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Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish: My Lords, I expected more of the noble Lord, Lord Ashley, although I am not surprised because he probably took the distorted view of his Leader. We have no intention to cut, and we are not cutting a single penny from a single war pensioner. I am happy to have been given the
opportunity by the noble Lord, Lord Ashley, to make that absolutely clear. I hope that he will communicate that to his Leader in the other place, who seems incapable of reading the letters which I send from my department.The Royal Observatories
2.57 p.m.
Lord Haskel asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What are their plans for the future of the Royal Observatories.
Baroness Miller of Hendon: My Lords, the Government announced that they accepted the recommendations of the prior options review of the Royal Observatories on 25th April 1996. The central recommendation was that the management of the telescopes and the delivery of the instrumentation programme currently provided by the Royal Observatories should be subject to competitive tendering by all competent suppliers.
Lord Haskel: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is she aware that on 29th November, in another place, Mr. Ian Taylor gave a reply which virtually said that the attempt to privatise the Royal Observatories has been cancelled? Is the Minister aware also that for this exercise some £0.5 million of the science budget was spent on lawyers and consultants? Will the Minister tell the House whether that expenditure from the science budget has contributed to the advancement of science and will the Royal Observatories be reimbursed?
Baroness Miller of Hendon: My Lords, the noble Lord is correct that the Government announced recently that the current tendering exercise has been formally terminated, although they did not announce that privatisation was not on the bill. They said that the current tendering exercise has been formally terminated due to a series of difficult issues with significant financial and legal implications.
The noble Lord also said that nearly £500,000 had been spent from the science budget. Whatever has been spent in order to prepare for privatisation--of course, with such complex issues there must be costs but I believe that the prior options review accepted that there would be those costs--the DTI has made it absolutely clear that that will not be allowed to damage the science programme.
Lord Phillips of Ellesmere: My Lords, can the Minister tell the House what progress, or otherwise, is being made with the privatisation of other institutes, particularly those on the Norwich Science Park?
Baroness Miller of Hendon: My Lords, the noble Lord's question certainly goes beyond the scope of the Question on the Order Paper. However, I believe it is right to tell the House that certain other reviews are
taking place, some of which have already been announced and some will be announced in the near future.Succession to the Crown
3 p.m.
Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare rose to move, That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that Her Majesty may be graciously pleased to allow that Her undoubted Prerogative and interest may not stand in the way of the consideration by Parliament during the present Session of any measure providing for the removal of any distinction between the sexes in determining the succession to the Crown.
The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that Her Majesty may be graciously pleased to allow that Her undoubted Prerogative and interest may not stand in the way of the consideration by Parliament during the present Session of any measure providing for the removal of any distinction between the sexes in determining the succession to the Crown.--(Lord Archer of Weston-Super-Mare.)
3.3 p.m.
On Question, Whether the said Motion shall be agreed to?
Their Lordships divided: Contents, 74; Not-Contents, 53.
Addington, L.
Alexander of Tunis, E.
Anelay of St. Johns, B.
Archer of Sandwell, L.
Archer of Weston-Super-Mare, L. [Teller.]
Ashley of Stoke, L.
Banbury of Southam, L.
Barnett, L.
Berkeley, L.
Borrie, L.
Brigstocke, B.
Butterworth, L.
Byford, B.
Carlisle, Bp.
Carter, L.
Chapple, L.
Chorley, L.
Clancarty, E.
Currie of Marylebone, L.
David, B.
Davidson, V.
Denbigh, E.
Donaldson of Kingsbridge, L.
Dormand of Easington, L.
Dubs, L.
Fisher of Rednal, B.
Gainford, L. [Teller.]
Graham of Edmonton, L.
Haskel, L.
Hayman, B.
Hilton of Eggardon, B.
Hollis of Heigham, B.
Howie of Troon, L.
Irvine of Lairg, L.
Jenkins of Putney, L.
Kilbracken, L.
Liverpool, E.
Longford, E.
McCarthy, L.
McIntosh of Haringey, L.
Masham of Ilton, B.
Mason of Barnsley, L.
Mayhew, L.
Mersey, V.
Methuen, L.
Milner of Leeds, L.
Milverton, L.
Molloy, L.
Morris of Castle Morris, L.
Napier of Magdala, L.
Noel-Buxton, L.
Paul, L.
Peston, L.
Phillips of Ellesmere, L.
Plant of Highfield, L.
Platt of Writtle, B.
Ramsay of Cartvale, B.
Rathcavan, L.
Rodgers of Quarry Bank, L.
Sainsbury, L.
Seccombe, B.
Serota, B.
Simon of Glaisdale, L.
Strabolgi, L.
Swinton, E.
Symons of Vernham Dean, B.
Taylor of Blackburn, L.
Thomas of Gresford, L.
Thomson of Monifieth, L.
Wallace of Coslany, L.
Wallace of Saltaire, L.
White, B.
Williams of Mostyn, L.
Winchilsea and Nottingham, E.
Ackner, L.
Ailesbury, M.
Ailsa, M.
Ampthill, L. [Teller.]
Beaverbrook, L.
Belhaven and Stenton, L.
Beloff, L.
Bruntisfield, L.
Campbell of Alloway, L.
Charteris of Amisfield, L. [Teller.]
Clanwilliam, E.
Coleridge, L.
Crickhowell, L.
Dixon-Smith, L.
Exmouth, V.
Gisborough, L.
Hailsham of Saint Marylebone, L.
Halsbury, E.
Harding of Petherton, L.
Hayter, L.
Hylton-Foster, B.
Ilchester, E.
Ironside, L.
Jenkin of Roding, L.
Kimball, L.
Kinloss, Ly.
Knollys, V.
Lauderdale, E.
Lowry, L.
Lytton, E.
McNally, L.
Manton, L.
Mar, C.
Montgomery of Alamein, V.
Munster, E.
Nickson, L.
Norrie, L.
Northbourne, L.
Oliver of Aylmerton, L.
Orkney, E.
Oxfuird, V.
Pender, L.
Rees, L.
Renton, L.
Russell, E.
St. Davids, V.
Simon, V.
Strathcona and Mount Royal, L.
Swansea, L.
Taylor of Warwick, L.
Thomas of Gwydir, L.
Weatherill, L.
Wise, L.
Resolved in the affirmative, and Motion agreed to: the said Address to be presented to Her Majesty by the Lords with White Staves.
Read a third time, and passed.
Read a third time, and passed.
3.12 p.m.
Clause 1 [Civil Procedure Rules]:
The Lord Chancellor (Lord Mackay of Clashfern) moved Amendment No. 1:
The noble and learned Lord said: My Lords, this amendment derives from the recommendation of the Select Committee on Delegated Powers that the Bill should contain a purpose clause. It seeks to give a flavour of the aims which will be served by the new rules of court made by the civil procedure rule committee in due course. I think it is quite appropriate that Parliament, when giving these important and wide powers to the rule committee, should be able to enunciate what Parliament's own purpose is in doing so.
Your Lordships will note that the amendment now being tabled differs in certain respects from the amendment tabled in Committee by the noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford. I think that it is quite important that the statement of the aims should not give rise to any unintentional impression that some aims have higher priority than others, or that the stated aims are the only ones which have relevance. The phrase "accessible, fair and efficient" brings together, I believe, the essence of what my noble and learned friend Lord Woolf, has been emphasising; namely, accessibility (which covers the objective of keeping costs down, simplicity and clarity of rules and procedure), fairness (a synonym for justice) and efficiency (which covers, for example, speed and proper use of resources).
It is clear from my noble friend's report that he has taken great care to formulate his statement of justice so as to incorporate aspects other than the obvious one of fairness. I would want, subject to consultation on the rules, to be able to preserve the statement of the overriding objective which is contained in the draft rule 1 which my noble and learned friend has proposed. I beg to move.
Page 1, line 11, at end insert--
("( ) The power to make Civil Procedure Rules is to be exercised with a view to securing that the civil justice system is accessible, fair and efficient.").
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