My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for her introductory remarks about her Bill. Unquestionably, the conduct of undercover agents of the state—be they police officers or members of the secret services—is a matter of great public interest. For women who have had relations with men who they...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for her introductory remarks about her Bill. Unquestionably, the conduct of undercover agents of the state—be they police officers or members of the secret services—is a matter of great public interest. For women who have had relations with men who they...

My Lords, I intervene briefly because the noble Lords, Lord Anderson and Lord Clement-Jones, have set out with great clarity the thinking behind their two amendments, and I am very convinced by them. I am convinced by them particularly because this applies to without-suspicion seizure, which is, from my point...

My Lords, I intervene briefly because the noble Lords, Lord Anderson and Lord Clement-Jones, have set out with great clarity the thinking behind their two amendments, and I am very convinced by them. I am convinced by them particularly because this applies to without-suspicion seizure, which is, from my point...

My Lords, I want to speak briefly to the amendment that my noble friend Lord Attlee spent about 15 seconds talking about; that is, his Amendment 414. At the outset of his remarks, I was worried that he might be positively going to support his own amendment, but he very...

My Lords, I want to speak briefly to the amendment that my noble friend Lord Attlee spent about 15 seconds talking about; that is, his Amendment 414. At the outset of his remarks, I was worried that he might be positively going to support his own amendment, but he very...

My Lords, my noble and learned friend Lord Stewart has made both his first appearance at the Dispatch Box and his maiden speech.

He spoke kindly and accurately of our noble and learned friend Lord Keen and modestly of himself, but we have already benefited from his being here with...

My Lords, my noble and learned friend Lord Stewart has made both his first appearance at the Dispatch Box and his maiden speech.

He spoke kindly and accurately of our noble and learned friend Lord Keen and modestly of himself, but we have already benefited from his being here with...

May I, as others have done, warmly congratulate the Prime Minister and his Defence Ministers since 2010 on turning round the economy of the Ministry of Defence and its procurement regime, and thank him for committing to the 2% NATO expenditure target? Beyond that, I urge him to consider finding...

May I, as others have done, warmly congratulate the Prime Minister and his Defence Ministers since 2010 on turning round the economy of the Ministry of Defence and its procurement regime, and thank him for committing to the 2% NATO expenditure target? Beyond that, I urge him to consider finding...

To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2012, Official Report, column 12W, on police: surveillance, if at his next discussion with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), he will ask the DPP to provide an estimate of the number of cases where there may have been...

To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2012, Official Report, column 12W, on police: surveillance, if at his next discussion with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), he will ask the DPP to provide an estimate of the number of cases where there may have been...

To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the number of cases where there may have been a miscarriage of justice due to the involvement of undercover police officers; what estimate he has made of the number of such cases; and...

To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on the number of cases where there may have been a miscarriage of justice due to the involvement of undercover police officers; what estimate he has made of the number of such cases; and...

On 18 April 2011, Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, announced that following a review by Clare Montgomery QC, the safety of the convictions of the individuals who protested at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, should be considered by the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. During that review,...

On 18 April 2011, Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, announced that following a review by Clare Montgomery QC, the safety of the convictions of the individuals who protested at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, should be considered by the Court of Appeal as soon as possible. During that review,...

That was a compromise arrived at and brokered by the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick). Were it not for his amendment, I think that we would be hovering somewhere above 50 days and trying to get some reduction from the 90 days that the then Government were trying...

That was a compromise arrived at and brokered by the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick). Were it not for his amendment, I think that we would be hovering somewhere above 50 days and trying to get some reduction from the 90 days that the then Government were trying...

The Bill states, at the top of page 54:"““The Secretary of State may certify in relation to an inquest””" and so on. Does he carry on the certification process privately, or is it susceptible to counter-argument, and is his decision to certify justiciable? [Interruption.] Can I take him to court...

The Bill states, at the top of page 54:"““The Secretary of State may certify in relation to an inquest””" and so on. Does he carry on the certification process privately, or is it susceptible to counter-argument, and is his decision to certify justiciable? [Interruption.] Can I take him to court...

They should already have been worked through. That is the whole point about the drafting of the Bill. I do not wish to be unduly aggressive, but the Minister ought to able to answer my questions—if not right now, then having taken advice on them.

They should already have been worked through. That is the whole point about the drafting of the Bill. I do not wish to be unduly aggressive, but the Minister ought to able to answer my questions—if not right now, then having taken advice on them.

I am extremely grateful. It is reassuring that some part of the House of Commons will have the opportunity to discuss the draft Bill in a relatively calm and consensual environment. Of course there will be individual disagreements, but I have a suspicion that the Committee as a whole will...

I am extremely grateful. It is reassuring that some part of the House of Commons will have the opportunity to discuss the draft Bill in a relatively calm and consensual environment. Of course there will be individual disagreements, but I have a suspicion that the Committee as a whole will...

And so they should be, but I have no doubt that the right hon. Gentleman and his colleagues on the Committee—Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat—will come forward with a considered view on the matter and produce a report that will be not only worth his producing but worth our debating....

And so they should be, but I have no doubt that the right hon. Gentleman and his colleagues on the Committee—Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat—will come forward with a considered view on the matter and produce a report that will be not only worth his producing but worth our debating....

Although I frequently agree with the right hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz), who is also my neighbour, the matters that we are dealing with today do not represent closure. By the very nature of the Government and the Home Secretary's production of the draft counter-terrorism temporary provisions Bill,...

Although I frequently agree with the right hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz), who is also my neighbour, the matters that we are dealing with today do not represent closure. By the very nature of the Government and the Home Secretary's production of the draft counter-terrorism temporary provisions Bill,...

The interchange between my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Mr. Hogg) and the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) has been more illuminating than is often the case in debates of this sort. My right hon. and learned Friend has analysed...

The interchange between my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Mr. Hogg) and the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) has been more illuminating than is often the case in debates of this sort. My right hon. and learned Friend has analysed...

We do not have to use a hypothetical example, as we know from friendly fire incidents in Iraq that the US was extremely reluctant to allow evidence about what its forces were doing to be used in the inquests into the deaths of our service men and women. We already...

We do not have to use a hypothetical example, as we know from friendly fire incidents in Iraq that the US was extremely reluctant to allow evidence about what its forces were doing to be used in the inquests into the deaths of our service men and women. We already...

I am making a suggestion; I have no power over those who work behind the Chair. However, I dare say that somebody with a bit of initiative, such as the Minister, could find out the answer. The point is that there will come a time when deaths in custody, involving...

I am making a suggestion; I have no power over those who work behind the Chair. However, I dare say that somebody with a bit of initiative, such as the Minister, could find out the answer. The point is that there will come a time when deaths in custody, involving...

My right hon. and learned Friend says that it might be seven years. The Minister will have that information available to him—

My right hon. and learned Friend says that it might be seven years. The Minister will have that information available to him—

Yes, the hon. Gentleman was. There is plenty of evidence that that governmental habit has been repeated decade after decade, so let me take my hat off to the Government—they win no prizes for originality, but they certainly win prizes for lifting up the pot plants to see what the...

Yes, the hon. Gentleman was. There is plenty of evidence that that governmental habit has been repeated decade after decade, so let me take my hat off to the Government—they win no prizes for originality, but they certainly win prizes for lifting up the pot plants to see what the...

I want to begin with an apology. Like a number of Members who have spoken in today’s debate, I was not here at the outset to hear the Home Secretary introduce Second Reading. My excuse is that I was obeying the law. Under the Criminal Justice Act 2003—or, at least,...

I want to begin with an apology. Like a number of Members who have spoken in today’s debate, I was not here at the outset to hear the Home Secretary introduce Second Reading. My excuse is that I was obeying the law. Under the Criminal Justice Act 2003—or, at least,...