UK Parliament / Open data

Climate Change Bill [HL]

I have one supplementary question to ask, following on from my noble friend Lord Cathcart. The Oxford English Dictionary gives three definitions of ““expedient””. The first is, ““‘expeditious’ or ‘speedy’””; the second is ““Conducive to advantage in general, or to a definite purpose; fit, proper or suitable to the purposes of the case””; and the third, in a depreciative sense, is, ““‘Useful’ or ‘politic’ as opposed to ‘just’ or ‘right’””. I quote in particular an example given in the OED of a predecessor or mine as Member of Parliament for Westminster, John Stuart Mill, who said: "““The expedient, in the sense in which it is opposed to the right, generally means that which is expedient for the particular interest of the agent himself””." I realise that in Humpty Dumpty’s view, the words could mean anything one chose them to mean, but which particular interpretation do the Government have in mind?
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
697 c854 
Session
2007-08
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
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