State Pensions: Canada Free Trade Agreement

Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Russell of Liverpool

Wednesday 18th October 2023 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)]

If I have not said it before, I assure the noble Viscount that actually the two are separate: social security arrangements linking to pensions are separate from free trade agreements. I think I alluded to that in one of my answers, but let me make it completely clear.

[Lord Russell of Liverpool (CB)]

Last Thursday, I was in Strasbourg at the Council of Europe as part of the UK delegation. A group of Canadian parliamentarians very kindly invited a group of the UK members to lunch, and noble Lords may guess what the subject of the lunch was. I was sitting opposite a Senator who launched into a diatribe about the pensioner situation in Canada, and on my left was a female MP from an agricultural constituency who was bemoaning the fact that Canada imports a certain amount of British beef but is unable to export any beef to us at all. So, whatever the Minister and his department may think, there is indeed a very strong connection in the minds of the Canadian Government between the two.

[Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)]

Yes, and I understand how they might wish to make that connection, but I reiterate again that we see no connection. In fact, the agreements that have been put in place in the past have been social security agreements. I also say gently to the noble Lord that the agreement between the EU and Canada is not dissimilar to the current agreement between the UK and Canada.

Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill

Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Russell of Liverpool

Committee stage & Lords Hansard
Tuesday 9th March 2021 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con)]

I am sorry to interrupt the noble and gallant Lord, but we cannot hear him very well. We shall come back to him later in the debate.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Lord Russell of Liverpool) (CB)]

Lord Boyce, we will come back to you later. I now call the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hope of Craighead.

Abortion Regulations: Northern Ireland

Debate between Viscount Younger of Leckie and Lord Russell of Liverpool

Monday 8th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Younger of Leckie [V]]

I totally agree that people have strongly held views on this matter. I reassure the noble Lord that the regulations can be amended in Northern Ireland, should that be wished in the future.

[The Deputy Speaker (Lord Russell of Liverpool) (CB)]

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown? No? I therefore call the noble Baroness, Lady Stroud.