Lords motion to take note of the tenth report of the International Agreements Committee on Treaty Scrutiny in Westminster: Addressing the Accountability Gap (HL 168). Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the tenth report of the International Agreements Committee on Treaty Scrutiny in Westminster: Addressing the Accountability Gap (HL 168). Agreed to on question.

My Lords, it is fitting that my final act as the outgoing chair of the International Agreements Committee is to open a debate about the process of treaty scrutiny in Parliament. I am delighted to see that so many present and past members of the committee will take part today.

The...

My Lords, it is fitting that my final act as the outgoing chair of the International Agreements Committee is to open a debate about the process of treaty scrutiny in Parliament. I am delighted to see that so many present and past members of the committee will take part today.

The...

My Lords, we have already sung the praises of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and I am delighted to do so again in relation to this excellent report and his chairmanship of this committee over the past few years. I also commend the team who put a huge...

My Lords, we have already sung the praises of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and I am delighted to do so again in relation to this excellent report and his chairmanship of this committee over the past few years. I also commend the team who put a huge...

My Lords, I am loath to repeat what has been said before, but I want to thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for this report and for outlining its principles very clearly, which are, to encompass them in just one sentence, that the current legal framework in which...

My Lords, I am loath to repeat what has been said before, but I want to thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for this report and for outlining its principles very clearly, which are, to encompass them in just one sentence, that the current legal framework in which...

My Lords, your Lordships’ Institutional Agreements Committee, on which I have the honour to serve, is a relatively newly established committee, with a mandate that in its vagueness perhaps reflects its novelty. It is a good step that we should be debating today the committee’s own report on its early...

My Lords, your Lordships’ Institutional Agreements Committee, on which I have the honour to serve, is a relatively newly established committee, with a mandate that in its vagueness perhaps reflects its novelty. It is a good step that we should be debating today the committee’s own report on its early...

My Lords, I congratulate the committee and its chairman on the report. I hesitate to participate in this debate since I have limited expertise in foreign affairs, and still less on the scrutiny of foreign treaties, but I was puzzled by the report’s focus on the scrutiny of treaties after...

My Lords, I congratulate the committee and its chairman on the report. I hesitate to participate in this debate since I have limited expertise in foreign affairs, and still less on the scrutiny of foreign treaties, but I was puzzled by the report’s focus on the scrutiny of treaties after...

My Lords, it is very welcome that we have, in the space of a fortnight, two chances to debate committee reports from one of our most senior committees—I say that as a recent member of it. I find it is often the case that the House does not see the...

My Lords, it is very welcome that we have, in the space of a fortnight, two chances to debate committee reports from one of our most senior committees—I say that as a recent member of it. I find it is often the case that the House does not see the...

My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for his fair-minded chairmanship, and intellectually able and collegiate steering of our committee. It was particularly welcome to me, as a refugee from the European Affairs Committee.

Others have discussed the report and its conclusions, the most striking...

My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for his fair-minded chairmanship, and intellectually able and collegiate steering of our committee. It was particularly welcome to me, as a refugee from the European Affairs Committee.

Others have discussed the report and its conclusions, the most striking...

My Lords, I need to respond to the rather surprising compliment from the noble Lord, Lord Lilley. I can do so because I agree with a number of things that he said, in particular on the case for parliamentary scrutiny during negotiation

and before a deal is struck. I am...

My Lords, I need to respond to the rather surprising compliment from the noble Lord, Lord Lilley. I can do so because I agree with a number of things that he said, in particular on the case for parliamentary scrutiny during negotiation

and before a deal is struck. I am...

I was making the point that the European Parliament has the right to vote on the outcome of any treaty negotiation, of course: treaties require its positive consent. Its debates informed ours. My point is not just that there is an accountability gap relative to the European Parliament, but that...

I was making the point that the European Parliament has the right to vote on the outcome of any treaty negotiation, of course: treaties require its positive consent. Its debates informed ours. My point is not just that there is an accountability gap relative to the European Parliament, but that...

My Lords, page 8 of our report states baldly that

“governments since 2019 have not listened to Parliament”

in respect of treaty scrutiny at Westminster. So the question before us is, “Does there exist, as is stated in the report, an accountability gap?” Further, do the Government recognise that such a gap...

My Lords, page 8 of our report states baldly that

“governments since 2019 have not listened to Parliament”

in respect of treaty scrutiny at Westminster. So the question before us is, “Does there exist, as is stated in the report, an accountability gap?” Further, do the Government recognise that such a gap...

My Lord, I welcome this report and the reports from other committees, including the Constitution Committee, on the subject, but I rather regret that they are necessary. I was involved in the passage of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill. I served on the Joint Committee on the draft Bill...

My Lord, I welcome this report and the reports from other committees, including the Constitution Committee, on the subject, but I rather regret that they are necessary. I was involved in the passage of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill. I served on the Joint Committee on the draft Bill...

My Lords, it is a real pleasure to follow that speech, which was a useful and authoritative view on this topic. I will attempt to sum up some of the issues, but I will first make a couple of observations.

First, since the change in the machinery of government in the...

My Lords, it is a real pleasure to follow that speech, which was a useful and authoritative view on this topic. I will attempt to sum up some of the issues, but I will first make a couple of observations.

First, since the change in the machinery of government in the...

My Lords, like others, I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for so ably introducing this debate and setting out the findings of his committee. It is indeed a thought-provoking and timely report, and the committee is right that Parliament should be given a full opportunity...

My Lords, like others, I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for so ably introducing this debate and setting out the findings of his committee. It is indeed a thought-provoking and timely report, and the committee is right that Parliament should be given a full opportunity...

My Lords, I was developing a point about the Government’s refusal, under the Ponsonby rule, to grant a debate in the House of Commons on the Diego Garcia Bill. Their refusal to do that prevented the ratification of the treaty, making the CRaG Act, in essence, worthless in that respect.

Of...

My Lords, I was developing a point about the Government’s refusal, under the Ponsonby rule, to grant a debate in the House of Commons on the Diego Garcia Bill. Their refusal to do that prevented the ratification of the treaty, making the CRaG Act, in essence, worthless in that respect.

Of...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak on behalf of the Government in response to this debate. I am well aware of the poacher-turned-gamekeeper nature of the response that I am about to give. I remember saying something very similar to what the noble Lord, Lord Lilley, shared with...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak on behalf of the Government in response to this debate. I am well aware of the poacher-turned-gamekeeper nature of the response that I am about to give. I remember saying something very similar to what the noble Lord, Lord Lilley, shared with...

My Lords, I am sorry that I did not manage to conclude what was left of my speech before the Division Bells rang, slightly earlier than we expected. There is an important debate on media to follow, so I will not take too much longer.

The Government believe that the Constitutional...

My Lords, I am sorry that I did not manage to conclude what was left of my speech before the Division Bells rang, slightly earlier than we expected. There is an important debate on media to follow, so I will not take too much longer.

The Government believe that the Constitutional...

Before the noble Baroness sits down, do the Government still consider themselves bound by the Ponsonby rule?

Before the noble Baroness sits down, do the Government still consider themselves bound by the Ponsonby rule?

I answered that in saying that I did not know why the debate in the other place, which the noble Lord thought the answer to that question hinged on, did not take place. I thank noble Lords for their contributions.

5.55 pm

I answered that in saying that I did not know why the debate in the other place, which the noble Lord thought the answer to that question hinged on, did not take place. I thank noble Lords for their contributions.

5.55 pm

My Lords, I have a few things to say, though I recognise that there is another debate to follow. I thank all noble Lords who have contributed. This has been another debate where a lot of thoughtful things have been said, most of which I agreed with. I actually agreed...

My Lords, I have a few things to say, though I recognise that there is another debate to follow. I thank all noble Lords who have contributed. This has been another debate where a lot of thoughtful things have been said, most of which I agreed with. I actually agreed...