Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, the noble Lord on the Woolsack has not yet said that the debate is open for discussion.
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, with that invitation, I shall speak to an amendment that has been brought back with the deletion of a particular paragraph about animals that aroused a great deal of hostility on a previous occasion. We now have an innocent and, I hope, pleasing amendment that your Lordships will think fit to accept. There are two extra points going for us today. First, in an earlier amendment, the...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, will the noble Lord, Lord Patel, clarify that he is talking not about research teams and providing a defence for them but about individual criminal liability? If the latter, will he consider the last line of the amendment? I know that I irritate him every time I make a point like this, but the last line of his amendment says, "that what they did was not something to which the Act...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, am I right in understanding that "long term commitment" means that the minimum period would be the entire period while the child remains a child? Most parents find that they have a commitment well beyond that point, but would that be the minimum that would be understood by "long term commitment"?
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, there have already been some major contributions to our debate. We have had the speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Howe of Idlicote, the memorable speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy of The Shaws, stressing the importance of the rule of law in our lives, and the profound but entertaining contribution of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mayhew of Twysden, with the ironmonger's...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, perhaps I may comment on what the noble Baroness, Lady Warnock, has just said regarding whether something should be in the Bill or in the guidance. I suppose I am influenced by the fact that I am a lawyer and therefore my primary source of authority is the enactment of Parliament. For me, it would be very important to include these words in the Bill so that everyone could walk into...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, if procedures allow it, I would like to ask the noble Lord, Lord Patel, to clarify the issue of what happens in the real world in relation to these cells. Proposed new subsection (2) states: "Condition A is that the human cells are lawfully taken from or provided by the donor". That is probably the wrong use of the verb. Are we not talking about an existing bank? We are looking back...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, my respectful view is that the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, is approaching the matter from an entirely mistaken perspective. I think that everyone would agree that there must be conditions restraining the circumstances in which embryos and—let me get the language right—human admixed embryos can be used. This amendment seeks to include in the Bill...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, I add my voice to the reservations and surprise that have been expressed today. I represent a category, which may not be limited to one Member of your Lordships' House, that finds this Bill quite difficult to understand anyway. On embryology I come from a sort of zero background, if that is possible. I was astonished when I picked up the Marshalled List today. I found this change on...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, I will say just a few words in reply. I listened to the speech of the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland. The opening few paragraphs seemed to be rather good, but unfortunately the quality was not maintained and he ended with a view about how he and his cohorts intended to proceed which I did not hear with any pleasure. I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford, who...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, it is not being suggested that the Lord Chief Justice is in a more powerful position through the language which will go into the Bill if the Commons view prevails. I shall not add any more words. We all know the issue. I wish to test the opinion of the House.
Lord Neill of Bladen: rose to move, as an amendment to Motion C, leave out from "House" to end, and insert, "do insist on its disagreement to Commons Amendments Nos. 74 to 77 and 81 to 88, do disagree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 88B and 88C and 88E to 88M, do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 88D, and do propose Amendment No. 88N as an amendment thereto— Leave out lines 3 and 4 and...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, I begin with the declaration of interest that I have many times made in debates on the Bill: the first is that I am a member of the Bar; the second is that in the past I served for many years on the Bar Council; and the third is that I held the office of Chairman of the Bar. But I am not today a spokesman for the Bar Council and I have not been privy to the discussions which it has...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, I wish to test the opinion of the House.
Lord Neill of Bladen: rose to move, as an amendment to the Motion that this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 74A to 77A, leave out "agree" and insert "disagree".
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, I shall speak to Amendments Nos. 81A to 88A as well as these amendments, since exactly the same point applies to all of them. I was glad to hear the Minister say what importance is attached to the office of the Lord Chief Justice and his view. We want to take that one stage further and restore the matter to where it was agreed in this House earlier this year. We want to see a...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, I have said sufficient on that point. I move that we restore the text in Amendment No. 74 and in the other 10 or 12 passages where the very same point arises, and that we require the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice in these various appointments and removals from office. Moved, as an amendment to the Motion that this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 74A...
Lord Neill of Bladen: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. I have to confess that I am not wholly reassured. On the foreign dimension raised by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, I read into the Minister's answer—perhaps too cynically—that there has been a total lack of interest in the situation in other countries. The only example he has been able to come up with is that of New...
Lord Neill of Bladen: rose to move, as an amendment to the Motion that this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment 72, leave out "agree" and insert "disagree".
Lord Neill of Bladen: The amendment would restore to the Bill a provision that was agreed here on more than one occasion by votes; namely that Part 5 should not be brought into operation without further examination and report. I should place it on the record that I was a member of the Joint Committee that considered the Bill. When I heard the Minister say that he was coming fresh to it, I rather envied him. Over...
