Illegal Migration Bill

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Report stage
Wednesday 28th June 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord German (LD)]

My Lords, I listened very carefully to the explanation of why the Government think this amendment ought not to be accepted, on the grounds that they are going to remove people within weeks of their arrival in the United Kingdom, without any evidence. It is also the case, I think, that this House generally does not believe that will happen. As it is a backstop for the Government to save money, I think it absolutely appropriate that we do our job to help the Government along and make sure that the public finances are not screwed up in that way. Therefore, I wish to test the opinion of the House.

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Pitkeathley) (Lab)]

My Lords, there is a technical problem and it has been decided that the Division will be deferred. We will take the Division together with the next Division after the next group.

Amendment 16 not moved.

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Pitkeathley) (Lab)]

Amendment 17 is consequential.

Amendment 17

Moved by

Probation and Court Services: Workload

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Thursday 9th June 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Stewart of Dirleton (Con)]

My Lords, once again I do not have the specific numerical answers to the noble Lord’s question, but I agree with everything that he said in his prefatory remarks about the importance of this field. I assure him that the Government are aware of that. Cafcass is an independent arm’s-length body which none the less works within the Civil Service funding structure. The Government have authorised uplifts over budget during the past two years to fund this work, the importance of which the noble Lord and I agree upon, and to lay some stress on the work that Cafcass carries out. With his indulgence, again, I will write to him in relation to the specific number questions that he poses.

[Baroness Pitkeathley (Lab)]

My Lords, I declare an interest as a former chair of Cafcass. Does the Minister agree that the difficulties of staffing for these services are a reflection of the whole social work profession, with low morale and very great difficulties of recruitment and retention because of poor pay and poor support over a great many years?

[Lord Stewart of Dirleton (Con)]

My Lords, one of the difficulties in relation to retention of staff in this body is a pay structure which means that the pay of Cafcass staff, tied as it is to Civil Service staffing models, can be less than what is available to professional people working for other agencies, such as in local government. In those circumstances, the Government are in regular contact with Cafcass officials and senior management and are satisfied that they are conscious of the great problems to which the noble Baroness alludes in her question. As to the retention and recruitment of staff, the Government are working with Cafcass to seek to maintain and, indeed, improve levels of staffing in this important area.

Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Report stage (Hansard): House of Lords
Wednesday 17th July 2019 Lords Chamber

Amendment 11B not moved.

[The Deputy Speaker (Baroness Pitkeathley) (Lab)]

If Amendment 12 is agreed to, my successor will not be able to call Amendments 13 and 14.

Clause 9: International obligations in respect of CEDAW

Amendment 12

Moved by

Flags (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Monday 25th March 2019 Grand Committee

[Lord Duncan of Springbank]

I am very clear about what Europe Day represents, having been a Member of the European Parliament. I have spent a great deal of my life—10 years—in Europe representing the Scottish Parliament in Europe. I am fully aware of what Europe Day represents. I am also a Minister in the Northern Ireland Office, so I know what flags mean in Northern Ireland and I do not think we should be conflating the two in the manner the noble Lord suggests, but if he is minded to do so that is his prerogative and his right. I remind him only that this is a matter primarily about the union flag, not the European flag.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Pitkeathley) (Lab)]

I clarify for the noble Lord that although we do not vote in Grand Committee, I will take the voices. The Question is that the Grand Committee do consider the Flags (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

[Lord Touhig]

Not content.

[Lord Bruce of Bennachie]

Not content.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees]

I must remind the Grand Committee that a single call of “Not content” has the effect of negativing the Motion. With that in mind, I put the Question again.

[Lord Touhig]

Not content.

European Union (Withdrawal) Bill

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Committee: 8th sitting (Hansard - continued): House of Lords
Monday 19th March 2018 Lords Chamber

230: Schedule 7, page 41, line 40, leave out paragraphs (2) and (3)

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Pitkeathley) (Lab)]

I should remind your Lordships that if Amendment 230 is agreed to, I cannot call Amendments 231 to 235.

[Lord Adonis]

My Lords, speaking in the middle of the night I see my role as being purely a silent John the Baptist to the noble Lord, Lord Lisvane. I beg to move.

Scotland Bill

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Monday 22nd February 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord McCluskey]

I am not sure whether I moved Amendment 79F originally, but if I did, I would want to withdraw it. The same applies to Amendments 79G, 81A and 82A. What I want to do is return to these matters on Report. For the benefit of my noble and learned friend Lord Hope of Craighead and others, it is possible to make those amendments known tonight. Officials are meeting at the end of this debate to discuss what is to go into the list of amendments for Report and I have put mine in by dint of simply asking them to repeat certain numbered ones which appeared in the Marshalled List. They accept that that is a method they can use to proceed.

The other point is a matter for the Committee. It appears quite silly in a way for the Committee to group Amendments 75 to 82, and then not allow those to be dealt with when the discussion on all these amendments is completed. We ought at that stage to be able to say, “I am not going to move Amendment 82A”, or whatever it may be, instead of which we have to go through the sequence. Therefore, I have been sitting here for approximately two and a half hours, waiting to stand up and say, “Not moved”. I am happy to say it now.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Baroness Pitkeathley) (Lab)]

As the noble and learned Lord has spoken to the amendment, I think he will have to move it, after which it can be withdrawn.

[Lord McCluskey]

I beg to move.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Dunlop]

This obviously has to be discussed through the usual channels but my understanding is that we will consider the Bill on Report in the same order that we have considered it in Committee.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees]

Does the noble and learned Lord, Lord McCluskey, now wish to withdraw his amendment?

[Lord McCluskey]

With the leave of the Committee, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.