"My Lords, I wish to express my particular concern regarding Amendment 416. The question I must put to the noble and learned Lord is, why should an independent doctor tasked with providing a second opinion not have access to the notes of the first? Is the intention to prevent any …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"My Lords, I take noble Lords back to when they were young; we have all been there. I suspect that we all remember the odd and what may now seem very troubling ideas that sometimes passed through our minds during those years. Many of us have also watched our children—and …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"I would like to go back to our noble colleague from Yorkshire—I am afraid I do not know the noble Lord’s name and I apologise. He talked about working in the communities in the East End. We are short of GPs as it is, and most of our GPs come …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"My Lords, I just want to raise one point. We have heard an awful lot today, but I very much support what my noble friend Lady Berridge and the noble Baroness, Lady Rafferty, have just said about training. I do not believe a doctor, or any form of medical practitioner, …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"My Lords, I speak definitely not as a lawyer or as part of the medical profession in any way. It appears to me that the Mental Capacity Act uses the balance of probabilities when making a decision, rather than “beyond reasonable doubt” as, in my understanding, the criminal court does. …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"My Lords, this Bill raises profound concerns for me, and I wish to outline five reasons why I cannot support it in its current form. First, although many of us have faced the death of loved ones, in my case I have witnessed the extraordinary comfort that high-quality palliative care …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"My Lords, I, too, would like to speak in support of Amendment 448A, which I believe represents a significant step forward in promoting fairness within the teaching profession. Just as there are many reasons why an individual may choose not to join a political party, there are likewise numerous legitimate …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"My Lords, I shall speak to these amendments, to which I have added by name. What we are dealing with here is a basic question of fairness. Currently, the law recognises the importance of accompaniment at disciplinary and grievance hearings, yet it narrowly limits who that companion can be. Unless …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"Does the Minister understand that there is a two-tier system here? If you are a trade unionist you can have somewhat more professional attendance than somebody who is not a trade unionist. That is what is important...." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech
"My Lords, I, too, support my noble friend. In my view, these proposals are long overdue. When my children were born in the 1990s, paternity leave was not even part of the conversation. Much has changed but the statutory provision for paternity leave, currently just two weeks, still reflects a …..." Lord Ashcombe - View Speech