Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: I agree with every word that the noble and learned Lord, Lord Morris, has said. My experience may be a little out of date—but perhaps not all that much out of date—and accords entirely with that of the noble and learned Lord. We spent our professional careers in the criminal courts, either as counsels or recorders. As the noble and learned Lord said, when one started at the...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: If I were to reminisce about Mr Noel Barrie Goldie we would be here for rather longer than the time intended for the Bill. I can confirm that the matter described by my noble friend Lord Waddington did occur, although it is not necessarily confirmed that Redhead helped him on his way.
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: Perhaps I may add one possibly constructive contribution. In the old days, when looking for security officers the courts made a great deal of use of retired police officers. Now, you hardly ever see a retired police officer around. They may be getting older, but they still look fit and have a degree of authority about them. It is an area where one might well look for recruits.
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: The noble Lord, Lord Clinton-Davis, is uncharacteristically unfair on this occasion. Like him, I have been involved in other matters in Committee upstairs and have not taken part in the debates on the Bill. However, I assume that the intention behind the amendment—I thought that it was clear—was to remind the Lord Chancellor of the need for all members of the public to have reasonable...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: Having sat patiently through the earlier debates but not taking part, I was struck by the fact that the Minister herself stressed the importance of the independence of the justices' clerk and the high regard in which she holds the magistracy. Surely, as the noble Lord, Lord Borrie, has said, if that independence is to be clear, there must be some clear set of principles on which the clerk can...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, does the noble and learned Lord agree that the vital point is that, when evidence is being given by an expert witness, the whole of that evidence is disclosed in advance to the other parties in the case?
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: In the examples that the Minister has given, the councils may want to compare the effect of the formula on some other areas. Surely, they should be allowed to comment on the effect on another area if it relates to what is happening in their area.
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, does the noble and learned Lord agree that it would be far better to continue with the system whereby the individual sentence is a matter for the court, assisted by judicial guidance, as he said, rather than move to mandatory minimum sentences, which apparently the Government now propose?
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, like other noble Lords who have already spoken, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Henley on introducing what is a topical and very important matter. The noble Baroness, Lady Stern, was able to speak with the advantage—or perhaps I should say disadvantage—of having experienced a recent burglary. I am sure that she will forgive me if, in the few minutes available to me, I take...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, I did not submit my name for inclusion in this debate because I cannot be here after six o'clock. However, in view of the fact that the debate has proceeded so quickly, I shall intervene briefly. Hearing my noble friend Lady Sharples say that things had got worse since 1970 made me realise that we have been in exactly this situation before. In 1970, when I became a junior Minister...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Dholakia. I declare an interest as the chairman of the committee that was set up to consider the working of the parole system by the noble Lord, Lord Hurd, when he was Home Secretary. The noble Lord, Lord Dholakia, was a prominent and helpful member of that committee. Obviously, faced with a prison population explosion of some...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, as the other Lord Carlisle, QC, in this House, perhaps I may thank my namesake for the most welcome and substantial publicity that he has achieved for us both. But, on a serious note, perhaps I may put to the Attorney-General that the simple answer to the theories of conspiracy in this case is for him to accept, as I believe he does, and to state that this was merely a classic...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, perhaps a simpler way of summarising the Minister's remarks would be to say that the Home Office is of the opinion that they will win in the Court of Appeal, but they are not absolutely sure that they can be confident in that opinion.
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, the Minister, with his normal courtesy, has explained the Government's situation. I accept that our aim is the same on both sides; that is, to reduce the period of time taken in the hearing of applications for asylum and that the situation in the hearing centre should reduce that period. However, is he now saying that regrettably anyone who makes an application to an appeal of first...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, I rise briefly to support what has been said by those on these Benches about Amendment No. 121, which is the provision that we are really talking about. We are concerned about the use of that new clause in relation to various parts of the Bill. As I understand it, the Government are saying that, having had in this House long and careful deliberations in Committee and on Report, and...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords—
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, does not the recent speech by the Prime Minister and the apparent change of attitude by the Government show that, with hindsight, they now recognise the grave damage which their assault on grammar schools and the removal of the assisted places scheme have done over the years? Does she accept that the victims of those policies were the bright children from poorer backgrounds who...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, in a Bill of this nature, normally the department is good enough to supply explanatory notes. It would be helpful if an explanatory note on the effect of the clause could be provided in the mean time.
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, I support the amendment. This morning, I indulged myself in the pleasant occupation, which is probably much followed and well known to Members of your Lordships' House, of looking through yesterday's Hansard to read one's own contributions. When I got to mine, which is at col. 294, I found to my horror that throughout my short intervention I spoke about attendance centres rather...
Lord Carlisle of Bucklow: My Lords, is not the answer to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Corbett, that if no date or period of time is put on the face of the Bill there is no incentive to speed up the asylum process? The Government have clearly said that they intend to speed up the asylum process. They have said that they believe they can make it faster than it is at the moment. One would hope that they would...