. Can the Minister tell us...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, further to the response of the Minister, does she agree that by and large Beijing has remained close to the agreements regarding the freedom to travel as well as religious freedom and speech, and that we should be fairly glad about what has happened in our former colony?
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, can the Minister tell the House why the Americans appear to be so uncomfortable with their own judicial ability to try people in the way that they would normally be tried? I can understand the terrifying attacks that were made on them but, with the very well organised and historical links of the American judicial system I still do not understand why they feel they have to go outside...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, I declare an interest as a past chairman of the HSBC group. I have spoken to staff at the bank today who are bemused by the whole situation. The bank has a record of over 100 years' service in the Middle East through HSBC and its various subsidiaries. Like the Minister, at present they have no firm figures on casualties; all they have said is that they will not be frightened out of...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, the Minister has had too many questions to answer, but one question that she has not touched on relates to the possible problems in Syria. It worries me when one reads statements saying, "Let's have a crack at Syria next, or Iran". I do not believe that I need to remind the Minister that the relatively new President of Syria was educated in this country, as was his wife. I hope that...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, it is nice to hear of the progress being made. However, against the backdrop of the recent murders of British soldiers and the continuing violence against American soldiers, it seems to me that the Statement is rather optimistic. Would the Minister confirm that there is no complacency about the problems that lie ahead of us?
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, we owe a debt to the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, for bringing this subject up. Cuba was much in the news for all the wrong reasons some 40 years ago. It has only just started to be back in the news again, and again for rather sad reasons. It is a country of which we should be taking much more notice. I visited Cuba much less recently than the previous two speakers; I was there some...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, we had much publicity before the war started about co-ordination between Britain and the United States. We saw a lot of meetings between the Prime Minister and President Bush, all of which made the prosecution of the war very successful. Since the war, however, there seems to have been very much less co-ordination between this country and America. Given our experience of looking...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, I add my congratulations to my noble friend Lord Addington on seeking the debate and speaking so eloquently on the subject, as he always does. I must declare an interest. A couple of years ago, I suddenly developed macular degeneration. I had not realised that it was such a problem. My happiness in life has certainly been made difficult by it. About 2 million people in this country...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, does the Minister agree that a little more effort by the British Government to try to get Pakistan back as a full member of the Commonwealth would be helpful, especially before President Musharraf pays a visit to this country in about six weeks' time?
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, can the Minister tell the House what success we have had in putting out the fires in the, luckily, relatively few oil wells fired by the Iraqi authorities.
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, before the Minister sits down, will he clear up a point he made earlier in regard to international problems? I could understand his references to Jamaica and Colombia; however, I could not quite understand his reference to Pakistan. Please will he clarify that point?
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, Oliver Hardy, the fat half of the Laurel and Hardy partnership, used to wag his finger at his smaller partner and exclaim, "that's another fine mess you've got us into". We are certainly in a fine mess at the moment, but there is not much use in pointing fingers at those who lost the opportunity of finishing the Iraqi problem 12 years ago. Many noble Lords have commented, and will...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, I am glad that the Prime Minister did not forget to mention in the Statement—if in passing—the problem of North Korea. That problem scares me much more than anything else. I believe that the noble and learned Lord will agree with me that President Bush cannot be a policeman to the world. Next time the Prime Minister talks to the President, will he suggest that the real country...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, the Statement mentioned a large number of troops, some 26,000. Can the Minister give some idea of the time lag in this deployment? I ask because we are talking about a credible answer to Saddam Hussein's sins and omissions. Obviously, it would be no good if troops were to arrive in May or when the hot season starts.
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, although the debate is in the name of the noble Lord, Lord King, to whom we are very grateful, we should not forget that it was originated by the noble Lord, Lord Burnham, to whom we should also pay respect. I have had the privilege of being on defence missions with him, and I can tell your Lordships that he is a most conscientious and enthusiastic member. I also congratulate the...
Lord Sandberg: My Lords, will the Minister confirm that, among the many nations involved in the conference taking place on Afghanistan, we are taking particular steps to make sure that the Government of Pakistan, a fellow member of the Commonwealth, are much involved? Pakistan has almost lost count of the number of refugees that it has "imported". Its border with Afghanistan is somewhat "porous". Refugees...