Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I support the amendment and will make two brief points. The first concerns democratic accountability and community involvement with the police; and the other concerns whether a single commissioner can do the job. On accountability and community involvement, at the moment we are looking to a senior tier to link the police and the people. However, that accountability relies on their...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, please forgive me, someone from Northern Ireland, for joining a Second Reading debate on a Bill that is primarily about English and Welsh policing. I declare an interest as I was a member of the security forces in the Province for many years and worked closely supporting the police, planning and patrolling with them frequently-almost daily, sometimes-on behalf of Her Majesty's...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, first I declare an interest in that I farm in a small way and have about 120 acres of trees. To add to the basic agriculture, I wish to refer to the regulatory burden on private commercial forestry, which is an important part of many farming enterprises. The state, through the Forestry Commission, produces nearly 70 per cent of UK timber production, which is almost a monopoly, but...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I know that the Minister is aware of the situation for veterans and soldiers in civilian clothes as regards accessing medical care, but this is an issue within the Government's control. Why is it that many GPs and GP practices are not aware of the fast-track assistance for soldiers and veterans, and why is it that we can track cattle and animals throughout Europe but we do not know...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, does the Minister understand that many of us find her answers slightly confusing in that, on the one hand, she said that there are no statistics while, on the other hand, official letters are going backwards and forwards? Will she agree to ask for statistics to be made up from those records now? When she says that the response has been good, by whose judgment is it good? It is quite...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I also declare an interest as a farmer. What is to stop there being a simple first question on the IACS form saying, "Have there been any changes in the area of your farm this year, or are there any relevant changes? If the answer is no"-which it would be in 90 per cent of the cases-"please move to box 61 and sign"? Would that not be a great simplification which would dramatically...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, in agreeing with the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, is the Minister actually saying that the public sector is not too large in Northern Ireland? Recognising that Northern Ireland is the same size as Yorkshire, and all the education boards and very high employment in the public sector, we in Northern Ireland believe that it is too large. Why does he not?
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I too welcome the new Front Bench and in particular the noble Lords, Lord Howell and Lord Astor, for whom I have great respect in these spheres. I welcome the chance to speak in this debate. I have spoken previously on the mental welfare of our ex-service men and women and our duty, through the military covenant, to them and their families. I make no apology for bringing this up...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I have not yet spoken but want to ask one question on that. When the military were operating in Northern Ireland, there was legislation which enabled them to do so. Therefore, if the chief constable wishes to bring them back in anything other than bomb disposal, there would need to be legislation. Therefore, the chief constable could surely not do it off his own bat.
Viscount Brookeborough: I should like to ask the noble Baroness the Leader of the House for reassurance on one topic which has not really been covered in the Statement-I realise that it lies slightly outside. The Continuity IRA and the Real IRA-the dissidents-are definitely providing a greater risk and threat than they previously have. There is, according to the police, a haemorrhaging of people from the old IRA and...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I welcome the chance to speak today on health, and in particular the mental welfare of our ex-Navy, Army and Air Force service personnel. I have chosen today and not the defence day to speak because I wish to address the issue of personnel who leave the services without any documented physical or mental health problems. They return to the civilian world where they become the...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, what efforts have been made to increase spoken English among our ethnic minorities, as the language of school is only part of the problem? An example of something that we do not think was done very well is that, before devolution, the Government promoted at great cost the speaking of Gaelic and Ulster Scots in Northern Ireland to people who already spoke English. They did not put...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, would the Minister therefore tell us whether Sinn Fein's remarks about the chief constable needing extra support were an indication of its support for the police?
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, first, I express my deepest sympathy to the families of the murdered soldiers and to the soldiers and civilians injured in the horrific, cowardly incident in Antrim on Saturday night. I must admit that, like many others, I thought and hoped that this sort of thing was behind us. I would point out that in the Province, at home, we have been well aware of the increased threat over the...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, the Minister addressed support helicopters in her Answer. However, those helicopters are not generally used for lifting patrols, nor are they ideal. What increase is envisaged in helicopters of the size needed for patrolling and therefore the size needed to reduce the number of operations by soldiers in Snatch vehicles?
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Freeman, for introducing the debate. I join others in expressing admiration and pride for the selfless service of our men and women undertaken in the past few years. It is outstanding, and we must recognise that it is enabled only by the exceptional support of their families. They continue to run the home and family life, often on their own, for...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, it is daunting enough to be No. 40 on an evening like this, especially after the speech of the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, with which so many noble Lords agree. I am sorry if my speech is an anti-climax; I shall have trouble competing with that of the noble Lord. I should like to talk about the Armed Forces themselves and the welfare of our servicemen because they are the most...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords—
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I support especially what the noble Earl, Lord Attlee, has said. I will be brief; I was not going to speak but I think I can add something to it. I declare an interest in that I am the honorary Colonel of the Rangers, which is a Northern Ireland infantry battalion, and I am also on the National Employer Advisory Board, a UK-wide board set up to advise the Government on their...
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, I rise briefly to support what the noble and most reverend Lord, Lord Eames, said. This is not about attitudes; this is about the process, and the process we are going through tonight is even more unique than normal. What is the effect of an order in Northern Ireland, followed by a Bill for the remainder of the United Kingdom? Normally orders in Northern Ireland are either unique to...
