HL Deb 09 August 1972 vol 334 cc1095-7

2.15 p.m.

LORD GARDINER

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is any date by which representations about the Eleventh Report of the Criminal Law Revision Committee ought to be made.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CUTROSS)

My Lords, while my right honourable friend has asked a number of organisations to let him have their comments on the Report by early October, and he would be glad to receive at least preliminary views by that date, repre- sentations received after this will not be too late for consideration.

LORD GARDINER

My Lords, while thanking the noble Viscount for that Answer, may I ask him whether it is not a fact that this publication consists of 284 closely printed pages without any summaries on recommendations, that the Report itself occupies 254 paragraphs, that it will require a Bill of 47 clauses and 2 Schedules, that it took the Committee eight years to prepare, that the Home Office sat on it till June 28 and that it is unreasonable to expect reasoned memoranda on it before the end of the year?

VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS

My Lords, my right honourable friend's view about this Report is that he would like to encourage people to get on with their consideration of it. I do not challenge the statistics adduced by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Gardiner. However, there is nothing like setting an early deadline to try to impress on people the seriousness with which we take the necessity to inquire of their views. I have said that views received after the beginning of October will certainly not be rejected and there has been an undertaking by both my right honourable friends the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister that there will be a debate on the matter before any legislation is introduced. I suggest therefore that there is plenty of opportunity for people properly to consider this matter.

LORD GARDINER

My Lords, would the noble Viscount accept my assurance that I neither wrote nor instigated the leading article in The Times on Monday? Would he agree with the concluding paragraph of that article, which stated: A large number of lawyers, parliamentarians, and members of other interested groups are on vacation. It is almost impossible during this period to convene adequately attended committee meetings or do the work of preparing detailed memoranda. The Government is at present giving many persons of responsible opinion cause to fear that it has to a large extent already made up its mind to implement the Committee's proposals and to introduce legislation to that effect at an early stage. It would be unfortunate if that were the case. The Committee spent eight years producing the report. Three months is not time enough to form conclusions on it.

VISCOUNT COLVILLE OF CULROSS

My Lords, I accept that the article was not written by the noble and learned Lord and I envy those who are on vacation. The final paragraph suggesting that we have already made up our mind to introduce legislation is not true; it is dependent entirely on the consultations, the other views expressed and the debate in the other place which has already been promised.