Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, it is with real pleasure that I support the Bill, introduced with such eloquence and authority by the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay of Llandaff. It would be hard to exaggerate the contribution that she has made in this field. She combines the hard-headed approach of a distinguished scientist with the humanity that comes of a penetrating understanding of human suffering. It is a...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, I oppose the Bill because I believe that it puts at additional risk an already vulnerable section of the population; namely, the old, the frail and the dying. However, I am chiefly concerned with defending the practice and future development of specialist palliative care as delivered by our hospices, a model which works and which, I believe, is undermined by the provisions of the...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, I also declare an interest as a hopeful farmer. The Minister spoke of farmers with cash-flow problems. Surely he is aware that all farmers rely entirely on positive cash flow. Is he further aware of the extraordinary distress caused to my neighbours in Cumbria? I know that the noble Lord is sensitive to criticism, but will he look at the Statement again and accept that its language...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, I have listened to many outstanding contributions this afternoon and the last one, by the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, is among them. My interest in this debate, which I now declare, stems from my having been in the late 1980s among the founders of St Mary's Hospice, Ulverston in Cumbria. I have had continuous involvement with it and am its current chairman. Not unnaturally, I...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, before my noble friend sits down, and for the purpose of clarity, will she confirm whether, in the example she gave, it was the Dutch family who were going to decide the fate of the father?
Lord Cavendish of Furness: I am much obliged, my Lords.
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, we are indeed indebted to the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, for securing this debate and for introducing it so very ably. In taking part I declare this interest: in the late 1980s I was responsible for much of the research and planning that led to the establishment of St Mary's Hospice, Ulverston in south Cumbria. I have had continuous involvement with it ever since and I am its...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: Rubbish!
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, it has been my great good fortune to have had the opportunity to serve as a member of the Select Committee on the European Union for the past few months. As I have, for the most part, escaped the greatest burden of work entailed in keeping your Lordships informed on the progress of the convention, I feel free to pay tribute to the noble Lords who have given so freely of their time,...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, as on previous occasions when the countryside has been debated in your Lordships' House, it is right that I declare an interest as chairman of a number of family companies concerned with land ownership, forestry, farming, construction, mineral extraction, tourism and National Hunt racing. I have a personal stake in these enterprises whose assets for the most part are in Cumbria....
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, the House is indebted to my noble friend Lord Inglewood for so ably introducing this debate. Especially valuable is the authority with which he speaks of agriculture in the context of the European Union. As always I declare an interest as chairman of a group of Cumbria-based companies concerned with land ownership, farming, forestry, construction, mineral extraction, tourism and...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, after that authoritative speech from the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, I am pleased that I have chosen a topic other than trains on which to speak. I am grateful for the opportunity to intervene in the debate on the gracious Speech to say something about agriculture and the countryside. I have spoken on this subject in the past and, as before, I declare an interest as chairman of a...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Jopling. As a former constituent of his, I recognise his authority and experience. I should like to say how well he is respected in my part of the world, in Cumbria. Once again, I need to declare an interest as chairman of a group of Cumbria-based family companies concerned with land ownership, forestry, construction, mineral extraction, tourism and...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, no one listening to the debate could fail to be struck by the sense of genuine sadness which has pervaded the proceedings. In taking part, I must declare an interest as chairman of a number of family companies concerned with land ownership, forestry, farming, construction, mineral extraction, tourism and national hunt racing. I have a personal stake in these companies whose assets...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, as another survivor of this unpleasant disease through being diagnosed early due to having had a PSA test, I ask the Minister not to accept that the level of false positives is grossly exaggerated. Does he accept that many treatments for women with the same level of false positives are supported by the Government? Does he also accept that most doctors, and nearly all sufferers,...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, I live in the Lake District and last night, my quad bike was stolen from outside my front door.
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this short debate. I thank the noble Viscount, Lord Falkland, for making it possible and for his extremely authoritative speech. It encapsulated in a very short time all aspects of the problem. I do not suppose that anyone can remember a time when so few Members of your Lordships' House can speak from experience in support of horse...
Lord Cavendish of Furness: My Lords, it is always stimulating to hear the noble Lord, Lord Shore of Stepney. I was not disappointed this time. The gracious Speech opens with the assertion that the Government seek to modernise the country and its institutions. Sadly, I find little or nothing in what follows, or in what I have heard from the Minister, to suggest that the Government intend to do anything of the kind. The...
