My Lords, as I understand it, the Wilson doctrine committed the then Government to returning to Parliament if there was a change of policy. Clearly, now that we are enshrining what I think by common consent is a good formula for protecting parliamentarians, the need for a Government to come back to Parliament to announce a change in policy would have to be followed up, if it were done, by further primary legislation. I cannot envisage that and simply do not foresee that contingency. Through the Bill, we are now in a stronger and clearer position on the protection of parliamentarians and their communications with constituents than we were before.
Investigatory Powers Bill
Proceeding contribution from
Earl Howe
(Conservative)
in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 19 July 2016.
It occurred during Committee of the Whole House (HL)
and
Debate on bills on Investigatory Powers Bill.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
774 c596 
Session
2016-17
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords chamber
Subjects
Librarians' tools
Timestamp
2017-02-17 10:03:38 +0000
URI
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