Baroness Buscombe: First, I thank the Minister for giving me and Mr Nicolas Gibb MP the opportunity to discuss a number of key issues which we and other Members of this House raised at Second Reading. I thank the noble Lord for a most helpful meeting, for the accompanying notes, and for giving them to me now. However, on behalf of so many people with whom we and, I understand, the Government have consulted, I...
Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, I thank the Minister for explaining the regulations. There is one matter upon which I should like to question him. When he says that the regulations mean that parents will not have to choose between being a good parent and holding down a job, does he mean that someone who does not choose to take parental leave is not a good parent?
Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, I thank the Minister for giving way. Perhaps I did not make myself clear. I was referring to understanding what the Bill meant. So much of the material is not on the face of the Bill but in the regulations. To understand them one has to refer to the Companies Act and the Insolvency Act. So understanding the Bill has become rather complex.
Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, it gives me pleasure to respond to the Minister by saying that we are, in large part, very supportive of the Bill. It is clear from our consultations with numerous outside professional bodies that the Government have been very willing to work with them in developing this proposal to introduce LLPs, following on from the previous administration. In essence, the Bill seeks to provide...
Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, will the Minister concede that while free trade is the best hope for prosperity and enables governments to invest in the environment, this Government are desperate to be popular with all the minority groups and liberals who do not understand that protectionism denies and stifles progress for poorer countries?
Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, I am pleased to respond to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Williams of Mostyn, by stating that we are broadly in support of the Bill. It assists in the implementation of reforms following recommendations made in a report on the review of the Crown Prosecution Service, chaired by Sir Iain Glidewell. However, there are a number of points which we would like clarified and to which we...
Baroness Buscombe: My Lords, will the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor state whether the case has any implications for United Kingdom tribunals? Those may be employment tribunals, social security tribunals or VAT tribunals which are frequently chaired by lawyers in private practice who serve as tribunal chairmen on short-term appointments with no security of tenure. We understand that many seek and...
