Lord Stewartby: My Lords, the Minister spoke briefly about procurement and industrial aspects of that. When the Government respond formally to the United States on this issue, will it be made plain that it is important that British industry retains a capability and involvement in the whole range of interception technology? If Fylingdales is to be upgraded now, and if it is likely that further advances in...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Astor of Hever on initiating this debate, on his persistence and effectiveness in raising these issues—he ensures that they are periodically discussed in your Lordships' House—and on covering the ground so effectively, as he always does. I have some questions for the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Oldham, who will respond. I hope for satisfactory...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, do the Government accept that the importance of this matter lies in the fact that if we were to lose the British Grand Prix we would have a tough time trying to get it back and that would inevitably have a major impact on the motorsport industry, as the Minister said? The industry is not only high-tech; more than half its product is exported.
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, the Minister mentioned the urgent, immediate and necessary support which is very much welcomed and also referred to recovery. Are we likely to make some contribution towards recovery, and on what basis? I have read reports that the volcano is continuously active and potentially exceedingly damaging. One has to ask the difficult question: is recovery or rebuilding a large town in an...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I start with an apology for not being here at the beginning of the debate. Having put my name down to speak tomorrow, I was somewhat taken aback to find my name down to speak at a relatively early hour today. I have therefore the disadvantage or advantage—whichever way one may care to look at it—of not having prepared as well-crafted a speech as that of the noble Lord, Lord...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Phillips, for introducing the debate. I should like to offer a few words in support of what he said because this is indeed a critical subject. I have never participated in the affairs of magistrates' courts in any capacity, but my wife recently retired as deputy chairman of an inner London court after nearly 20 years. Through her, I have inevitably...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, perhaps I may refer briefly to the overall judgment in the Budget. Last week's Budget included the ratification of public expenditure projections for the next few years which had been announced in the Autumn Statement. But, as my noble friend said, it also laid down additional expenditure in the areas of the National Health Service and education. I am concerned that the Budget gives...
Lord Stewartby: I want to add the briefest of footnotes to what my noble friend Lord Hurd has said. The dilemma between peace and justice has arisen, and continues to arise, in Northern Ireland, as my noble friend knows--probably better than I do. It is with us in many circumstances and is likely to continue to be so. Such dilemmas are inherent in these situations before they can be resolved.
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I rise briefly to support Amendment No. 42. It appeared that the Minister sought to argue that, on the basis of the new clause, the final decision would not rest with the authority. It would. It is only during the course of an offer that its activities are constrained. I said at Report stage it was a pity that noble Lords had not received a fuller explanation of the thinking of the...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that explanation of his argument. It would be helpful if there was an agreement between the parties that the authority would not exercise its powers during the course of an offer. That would not remove its final responsibility. However, no undertaking has been received from the authority, nor is there an assurance from the Government at this...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I was rather disappointed to hear that although the noble Lord, Lord Newby, was sympathetic to the purport of Amendment No. 2, he did not feel that he could support it. He offered two reasons, the first being that the authority would not be in a position to ensure common standards from one country to another. There is a simple answer to that. The amendment uses the expression, "so...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I rise briefly to support my noble friend Lord Saatchi and others who have spoken about the need to resolve this matter. I have read and re-read the comments of the noble Lord, Lord McIntosh, in Committee. He said then that he did not really like the amendments because of their general approach to the Bill, but that he accepted that there was a problem here which needed to be...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I support my noble friend's amendment. Clause 59(2) makes clear that discussion can take place before the application is made because the application has to, "be made in such manner as the Authority may direct". The authority will have had the opportunity to ask for the application to be accompanied by the information that it needs. Before the clock starts ticking, under Clause 59...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I may be making the same point as my noble friend, but on reading Clause 46(5)(b) I wondered whether, "if the institution complies with such an instruction" that institution has had to go through the process of assessing whether complying with the instruction would or would not be incompatible with the requirement. It is not clear whether there is an assumption in Clause 46(5)(b)...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, perhaps I may ask the Minister to explain a point relating to the consequences of Amendment No. 80, which replaces paragraph 12 of Part II of the schedule. Sub-paragraph (1) refers to establishment conditions. In that case, the overseas regulator will have given the firm consent to establish a branch in the UK and so it will then satisfy the establishment conditions. That is...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Borrie, points to some of the safeguards built into the schedule. It would be churlish not to accept that the Government have improved the Bill since it first appeared and have strengthened the rights of those who have complaints or may be disciplined. That is very much to be welcomed. However, we have to accept also that the heart of the concern about the Bill,...
Lord Stewartby: My Lords, I support my noble friend Lord Kingsland. There is a curiosity in paragraph 3 on page 228, as he has pointed out. The authority is not in a position to secure that the majority of the members of its governing body are non-executive members if it does not have powers to compel the Treasury to make appointments of that kind. If all the non-executive members are to be members of the...
Lord Stewartby: I wish to comment on one or two aspects of the drafting of the clause which has become a little more complicated since the introduction of Amendment No. 253, to which the noble Lord has just spoken. Clause 231(1) is a blanket statement which the remainder of the clause goes on to limit in a substantial way. It is likely to be limited even more if the Treasury makes orders under the new...
Lord Stewartby: Perhaps I may ask the Minister whether subsection (5) of the new clause proposed in the government amendment regarding the Treasury's power to amend the definition is only a general precaution against changing patterns in the marketplace. Alternatively, does it presage any specific changes?
Lord Stewartby: Should I take it that the Government do not expect significant changes other than those which the Minister has just mentioned?
