Lord Crathorne: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh of Hudnall, for giving us the opportunity to discuss the arts today. Her credentials for opening the debate are impeccable. She did not mention that she attended the University of York. I am pleased about that as I spend much time at present in York. I am sure that the noble Baroness will find support from among all the speakers taking part...
Lord Crathorne: My Lords, speaking at the end of a single-issue debate such as this, I can say without fear of contradiction that virtually everything on the subject has already been said. As a result, I can be extremely brief. The Government's laudable, although perhaps utopian, commitment to free entry to museums seems to be under some real threat. Therefore, they should welcome the suggestion of the noble...
Lord Crathorne: My Lords, I too add my thanks to my noble friend Lord Montagu for giving us the opportunity to debate this matter this afternoon. We owe a great deal to my noble friend not only in relation to his work for English Heritage but also in relation to all the other heritage organisations with which he has been involved. The new chairman of English Heritage, Sir Neil Cossons, told me earlier this...
Lord Crathorne: My Lords, I, too, should like to thank the noble Baroness, Lady Crawley. I am expressing my thanks at the beginning of my remarks in case I run out of time. There is no question that planning procedures can be improved, but the Minister will know from representations made to his department that concerns have been raised about aspects of the process. Indeed, like myself, I am sure that all...
Lord Crathorne: My Lords, I am delighted to speak in this debate and to pay tribute to my noble friend Lord Freeman for his wonderful work for the RFCAs. I am president of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Yorkshire and the Humber and vice-president of the North of England Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. The reason for my close involvement with those organisations is not because of a...
Lord Crathorne: I am delighted that we have been given this opportunity to draw attention to the Prince's Countryside Fund, which is the latest of His Royal Highness's countryside initiatives and probably his most ambitious. I have a personal reason for speaking today as for the past 11 years I have been Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, and in that time I have accompanied the Prince of Wales on 18 visits...
Lord Crathorne: Does the noble Baroness accept that there are more than a few Eurosceptics? Does she realise that all the polls in this country now show that over 50 per cent of the population of the British Isles are highly Eurosceptic and want to see changes?
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to build bicycle tracks when new roads are constructed in the UK.
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support small UK companies which are researching and trying to produce new antibiotics, in particular through the use of market entry rewards.
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to make colonoscopies available through the NHS as a method of screening for pre-symptomatic cancers.
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have that the proposed UK ban on historically sculpted ivory sales will (1) deter poachers in Africa, and (2) reduce the demand for sculpted ivory in Asia, India or the Middle East.
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the potential loss of value that will be experienced by UK owners of legitimately acquired sculpted ivory as a result of the proposed ban on the sale of such items; and what plans they have to compensate the owners of such items for any loss of value which they experience.
Lord Crathorne: My Lords, the Government’s aim to reduce the poaching of elephants for their tusks is an entirely laudable one. I have been lucky enough to see these magnificent animals in the wild in Botswana and it is one of the great experiences of my life; a world without elephants is unthinkable. The concern about this well-intentioned Bill is that it is unlikely to deter poachers, and this point has...
Lord Crathorne: My Lords, I will briefly comment on Amendment 17, from the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, and Amendment 18. We have heard from the noble Duke, the Duke of Wellington, about items in his collection which exceed 320 square centimetres. That seems enormously restrictive. It would surely be better to remove that restriction so that anyone judging a miniature would have the ability to decide whether it...
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce entrance charges for overseas visitors to visit national museums and art galleries.
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of superfast broadband coverage in North Yorkshire.
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of dwellings in North Yorkshire have access to superfast broadband.
Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of North Yorkshire has geographic mobile network coverage.
Lord Crathorne: It is so nice to take part in such a happy occasion. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, for winning this debate and making it possible. We are congratulating the Royal Academy, a remarkable institution, on its first 250 years. I would love to talk a little about the Arts and Heritage Group, which was founded by the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, in 1974. As he said, one of its first visits was...
Lord Crathorne: I congratulate my noble friend on getting this debate. Prior to this has been a debate on climate change, but this is just as important. We know from my noble friend’s fine speech the importance of finding a solution to AMR. I will certainly not repeat any of the things he has said so eloquently, but it is good news that the Government in their five-year plan are taking this extremely...