Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill

Debate between Baroness Barker and Baroness Cumberlege

Monday 17th June 2013 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Barker]

But which is none the less possible.

[Baroness Cumberlege]

I live in a rural area and I looked into this. In rural areas particularly, registrars work in teams. It is like a team ministry in the church: a number of registrars serve several different registry offices. That is certainly what happens in my area.

[Baroness Barker]

None the less, I return to the point: the noble Baroness wishes to put in legislation the potential for some of our citizens to be treated as second-class. That, I am afraid, is not acceptable. In this House we sit and debate whether legislation should be introduced partially, in stages or whatever; we decide what the law is, what is fair and what all our citizens have the right to expect. Why should this be different?

Health and Social Care Bill

Debate between Baroness Barker and Baroness Cumberlege

Monday 28th November 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Cumberlege]

My Lords, I was heartened by a lot of what my noble friend said about maternity services, but it seems that the variations will be reduced through NICE quality standards. I understand that NICE has a very long queue of services to be considered for quality standards and I wonder whether my noble friend and the Government have any influence over which services have priority to have their standards set early and which will have to wait. As maternity involves a tremendous number of women who are giving birth, it is really important to get it in the front of the queue, as far as possible.

[Baroness Barker]

My Lords, can my noble friend tell me where in the legislation it is made clear, if a CCG were to have a conflict—that is, a disagreement—with the commissioning support organisation, where and how that conflict would be resolved?