UK: System of Government

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Tuesday 21st January 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I am so glad that the noble Lord got that in. It is difficult for me to answer, because of who is behind me. I think that the noble Lord knows that I do not have an answer at the moment.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that simple measures could be taken in the short term which would do a great deal to enhance the reputation of Parliament? Committees of both Houses could meet around the country on a regular basis. That has been done in the past and should be developed.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I agree with my noble friend; that is a good idea. After we leave the European Union, the shared prosperity fund is going to bind together the whole United Kingdom, tackling inequality and deprivation in each of our four nations. As we know from the devolution White Paper, ideas will be coming forward and we are going to do more in the regions.

NHS: Contaminated Blood

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Thursday 20th July 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I thank the noble Baroness for the question. We are very aware of the worries that various Members involved in this have. That is why an early consultative meeting was scheduled for today at the Cabinet Office. As I said in the Statement, the Secretary of State and Ministers hope to understand further the important views of those affected about the shape and establishment of the inquiry. It was the first of several meetings. Over the summer, following the responses as a result of the letters, we will be going forward, listening to what everyone is saying and making a decision. I can guarantee that.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, as a Member of Parliament around 30 years ago, I was approached on this very tragic issue and became involved. Will my noble friend listen very carefully and talk to the Secretary of State about the point just made by the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher? We cannot have a department that is judge and jury. The Department of Health is being investigated. We need an inquiry presided over by a judge, answerable perhaps to the Cabinet Office, as has been mentioned, or perhaps to the Ministry of Justice, but it cannot be to the Department of Health. I urge my noble friend to take that message, which I rather infer is supported throughout your Lordships’ House, to the Secretary of State.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I thank my noble friend for his question and indeed for all he did all those years ago. The feelings when the Urgent Question was answered in the other place were obvious, as they are in this House, and I am sure the Department of Health is listening. I cannot stand here and categorically say what will happen, but I can say that the department is listening and is very aware of the deep feelings that everybody has on this subject.

House of Lords Act 1999 (Amendment) Bill [HL]

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Committee: 1st sitting (Hansard): House of Lords
Friday 9th December 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I have nothing to add to what I said earlier.

[Lord Cormack]

My Lords, in the 46 years I have been in this building, no Private Member’s Bill has ever got on to the statute book if the Government were opposed to it. We should bring these proceedings to a close.

Franchise: British Citizens Abroad

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Thursday 20th October 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My Lords, the noble Lord has slightly got me on that one. I will have to write to him.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, has it occurred to my noble friend that, had we given due priority to this manifesto commitment, British history might be a little different?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

This has nothing to do with the EU referendum. That was run under the Westminster franchise. This is a completely different set of rules, and the idea is to bring it in with primary and secondary legislation.

Electoral Fraud

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Monday 12th September 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I think there were two questions there. Sir Eric, as the anticorruption champion and as a former Minister for communities and local government, is the ideal person for the job. He has taken a close interest in election fraud for many years and noble Lords who have read the report will surely agree that it has been conducted in a completely independent way. On the second question, there are indeed vulnerable people who are not on the register; that is why the Government have funded civil society organisations to engage with groups which are known to be reluctant to register. In fact, the Cabinet Office is supporting an innovative research project in Grampian, which is looking into how trusted data sources can be used to target canvassing activity more effectively. We are also exploring ways to limit the number of frequent home movers who drop off the register, particularly those in the private rental sector, by piloting ways effectively to move your home address on to the electoral register when using local authority services, such as council tax.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, I ask my noble friend yet again: what is the logical argument against compulsory registration? There are penalties for those who do not register; surely it is right to make this compulsory.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

We do not plan to make registration compulsory.

Constituency Boundary Revisions

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Thursday 30th June 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I do not want to make a political point but this appears to be a cynical delaying tactic. In the previous Parliament there seemed to be a conspiracy to delay the boundary review by legislating to put it back until 2018. Here, we have new excuses to push it back again, but to do so would mean that the next general election would be fought on incredibly outdated constituencies. We need to move ahead and have the boundary review in place by 2018. We need to be able to put our candidates into their constituencies in time to fight the 2020 general election. This has been decided as the way forward. For goodness sake, let us just go ahead and do it.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, I do not dissent from what my noble friend has said. However, can I again make a plea for the Government to look in an open-minded way at the issue of compulsory registration, which would solve many of the problems that have been referred to? That way, if people did not register they would be liable to a penalty. It would be entirely right and proper to insist upon compulsory registration. I beg my noble friend to have an open mind on that.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

As my noble friend knows, my mind is always open. However, in this case, I do not think there will be any change.

Voter Registration

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Thursday 12th May 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

Indeed; that is why, as I said, we are making huge efforts and have given quite a few grants to organisations that we feel are the best people to engage with those under-registered groups. They are working in universities, schools and online to try to get particularly the young interested in registering in time for the EU referendum.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, perhaps I may raise once again an issue that I have raised many times: is there not now a case for compulsory registration?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

No, we really do not feel that there is. We live in a free, democratic society and it is up to everybody to make the decision on whether or not they want to register. All we can do is to give them the option to register and make it as easy as possible for them to do so. That is why it now takes only three minutes to register online. I think that that is the best way for us to go forward.

UK Constitutional Convention

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My noble friend Lord Strathclyde’s review is very specific. It is on the matters of last week, when this House withheld its approval to financial measures that had been approved three times by the other House. A convention exists and it was broken. We want to get things back on an even keel.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, would my noble friend accept that it is very important indeed that, before my noble friend Lord Strathclyde reports to this House—it is to the House that he is answerable—he takes with him those Labour constitutionalists who voted in the government Lobby last week and people like the noble Lord, Lord Lisvane, so that whatever is produced commands a cross-section of support in this House?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My Lords, I know that there is wide interest in this subject. My noble friend Lord Strathclyde will report back to the Government. During the review he will take careful interest in what noble Lords from all sides of this House say.

Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (Transitional Provisions) Order 2015

Debate between Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen and Lord Cormack

Tuesday 27th October 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Cormack]

I am not obliged to give way and at the moment I am not giving way. I will in a moment. When we are debating the franchise for another place, we have to be especially careful how we exercise our judgment as well as our vote. I will give way.