I want to write to Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, the Minister talked about the number of nurses on wards; can he say something about the numbers in accident and emergency departments? I had occasion recently to go with somebody to accident and emergency. The person in question was in dire straits and, when I spoke to the sister in charge, she said that there were waits of six, seven, eight hours every night in accident and...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, the noble Earl has been kind enough to say that he will take back to the Foreign Secretary the remarks of my noble friend Lord Reid concerning the case of Mrs Nazanin Ratcliffe. However, the Foreign Secretary says in this Statement that he is concerned at the suggestion that his remarks “had some bearing” on Mrs Ratcliffe’s case. I put it to the Minister that of course they...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, the outcome of the Prime Minister’s decision to hold a general election specifically on Brexit now poses a real question about what is the overriding authority in relation to Britain’s membership of, or future relationship with, the European Union. I pick up very much on the theme that the noble Lord, Lord Hamilton, has just outlined. Is that authority still last year’s...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, does the Minister accept that these proposals have a disproportionate effect on small primary schools in rural areas? I declare an interest because the school in my village, of Vernham Dean in Hampshire, will have suffered a cut of £64,000 in relation to the money that was available to it only a year-and-a-half ago. I wonder whether the Minister can accept that these proposals will...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, there is no reference in this Statement to any joint European response to the appalling famine in South Sudan. This is the first declaration of famine in the world for a number of years, and 2 million people are at imminent risk of starvation. Was this simply ignored in the meeting last week? Was it discussed in the margins? I am bound to say I was very surprised not to see any...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, the notes to Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty say that, “the Council needs to obtain the European Parliament’s consent … voting by a simple majority of the votes cast, before it can conclude the withdrawal agreement”. That means that all Members of the European Parliament, including of course UK Members, have the legal right to vote on any final agreement, or lack of it,...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I do not know what people will feel like in two years’ time. We know that the demographics will have changed and that young people will be coming on to the electoral register and, as we all know, young people have taken a very different view about our leaving the EU to that taken by older people who will no longer be able to vote. I have two specific questions to ask the Minister....
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The point that the Supreme Court made was that it had not tested the point about revocability. I say to the noble Lord, who knows what the outcome would be if it were asked to do that? The political position now is that the Supreme Court has not made that judgment, and it took going to the court to get the views that we have. When we get to the end of this whole discussion, I wonder what the...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords—
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords—
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I have put on one side the remarks that I was going to make because I want to concentrate on the remarks made by the right reverend Prelate—I am sorry, the most reverend Primate—and I do so declaring my interest as a member of the Church of England and a regular churchgoer. The most reverend Primate seemed to base his argument on two points. The first was that the EU would agree...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I declare an interest as the chairman of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. These free trade agreements—not just in Sri Lanka, but elsewhere—are a crucial part of government strategy over Brexit. In your Lordships’ House there is a great deal of interest in how they will develop. Will the Minister consider convening a meeting of interested Peers to brief us on how free...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I do not believe that leaving the European Union is in the best interests of this country. I voted to remain. I very much wish that the remain side had prevailed in the referendum. However, it did not. The people of this country voted decisively—not overwhelmingly, but certainly decisively—to leave, with a majority of 1.3 million over we remainers. However, as others, including...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords—
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, on page 63 of this White Paper, the Government say that they, “remain committed to European security”, and wish still to, “add value to EU foreign policy and security policy”. It goes on, of course, to talk about the civilian missions in Kosovo, Georgia and Ukraine, and says that those missions increased European stability. Is it the Government’s intention that, after...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, the noble Baroness spoke about those who have indefinite leave to remain, and how they may be treated in the future. Will UK consular services be available to those with indefinite leave to remain who may get caught up in additional screening at their port of entry? In the past, we have had consular access in certain cases for not just foreign citizens but those with indefinite...
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, have the Government done any calculations about the demographics of the electorate in coming years? Can the Government give any idea of the number of people aged 18 who will be joining the electoral register and the rate of attrition among older people who will be leaving the electoral register?
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the conditions for civilians in Eastern Aleppo and what prospect there is for humanitarian relief to reach those people.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, I beg leave to ask a Private Notice Question. In doing so, perhaps I may remind the House that I am the chairman of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce.
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, despite all that, it is almost four weeks since food or medical aid got into eastern Aleppo. Yesterday, the United Nations said that the Assad regime and its allies had executed 82 civilians, including 13 children. The ceasefire negotiated at the UN yesterday evening broke down this morning and the buses which were to evacuate people to places of safety have been withdrawn. We have...