Baroness Knight of Collingtree: I would like to ask my noble friend about a situation that was made clear to us in a fairly recent debate on the question of putting children together into families. There was quite a big family with four children. They were all over the place and the little girl—the tiniest one—was promised that she would have a brother. Her brother was to be put with her in an adoption situation and it...
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, can my noble friend tell the House whether the problem remains of having foreign people who have never learned how to speak the language looking after sick people? There was quite a lot of publicity about it. Are patients always able to talk to a nurse who understands the language?
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to take action to protect unborn girls from abortion for the sole reason of their sex.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, I am most pleased to hear what my noble friend just told us. Why are there constantly reports in the papers of such abortions being carried out? It seems to be fairly usual if we look at the papers. Is he as concerned as I am that there seems to be no great battle against this?
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, is it not very important when discussing the use of water cannon that one also says in what circumstances they should be used?
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords—
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, could there be a greater example of gender violence than the acceptance that it is perfectly legal to abort an unborn child who is a girl? There is so much disagreement about that—I know my noble friend agrees that it is a wrong policy and ought to be illegal—but the fact is that abortion nursing homes do it every day, and there is great uncertainty about whether this is illegal...
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: Can my noble friend tell the House roughly how many children have to be sent to boarding school because of the commitments of their parents?
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, there can be no doubt that the figures which we have been given by the Minister need to be looked at very carefully. It would be a miracle if this enormous demand could be faced with no financial troubles at all. However, does he recognise that there is quite a bone of contention, and that the argument is building up that those who bear the heat and the burden of the day working in...
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take following the First Reading of the Abortion (Sex-Selection) Bill in the House of Commons on 4 November.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, did my noble friend note that at the end of the First Reading debate on the Bill 181 MPs voted for it and only one voted against it and the tellers counting the vote against insisted that their votes be counted in favour of the Bill? Does he consider that this indicates acceptance of the evidence that abortion for gender reasons is going on and is causing very grave concern? Even a...
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, is it not the case that a recent independent Commonwealth Fund report said that Britain had the best and safest healthcare system of all the 11 wealthiest nations? Since we know that the NHS is the biggest organisation and business of its kind in Europe, with all the opportunities for it to go wrong, is this not an extremely telling assessment of the real situation?
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, my noble friend indicated that this matter is under consideration. Would she please think of speeding up what is being considered, because there is a real urgency about this matter? Carers who sacrifice a great deal of their physical well-being on looking after a relative should not have to bear these very large costs that are often applied months and months before there is ever a...
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: Does my noble friend agree with me that although we should recognise that buskers are perhaps building their careers, they are also adding to the gaiety of nations? It would be most unpopular were we to consider any banning of busking.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, will my noble friend assure the House with regard to a major problem that we all experienced in the House of Commons for many years of students signing up to study at not very reputable places and then disappearing? Is that problem over?
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, has my noble friend seen reports stating that where there are trees, managing flooding control is very much easier—apparently they aid the removal of water from the surface very effectively—but that the EU encourages our farmers to cut down trees? I do not know whether this is true, but if it is has he any comment to make about it?
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take in the light of recent analysis of the ratio of boys and girls in United Kingdom families suggesting that sex-selective abortion is taking place.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, does my noble friend recall that when I last asked a Question on this matter in October, the House was informed that it was impossible to prosecute doctors known to be aborting on gender grounds because the evidence was not strong enough. However, has the Minister noted the findings of the national census of 2011, which show that between 1,400 and 4,700 fewer girls have been born...
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, there is just a small question that worries me very much. I was unable to listen to as much of this debate as I wanted, but what concerns me is that there seems to be no understanding that there is a time in a child’s life when it is not a very good idea to talk about sex. I was appalled on finding out, when I was dealing with other matters in the other place, that children as...
