Lord Swinfen: My Lords, I congratulate the DPP on the way in which he has produced what in my view is a very compassionate policy. Some people have argued that it would be better to investigate a case of assisted suicide before it has happened, so that the wishes of the victim and the intentions of the assister can be scrutinised, but this would involve handing a licence to the assister based on subjective...
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, how much is lost in administrative charges as our funds pass through Europe on their way back to this country?
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, as I understand it, the bail conditions will be personal to Abu Qatada. Will other people living in the same house be allowed mobile phones and devices that can connect to the internet? What is the position with visitors to the house? Will they be properly searched to ensure that no such devices are taken in?
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, will passengers who are taken up for a jaunt, and who take off and land at the same airfield without stopping elsewhere, still be liable for this duty?
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, I believe it is because we have a voice and a vote in Parliament.
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, I am not an expert on the Road Traffic Acts, but surely someone who drives unlicensed, uninsured or under the influence of drink or drugs or who does a very serious amount of damage to other people's property, possibly killing or maiming them at the same time, would get a very severe sentence and is not the sort of person whom one would want as a Member of this House in any case. I...
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, if we have an upper age limit for membership of this House we will be throwing away a terrific amount of experience and wisdom. The vast number of noble Lords who came in with the increase since the last election were appointed to this House by the leaders of the political parties in another place. It is not the fault of this House that its numbers have grown. I suggest that as,...
Lord Swinfen: My noble friend has just brought up the point I was going to raise. Unfortunately, one or two regimes in the world unjustly lock up their people and, occasionally, visitors, after they have gone through a sham of a trial. That would be covered under the clause. How would my noble friend deal with that? Some very worthy Members of this House may be on business abroad who happen to have said...
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, what is the most recent shipment of arms from the Gaddafi regime in Libya to Northern Ireland of which the Government are aware?
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, can my noble friend give an estimate of the number of British Sign Language users who could be gainfully employed and come off benefit with the introduction of this new system?
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, could I remind the noble Baroness that her party promised a referendum on the Lisbon treaty and then failed to give it. Is that not a perfect example of how people lose confidence in the governance of their country?
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, what proposals are there for the expansion of Manchester Airport, which has a trunk road running along its southern boundary and a railway line about a mile away?
Lord Swinfen: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the use of promession in the disposal of human remains is permitted in the United Kingdom.
Lord Swinfen: Apart from Royal Mail, there are a number of other providers of postal services, none of which produces a universal postal service. They all rely on Royal Mail to deliver the last mile, particularly in remote areas. We need something in the Bill, and I would like the Minister to tell the House how a universal postal service will be ensured by someone taking over Royal Mail. If she cannot, she...
Lord Swinfen: Does the noble Lord, Lord Borrie, think it would be appropriate for the name "Royal Mail" to be owned by a foreign company that had bought the postal services-indeed, a foreign company from a republic?
Lord Swinfen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they propose to take to prevent alveolar echinococcosis entering the United Kingdom when the European Union derogation permitting the United Kingdom to impose a worming requirement on dogs entering the country expires in December.
Lord Swinfen: In the first part of his speech, the noble Lord, Lord Dixon, pointed out that the River Tyne brought work to both sides of the river. That is exactly the same with the Thames. The river is therefore a unifying force within the constituency and is not divisive at all.
Lord Swinfen: Can my noble friend confirm for me that, if this matter is decided on a Division, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, would be unable to bring it back at a later stage? It may help the noble and learned Lord when he is making up his mind what to do.
Lord Swinfen: My Lords, is there not a statutory right to charge interest on late payment of invoices, and after what period does this come into effect?
Lord Swinfen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they and their allies are taking to ensure that Afghanistan has sufficient wheat for its needs until the next harvest.
