Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: Perhaps I may follow the earlier point made by the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, about before and after. I very much agree with him that the requirement to publish factual and statistical information is likely to improve the quality of government. But the knowledge that that information will have to be published once a decision has been taken would exercise a very powerful degree of...
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: I intervene only to say that I think that the clause as it stands is about as good as you can get it in this respect. I think that phrases such as, "harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion" leave a great deal too much open to argument and doubt. I remain strongly of the view which I expressed before in debates on the Bill; namely, that it is not possible to conduct government...
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: Perhaps I may detain Members of the Committee for a few minutes. At another time I should feel that there was a good deal of logic about changing the name of this force. As far as I am aware, it is the only police force in the United Kingdom that carries the designation "Royal". There is a good reason that other police forces do not do so: first, it is very important that the police force...
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: My Lords, is the noble and learned Lord aware that this Question comes 13 years too late for one retired senior official of the Cabinet Office? Is he also aware--if he is not, I hope that he will in due course become so--that life does not stop at 60 and those who retire from the public service at 60 are still able to deploy their talents and energies not merely in the private sector but also...
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: My Lords, I am afraid that I must start by disappointing the noble Lord, Lord McNally. I cannot enlighten him on the reasons why responsibility for these matters was transferred from the Cabinet Office to the Home Office towards the end of 1997. I had been out of the public service for 10 years when that happened and I could be completely elevated and impartial on the subject as before I...
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: My Lords, I should like to add my support and gratitude to that expressed to the noble Lord, Lord Peyton of Yeovil, for raising the subject this afternoon and for enabling us to have this debate. I was particularly interested in the contribution of my noble friend Lord Levene, who has been in a position where he could do something about the problem and did so effectively. I hope that his...
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: My Lords, I should declare an interest as a former chairman of the trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Will the Minister confirm that, as the Secretary of State made clear to my successor, the fact that he is considering the future management of the Wellington Museum in no way implies or reflects any dissatisfaction whatever on his part with the V&A's stewardship of it? Further, is...
Lord Armstrong of Ilminster: My Lords, I share the disappointment expressed by other noble Lords at the developments that have made it necessary for the Government to introduce the Bill. I wish that I could say that I was as surprised as I am disappointed. An hour or so ago, a noble Lord with whom I have in the past worked on Irish matters said to me, "We have been here before". Well, not quite here perhaps, but brought...
