Freedom of Information Act 2000

Debate between Lord Kinnock and Lord McNally

Thursday 15th March 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Kinnock]

Can the Minister tell us of any measure of the dimensions of the Health and Social Care Bill, with such direct effect on the organisation of a life-and-death service, that has been protected by any Government’s evasion of the responsibility to publish risk registers? This is not a matter of political persuasion but of the fundamental well-being of the people of this country.

[Lord McNally]

It is a matter of political posturing.

Legal System: Translation and Interpreting Services

Debate between Lord Kinnock and Lord McNally

Tuesday 1st November 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Kinnock]

My Lords, no one is arguing for simple maintenance of the status quo. When over half of the qualified people in this profession have made it clear that they are unwilling to register with a new body under the new framework because it implies cuts of up to 70 per cent of their incomes, does the Minister not think that the Government are taking a huge risk by pursuing this course without further review and that it will result in loss of quality, compromise justice—which is worst of all—and could end up ultimately, as the professionals warn, costing much more and not reducing costs?

[Lord McNally]

The noble Lord has listed all the campaign slogans, as it were.

Elections: Alternative Vote System

Debate between Lord Kinnock and Lord McNally

Tuesday 3rd May 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord McNally]

Nothing is inevitable, including the outcome of the AV referendum.

[Lord Kinnock]

Will the Minister confirm that in 90 years of using alternative voting in Australia, no one has ever proposed or used machines for voting or counting under such a system? Will he also confirm that if there were alternative voting in a general election in this country, there is no proposal from anyone, no provision and no finance allocated for the introduction of machine voting? Will he advise people on both sides of this argument that it is disreputable as well as misleading to the electorate to make repeated claims, as some have, that it is necessary and inevitable that machines are used in AV voting systems?

[Lord McNally]

Gosh, we are getting a lot of information today. This is all extremely useful for the electorate. In less than 48 hours, the power will pass to them. I have always been one of those politicians who trusts the people and I will wait to find out what they say. As to the earlier point on the Australian experience, the noble Lord is perfectly right.