Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: I entirely agree with the noble Lord who has just spoken. There are many problems in that area, which should not be lost sight of. One is that girls aged 12 to 16 or even under not only can be the most appalling of flirts, but are also nowadays very often dressed up in such a manner as to lead people to suppose that they are a great deal older. Those problems need to be kept in mind.
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: The moving of the burden of proof from the prosecution to the defendant, which is what Clauses 1 and 78 do, is in my opinion totally indefensible. It is especially so in a situation where in the nature of the crime there are unlikely to be any witnesses for either side. There are in this world some women who lead men on and then, at the last minute, say no. There is a rude, colloquial name...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: Something has been pointed out to me that I want to mention to noble Lords. As far as oral penetration is concerned, most people have a set of teeth. Clenched teeth can provide quite a good defence. Indeed, not only can they provide a good line of defence, they can be an aggressive form of defence because teeth can also bite. For that reason, it is possible that oral penetration should be...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords—
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, I think that the Minister suggested that I could do a lot to save waste. How am I to save waste when every household necessity that I buy is packaged to within an inch of its life, to such an extent that sometimes I cannot even get into it and have to seek help?
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, I have two questions for the noble and learned Lord. First, has he any news of the two Iraqi ships which were reportedly sailing round and round the Indian Ocean incommunicado, carrying a cargo of goodness knows what? Is it proposed to take any action about this? Secondly, I have been informed by a source which I prefer not to name at present, until I have cleared it with them, that...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, have the Government taken into account that a university degree is not necessarily a guarantee of a well-paid job on leaving, or ever?
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, since reading the report of the Joint Committee, I am quite convinced that an all-appointed House is the only sensible option, which is contrary to what I said in debate a year ago. I am eating my words. Some noble Lords have contended that this is already a hybrid House. I would argue that a mixture of hereditary and life Peers is not hybrid at all in the same way as a mixture of...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, does the estimate of rising at 1 a.m. take the Statement into account?
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, what is the botanical name of Japanese knotweed?
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, will the Minister please bear in mind that in some areas in the north of this country, particularly up in the mountains, the weather in the winter is very much colder than it is in the south? Will the Government please consider that people living in those areas might need more help with fuel in the winter than do people in the south? I live in one of those areas. I am lucky enough...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, is it not important to avoid taking steps that might drive smaller restaurants and manufacturers out of business? There used to be a saying, caveat emptor, but that seems to have been completely forgotten nowadays.
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, I want to talk about matters which, regrettably, were not in the Queen's Speech. It has become clear to me that President Bush is determined to invade Iraq with a view to effecting a regime change, come what may, and without going back to the United Nations for a fresh resolution. Even in the unlikely event that Saddam Hussein does not infringe in any way the conditions laid down...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, does the right reverend Prelate believe that it is better for a child to be brought up in care than by an unmarried couple, however short of ideal that may be?
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, I shall add a word or two about Lady Hylton-Foster. She was a remarkable shepherd of the Cross-Bench flock. She knew every one of us and all about us and our families. Latterly, there were nearly 350 of us. If she noticed that any one of her flock who was a regular attender was absent, she would make inquiries as to why. If not satisfied, she would telephone to find out if they were...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether it has been decided to vaccinate members of the Armed Forces against anthrax and to put the territorial reserves on standby; if so, when the decisions were made; and why.
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: moved Amendment No. 21: Paragraph 27, page 8, line 17, at end insert— "None of the proposals in this report shall take effect until the Procedure Committee has received a full analysis of their impact on —the parliamentary works programme —the House of Lords Refreshment Department —Black Rod's office ––staff in the House of Lords administration" The noble Lady said: On 21st May,...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: I seem to recollect that on Amendment No. 2 the noble and learned Lord said that contractors would be given very long notice that the House would be sitting in September. I do not recollect him saying anything about notice that would be given to the staff. I am still not very happy about the issue, but in view of the lateness of the hour, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: One of the arguments advanced for sitting on Thursday mornings and rising by 7 o'clock on Thursday is that it would enable people who live a long way away—in Scotland, perhaps—to get home that night. As one who lives in Scotland, I must say that the latest that I could go would be 6 o'clock. Even then, I would not get home until after 11 o'clock. Those of us who live a long way away...
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: I am not at all sure whether Grand Committees are in any case a good idea. Generally they lead to a much more lengthy Report stage. I have been serving on the Grand Committee on the Adoption and Children Bill, but I think that a great many amendments will be tabled on Report for the simple reason that, in Grand Committee, it is not possible to call a Division. The same point applied to...