It’s only when I get a spare moment and log on to the blog that I realise what a lot has happened. Days pass with frantic rushes to get to the next meeting more or less on time (meetings do nearly always begin on time in this place – rooms are usually booked for an…
There will be a Private Notice Question today in the Chamber of the House of Lords. It will read as follows “To ask HMG, following the proposals announced yesterday, whether they will urgently report to the House how they will maintain an arm’s length relationship with the banks in which they have taken a shareholding.’…
I can’t remember if anyone has so far described ‘long table’? If not – it is an ancient custom in the House of Lords. In three of the restaurants (the Home (pronouced Hume and dedicated to Lord Home – a Tory Prime Minister in the 1970s) Room, the Peers’ Dining Room and the Barry Room…
The Government has already signalled its intention to bring in a Communications Data Bill in the new parliamentary session. As many will remember one of the most vociferous objections to identity cards was not the cards themselves but the central register that would store huge amounts of personal data. However, the plans to introduce a massive…
Yesterday the Torture (Damages) bill proceeded to its next stage in the House of Lords. The Bill had its First Reading – a formality – some months ago, followed by Second Reading at which a number of impassioned speeches were delivered. The next step for any bill is the Committee stage. However, since no amendments were tabled, Lord Archer QC who…
