My honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (David Hanson) has made the following Ministerial Statement. The Government have received a report from the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Mr Kit Chivers. The report, The Causeway Project: A Short Inspection, has today beenpublished. The Government...

My honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (David Hanson) has made the following Ministerial Statement. The Government have received a report from the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Mr Kit Chivers. The report, The Causeway Project: A Short Inspection, has today beenpublished. The Government...

The Government have received a report from the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Mr. Kit Chivers. The report, ““The Causeway Project: A Short Inspection””, has today been published. The Government warmly welcome this report, and thanks the chief inspector and his team for the evident care and...

The Government have received a report from the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Mr. Kit Chivers. The report, ““The Causeway Project: A Short Inspection””, has today been published. The Government warmly welcome this report, and thanks the chief inspector and his team for the evident care and...

Charities Bill (HL). Committee stage eighth sitting (afternoon). Clauses 67 to 78 agreed to, clauses 73, 77 and 78 as amended. Schedules 8 to 10, as amended, agreed to. Bill, as amended, to be reported (Bill 213 2005-06).

Charities Bill (HL). Committee stage eighth sitting (afternoon). Clauses 67 to 78 agreed to, clauses 73, 77 and 78 as amended. Schedules 8 to 10, as amended, agreed to. Bill, as amended, to be reported (Bill 213 2005-06).

Charities Bill (HL). Committee stage fourth sitting (afternoon). Clause 7 agreed to. Clause 8 agreed to. Schedules 3 and 4 agreed to.

Charities Bill (HL). Committee stage fourth sitting (afternoon). Clause 7 agreed to. Clause 8 agreed to. Schedules 3 and 4 agreed to.

Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill (HL). Second Reading debate. Agreed to on question. Programme motion for proceedings in Committee, on Report and Third Reading agreed to on question (formal). Queens consent signified. Money resolution agreed to on question (formal).

Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Bill (HL). Second Reading debate. Agreed to on question. Programme motion for proceedings in Committee, on Report and Third Reading agreed to on question (formal). Queens consent signified. Money resolution agreed to on question (formal).

We understand what the Secretary of State is saying, but we wish that the Bill were able to improve and increase the devolved settlement, and to enable it to become more mature. We wish that it would allow the commissioner, who will necessarily be an independent officer, to have more...

We understand what the Secretary of State is saying, but we wish that the Bill were able to improve and increase the devolved settlement, and to enable it to become more mature. We wish that it would allow the commissioner, who will necessarily be an independent officer, to have more...

On the ASW case, in welcoming the huge increase that has gone into the financial assistance scheme, which will increase the number of ASW pensioners who benefit, does my right hon. Friend also accept that some of my constituents, because they started their working lives young and do not fall...

On the ASW case, in welcoming the huge increase that has gone into the financial assistance scheme, which will increase the number of ASW pensioners who benefit, does my right hon. Friend also accept that some of my constituents, because they started their working lives young and do not fall...

Welsh Liberal Democrats also welcome the Bill and will not oppose its Second Reading. However, we shall raise a number of points in Committee because we believe that the Bill could be strengthened to protect older people in Wales. I would like to acknowledge the long hours and hard work...

Welsh Liberal Democrats also welcome the Bill and will not oppose its Second Reading. However, we shall raise a number of points in Committee because we believe that the Bill could be strengthened to protect older people in Wales. I would like to acknowledge the long hours and hard work...

What relationship does my hon. Friend predict that the new commissioner will have with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which recently decided not to approve quality of life improving drugs for people suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease? Increasing numbers of people are in need...

What relationship does my hon. Friend predict that the new commissioner will have with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which recently decided not to approve quality of life improving drugs for people suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease? Increasing numbers of people are in need...

Will the Secretary of State give way?

Will the Secretary of State give way?

Dream on. The pensioners of Wales will benefit from this pioneering Bill—probably one of the first such Bills in the world—and I am setting the context for this very important initiative. [Interruption.] The hon. Lady finds it embarrassing to have to listen to the incredible record of success of our...

Dream on. The pensioners of Wales will benefit from this pioneering Bill—probably one of the first such Bills in the world—and I am setting the context for this very important initiative. [Interruption.] The hon. Lady finds it embarrassing to have to listen to the incredible record of success of our...

I thank my right hon. Friend for giving way, while he is still considering the Bill’s background. Does he agree that the Government are the first Government to recognise the problem of poverty for women in old age? Does he not applaud the Government’s proposals that will lift so many...

I thank my right hon. Friend for giving way, while he is still considering the Bill’s background. Does he agree that the Government are the first Government to recognise the problem of poverty for women in old age? Does he not applaud the Government’s proposals that will lift so many...

No. I need to make progress on the Bill itself.

No. I need to make progress on the Bill itself.

Indeed. The scandalous way in which many generations of women have been discriminated against in not being able to get the full basic retirement entitlement that men have is now being addressed under our new policy.

Indeed. The scandalous way in which many generations of women have been discriminated against in not being able to get the full basic retirement entitlement that men have is now being addressed under our new policy.

In the ASW case, the Government completely disregarded the conclusions and recommendations of the independent parliamentary ombudsman. What guarantee do older people in Wales have that the UK Government will not show equal disregard for the recommendations of the commissioner for older people?

In the ASW case, the Government completely disregarded the conclusions and recommendations of the independent parliamentary ombudsman. What guarantee do older people in Wales have that the UK Government will not show equal disregard for the recommendations of the commissioner for older people?

I am listening with great interest to the Secretary of State’s speech and Conservative Members support the measure. He has concentrated on pensioners, but the Bill refers to a commissioner for older people. How does he define older people? At what age do people become old? Surely that is an...

I am listening with great interest to the Secretary of State’s speech and Conservative Members support the measure. He has concentrated on pensioners, but the Bill refers to a commissioner for older people. How does he define older people? At what age do people become old? Surely that is an...

We would not set up the commissioner for older people only to take no notice, would we? I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will welcome our proposal with his characteristic generosity. I acknowledge, to be fair, that his party has supported it in principle. Indeed, as I shall argue...

We would not set up the commissioner for older people only to take no notice, would we? I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will welcome our proposal with his characteristic generosity. I acknowledge, to be fair, that his party has supported it in principle. Indeed, as I shall argue...

I understood that the Bill related to establishing a commissioner for older people and devolved matters. Is the Secretary of State now telling us that he is planning to devolve pensions to the Welsh Assembly? Obviously, if he is making such a fuss about the Government’s pensions arrangements, they must...

I understood that the Bill related to establishing a commissioner for older people and devolved matters. Is the Secretary of State now telling us that he is planning to devolve pensions to the Welsh Assembly? Obviously, if he is making such a fuss about the Government’s pensions arrangements, they must...

Of course it is. If the hon. Gentleman had taken the trouble to inquire into the Bill, he would know that the age of 60 is the one that applies. Just like the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, many of the policies that I have been explaining have blazed a trail...

Of course it is. If the hon. Gentleman had taken the trouble to inquire into the Bill, he would know that the age of 60 is the one that applies. Just like the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, many of the policies that I have been explaining have blazed a trail...

The Secretary of State forgets that Wales has been used by the Labour Government as a laboratory because Wales had the revaluation, which badly affected pensioners, and we have yet to have the revaluation in England. We will take no lessons from the Secretary of State on what the Government...

The Secretary of State forgets that Wales has been used by the Labour Government as a laboratory because Wales had the revaluation, which badly affected pensioners, and we have yet to have the revaluation in England. We will take no lessons from the Secretary of State on what the Government...