Found: 46 Clause 44: Power of Welsh Ministers to protect others 47 Clause 45: Power of Secretary of State
Found: Scottish Ministers to protect others 51 Power of Secretary of State to protect others 52 Interpretation
Correspondence Apr. 30 2024
Committee: Business and Trade Committee (Department: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)Found: Letter from the Secretary of State relating to the UK arms exports to Israel, 25 April 2024 Correspondence
Mentions:
1: Lord Bellamy (Con - Life peer) Government Amendments 103A and 109A will require the Secretary of State to consult Welsh Ministers before - Speech Link
2: None the Secretary of State to consult the Welsh Ministers before declaring an incident that occurs in Wales - Speech Link
3: None statement This amendment would require the Secretary of State to consult the Welsh Ministers before appointing - Speech Link
4: Lord Wills (Lab - Life peer) conduct the force of statute. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Andrew Mitchell (Con - Sutton Coldfield) of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my hon. - Speech Link
2: James Gray (Con - North Wiltshire) One of our recommendations was that the programme would work properly only if all the Ministers responsible - Speech Link
3: Tommy Sheppard (SNP - Edinburgh East) state within the 1967 borders. - Speech Link
4: Nusrat Ghani (Con - Wealden) The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, my right hon. - Speech Link
5: Andrew Mitchell (Con - Sutton Coldfield) the Foreign Secretary has reviewed the most recent advice about the situation in Gaza and Israel’s conduct - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Mackay, Gillian (Green - Central Scotland) I had no one with me and no one to defend me when I was in no fit mental state to defend myself.”She - Speech Link
2: Haughey, Clare (SNP - Rutherglen) rights requires the state to ensure that an individual is protected against interference in their private - Speech Link
3: Cole-Hamilton, Alex (LD - Edinburgh Western) to offer ministers the ability to reduce the size of buffer zones if they so choose. - Speech Link
4: Maguire, Ruth (SNP - Cunninghame South) powers being misused by Scottish ministers. - Speech Link
5: Minto, Jenni (SNP - Argyll and Bute) I note her points on the shift of power, perhaps, between Parliament and ministers. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Kevin Hollinrake (Con - Thirsk and Malton) State for Culture, Media and Sport. - Speech Link
2: Chris Bryant (Lab - Rhondda) a breach of a conduct requirement if a firm can demonstrate that its anti-competitive conduct produces - Speech Link
3: John Penrose (Con - Weston-super-Mare) with a version of their own—dealing with the amount of time that the Secretary of State can take in dealing - Speech Link
4: Lyn Brown (Lab - West Ham) Lords amendments on the state ownership of our newspapers. - Speech Link
5: Kevin Hollinrake (Con - Thirsk and Malton) The Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, my hon. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Kidd, Bill (SNP - Glasgow Anniesland) a code for conduct towards patients, whether they were rich or poor, he led a group of doctors to supervise - Speech Link
2: Leonard, Richard (Lab - Central Scotland) The 1974 act empowered ministers to give leadership, it mobilised the power of the state for a great - Speech Link
3: Mochan, Carol (Lab - South Scotland) The legacy of the act is one of our absolute successes, as thousands of lives have been saved year after - Speech Link
4: Martin, Gillian (SNP - Aberdeenshire East) Many men have tinnitus because of the lack of ear protection, which has affected the rest of their lives—it - Speech Link
Found: Notices of Amendments as at 30 April 2024
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 12 March (HL Deb col 1904), what were the specific grounds for approval of the legal expenses of the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In line with the established practice under multiple administrations of all political colours, Ministers are provided with legal support and representation where matters relate to their conduct and responsibilities as a Minister.
As set out in Chapter 6 of the Cabinet Manual, Ministers are indemnified by the Crown for any actions taken against them for things done or decisions made in the course of their ministerial duties. The indemnity covers the cost of defending any proceedings, as well as costs or damages awarded against the minister. Decisions about whether to provide legal support are made by the relevant department’s Accounting Officer, as happened in this case.
This reflects an important principle that Ministers should be able to carry out their official duties, supported by official advice, in a way which they see fit, without the risk of personal liability constraining their ability to take those official actions. Of course, Ministers remain accountable to Parliament and the wider public for their actions as a Minister.
It would have a chilling effect on public life if Ministers faced the prospect of personal financial harm from those seeking to pressure the Government through vexatious or hostile litigation (or the threat thereof).
More broadly, the principle of legal support from the public purse for official duties is not confined to government. I would observe that there is insurance available to members of the House of Commons, provided by that House at taxpayers’ expense, designed to protect those members when carrying out parliamentary and constituency duties. This includes professional indemnity insurance that covers defamation. I also note that the House of Lords Commission recently agreed in principle to provide professional indemnity insurance to members of this House.