Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I, too, thank my noble friend Lord Hunt for initiating this debate and I declare an interest as a former chairman of an independent hospital. In the brief time available to me, I want to speak about overseas health professionals, particularly nurses practising in the United Kingdom. I hope that this matter will be covered in greater detail in a debate for which I have my name down...
Viscount Bridgeman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress is being made in implementing the coalition's commitments to ensure that foreign healthcare professionals have passed robust language and competence tests.
Viscount Bridgeman: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the European Union Directive 2005/36/EC, Article 53, whether they have any plans to change the guidance supplied by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department of Health to competent authorities, such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which prevents the assessment of language competency as a condition of...
Viscount Bridgeman: To ask Her Majesty's Government why healthcare regulators do not require nurses from Lithuania, Bulgaria and other European Union accession states to undergo language competency tests, similar to those required for nurses from Australia and the United States .
Viscount Bridgeman: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for testing the language competence of health and social care professionals that are independent practitioners and practise outside the National Health Service; and what evidence they have that robust employer assessments are taking place.
Viscount Bridgeman: Will the Minister be assured that the All-Party Group on Cycling, of which I have the honour to be a member, sets an example for all to follow?
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, the theme running through the ongoing debate about the future of this House is the ignorance in the other place of the working and-dare I say it?-the effectiveness of this House. It applies to all parties and has certainly, so far as I can recall, ever been thus. One of the effects of this is the unawareness among many of our colleagues in the Commons of just how well they are...
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate, for instituting this important debate. We also have the benefit of a very balanced report, produced jointly by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary and the two audit bodies for England and Wales. I should like to add my support to the Government's intention to consult-I repeat, consult-on plans for the election of police...
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, we have had six sensitive maiden speeches of remarkable quality, and we look forward with anticipation to that of the noble Baroness, Lady Smith. I am not quite sure what the collective for seven maiden speakers-unprecedented in this House-is, but I am sure that my noble friend Lord Black and my noble friend Lord Deben, who is not in his place, will forgive me if I suggest a...
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I join every speaker in this debate in congratulating my noble friend Lord Howe on his appointment. It will be a great reassurance to this House to have the benefit of his experience, which he has built up with such distinction over the past 12 years when we sat on the opposite Bench. The noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, has referred to him seeing off successive Ministers of Health. I...
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I have been involved in the debate exclusively on Clause 43. It had admirable intentions to free up orphan works and make possible extended collective licensing. It was a victim of the bad programming by the Government, which results in the messiness that we have had to experience through the wash-up. The noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, has made the valid point that there were some...
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, for bringing this Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules on to the Floor of the House. The issues that he raises are very significant and we are in agreement on most of them. Immigration is a very controversial and sensitive topic and we must get the balance right. Running incomplete statutory instruments through this House, which is...
Viscount Bridgeman: I would like to add to the question of substantial. When the Minister is engaged in further refining this Bill, I suggest that this is carefully examined. It appears that the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, and I have both received advice that Section 16 of the copyright Act is a valid test of proportionality. With that request, I shall not move the amendment. Amendment 30 not moved....
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, the Digital Economy Bill contains detailed provisions of a code of practice for licensed bodies. As currently drafted, it only provides obligations for a licensing body without any reference to licensees. Collective licensing is a commercial relationship between the licensing body and licensees. Given the nature of the relationship, obligations of the licensing body to licensees...
Viscount Bridgeman: I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 34 withdrawn. Amendment 35 Moved by Lord Young of Norwood Green 35: Schedule 2, page 65, line 25, leave out "(within the meaning of paragraph 1)" Amendment 35 agreed. Amendment 36 Moved by Lord Young of Norwood Green 36: Schedule 2, page 65, line 32, at end insert- "( ) The regulations must provide for the factors to be taken into account in...
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I again declare an interest as a non-executive director of the Bridgeman Art Library, a photographic archive. I am most grateful to the Minister for his very comprehensive letter to me, to which the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, referred. I join with the noble Lord in feeling that the Government's amendment does not entirely fulfil their undertaking. There is too big an element of...
Viscount Bridgeman: Will the wash-up take place in the other place or in this House?
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, my normal courtesies have deserted me. I omitted to thank the Minister for meeting us on Amendments 155A and 155B. Also, in accordance with the provisions of this House, I am required to declare an interest as a non-executive director of the Bridgeman Art Library, which is a photographic archive. In Committee, I and other noble Lords tabled substantial amendments on moral rights and...
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I am grateful that the Minister has treated these amendments as probing, which indeed they are. My only comment is that the ingenuity of the electronics and software industry in circumventing regulations designed to inhibit, for instance, the separation of metadata, should never be underestimated. This is a huge challenge. I am grateful, though, and I beg leave to withdraw the...
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, I say to the noble Lord, Lord Howarth, that it is not particularly constructive, which is a sad reflection, to say that had we had the consultation period, my concerns about a super-affirmative resolution would have been irrelevant. I say to the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, that we will address the subjects of metadata and moral rights in the next amendment, but I would like to...
