Crime and Courts Bill [Lords]

I am grateful, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to speak to the amendments and thus begin our deli...

Will the Minister give way?

Let me finish the point first.

There is a duty on the Home Secretary to consult persons aff...

My question is a simple one. Why did the Minister not table new clause 3 in Committee and allow t...

It seems to me that this is not a very substantive issue; it is a procedural issue. The Governmen...

The Minister describes a substantive and exhaustive process of parliamentary scrutiny. Is he awar...

I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s interest in the matter. I am cautious about getting ahead of o...

The Minister will be aware that there are particular arrangements in Northern Ireland for dealing...

By the time I get to the end of my speech, the hon. Lady will be in no doubt that all Northern Ir...

rose—

rose—

I will give way, but I am delivering a substantive passage of my speech, which will be of great i...

I am grateful to the Minister for allowing me to put on the record at the outset the fact that th...

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman and pleased that I gave way, because I share his anguis...

The Minister is quite right that this is a very serious issue in Northern Ireland. We, too, wish ...

I do not have a speaking note on that point. I, like most Members, have received a number of repr...

rose—

Let me proceed a little and then I will give way.

The table in paragraph 9 sets out the “re...

Will the Minister clarify whether the two strands of his speech interact? If powers were transfer...

Although the Met takes the lead, each individual police force is responsible for its own activiti...

As the Minister outlined the provisions and voiced regret at having to table new schedule 1, the ...

I think it would be more proper for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to answer that qu...

I will deal with the questions raised by the right hon. Member for Belfast North (Mr Dodds) about...

It would probably be better if I avoided talking about operational matters with regard to the pre...

New clause 3 and the other amendments before the House concern important issues that are fundamen...

As I have said, the Government have an open mind on this matter. We want to achieve the best poss...

I am grateful to the Minister. Perhaps between now and the super-affirmative order coming forward...

My right hon. Friend is doing an excellent job of highlighting the Government’s inconsistency on ...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend, who knows what he is talking about. He had to take executi...

I appreciate the right hon. Gentleman’s point, but does he accept that although the Government ar...

I understand that point. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I did two years in Northern Ireland, and I ...

When the right hon. Gentleman said that he did two years in Northern Ireland, it sounded more lik...

I reassure the hon. Lady that I loved every minute of my time in Northern Ireland and was sorry t...

Does the shadow Minister recognise that when the Bill first emerged in draft, some of us pointed ...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, because that is the point that I am making. Where is the Norther...

I am in the rather strange position of wanting to support the amendments tabled by the hon. Membe...

Let me say to my hon. Friends on the Opposition Front Bench that I am extremely shocked by what h...

Given all the points the hon. Gentleman is making and that he started his speech by saying that t...

I understand where the hon. Gentleman is coming from, but I am not playing party politics with th...

It is with regret that I see the references to Northern Ireland and the role of the National Crim...

Does the hon. Gentleman accept that a false interface is being created between terrorism and crim...

Attempts have been made during the debate to make exactly that distinction, but the hon. Lady is ...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for making his argument so powerfully. Does he agree that this mi...

That is another way of looking at how to get coverage in Northern Ireland. The Minister cannot si...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson), who spoke with his usu...

I wonder whether the right hon. Gentleman would agree that there is another important issue here,...

I compliment my hon. Friend on her ingenuity in seeing two pages ahead in my speaking notes; I wi...

I hope I can reassure my right hon. Friend slightly. The Justice Minister is aware of that partic...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that assurance. It is timely to pay tribute to David Ford, th...

Let me begin by saying that if the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) presses ...

The hon. Gentleman’s view on policing and the safeguards that are required obviously differs from...

The reluctance is not a reluctance to see the National Crime Agency operate or make a due contrib...

I do not doubt for a minute that the hon. Gentleman’s concerns about wanting the NCA to operate i...

The hon. Lady’s point about the discussions and modifications that have already been made proves ...

I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman and his party for all the ri...

I welcome what the right hon. Gentleman says. We have mentioned some of the discussions that have...

Does the hon. Gentleman accept that his arguments about this particular matter also relate to the...

I fully accept what the right hon. Gentleman says. Our concern is not to make sure that the NCA h...

Time is short and so, although I will try to give a thorough response, I may be sparing in the nu...

rose—

There is a lot of desire to discuss proceeds of crime in Northern Ireland, so, ironically, the lo...

The Minister certainly has not offended my sensibilities. He accepts that the Bill is deficient a...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that intervention, if only because it allows me to clarif...

Would the Minister clarify for me, given what my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington ...

It is interesting; we now do have interest from the Opposition Front Bench.

rose—

I will give way to the hon. Gentleman, and then I will speak to the amendments in the group.

It is important that we hear a response to the question asked by my right hon. Friend the Member ...

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s intervention. Let me explain the Government’s position and...

Of course that is the case; we all accept the need to protect the public. Until now, customs and ...

If the Opposition spokespeople have changed their position—

They have not changed their position.

Well, if they have come to see the wisdom of the position adopted by the hon. Member for Hayes an...

rose—

Let me finish the point. [Interruption.] I will give way; I have already done so, and I will do s...

It may come as a surprise to the Minister, but part of the purpose of Report is to discuss matter...

Let me say two things. Nothing in the Government’s position has changed since Committee. There is...

This is about exactly what my right hon. Friend the Member for Delyn said. This is what we call l...

I will clarify the fact that the intention of this part of the Bill is very straightforward. Ther...

rose—

Having been told that Labour Whips wanted us to proceed quickly, I give way for the fifth time to...

I am grateful to the Minister. He should know that one of our concerns is that police officers sh...

I received a note because I said to Parliament that the provision applied to NCA employees with o...

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. You will recall that Wellingborough prison was closed wit...

What I can tell the hon. Gentleman is that the Chair has not been advised of such a sale, but his...

I beg to move, That the schedule be read a Second time.

With this it will be convenient to discuss Government amendments 61 to 71, 75, 86 and 88.

I do not propose to detain the House long on the new schedule and amendments. In essence, they de...

I say again to the Minister that this is a really difficult issue for Northern Ireland. It is a b...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way. It is a great pity that the Minister would not g...

It does indeed; it creates a tremendous hole in asset recovery provisions. In effect it means—the...

I am sure the shadow Minister will agree that the situation gives gangsters and criminals in Nort...

This is an extremely serious issue, and I want the Minister to say not just that there is a probl...

In a way, points or lines of difference are being drawn between the two Front Benches that do not...

rose—

rose—

One second.

Our position is clear. In a way, this is a strange debate, in that I am explain...

That analysis might come back to bite the Minister under another set of circumstances. All I woul...

The point I am making is that the proposal is not being held to ransom by the UK Government. I ag...

Does the Minister not accept, however, that on this issue there is a big difference? The inabilit...

rose—

Order.

4.23 pm

Three and a half hours having elapsed since the commencement of procee...

I now have to announce the result of today’s deferred Divisions. In the deferred Division on the ...

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Amendment 120, in clause 41, page...

Both new clause 18 and amendment 120 concern sentences for driving over the prescribed limits for...

I believe that in Northern Ireland there are already rules, regulations and laws that address thi...

The amendments are intended to enable the Government to conduct a proactive review, which should,...

I, too, must make a declaration. I was a criminal barrister who both prosecuted and defended.

I remember briefing my hon. Friend on many occasions. He was a great advocate in courts in Enfiel...

It is a great pleasure to contribute, albeit briefly, to the debate. It is also a great pleasure ...

I thank the hon. Member for Clwyd South (Susan Elan Jones) for her brief but to-the-point contrib...

I speak on behalf of the Opposition on this collection of amendments. The Bill has been called a ...

The prosecution may want to push forward a prosecution for careless driving with limited independ...

I understand the point that the hon. Gentleman makes. That is exactly why we needed to test in Co...

I will talk mainly about drug-driving because that has been the largest part of our debate, but I...

Will the Minister respond to the question that I asked him about the expert panel, which has set ...

No final decision has been made on the precise list of what will be tested for. We are grateful f...

Given the Minister’s open, earnest and welcome admission that he cannot answer the questions rais...

The Government will publish a revised impact assessment alongside our consultation on the drugs t...

I welcome the debate on new clause 18. The hon. Member for Walthamstow (Stella Creasy) referred t...

I beg to move amendment 22, page 17, line 21, at end insert—

‘Part 4A amends the selection ...

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Government amendments 10 to 21.