Sitting of 17 March 2005

Preamble
The House met at eleven of the clock (Prayers having been read earlier at the Judicial Sitting by the Lord Bishop of Chelmsford): The CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES on the Woolsack.

Royal Assent
The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara): My Lords, I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that the Queen has signified her Royal Assent to the following Act:
Appropriation Act.

Women Prisoners: Sarah Campbell Inquest Verdict
Baroness Thomas of Walliswoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they are taking in response to the verdict in the inquest on the death of Sarah Campbell.
The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): My Lords, there have been continuous improvements made at Styal prison and young offender institution since Sarah Campbell's tragic death on 18 January 2003. The inquest into Sarah's death was heard by the coroner for Cheshire, Nicholas Rheinberg, and was concluded on 24 January this year. After the inquest, Mr Rheinberg wrote under coroners' rule 43 and the Minister for Correctional Services, Paul Goggins, will be replying.
Baroness Thomas of Walliswood: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. There is concern that an increasingly large number of women are dying from self-inflicted deaths in prison. The number has risen even faster than the number of women sent to prison. How can we be confident that the advice from coroners and from the prisons ombudsman over quite a long period on the need for special monitoring of fragile prisoners during the first few days of their sentences, and the criticisms of procedures within prisons, particularly with regard to the self-harm and suicide form, have had the desired effect? Have the Government considered whether the Dutch experience of sentencing women, or the new Scottish approach with its pilot study in Glasgow, could be studied with the possibility of following those examples in England?
Lord Rooker: My Lords, we have positive responses to many of the points that the noble Baroness has covered. Pilots—one for men and one for women—are under way on intermittent sentences, which follows learning from the Dutch practice. The old self-harm at-risk form and programme have been modified as a
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result of what we have learnt from the Scottish experience. A new procedure for the assessment of care in custody and teamwork for the care of at-risk prisoners is now coming into force. The noble Baroness is right to say that the deaths in prison among women are small in absolute numbers. but are two to three times the rate for men in prison. A large number of unreported resuscitations occur each year in our prisons. In 2002, 154 were carried out following self-harm incidents.
There have been specific improvements at Styal following the deaths. At that prison, there were six deaths in a 12-month period. Procedures have been changed, different training processes have been introduced and since April 2004 the prisons ombudsman conducts all death-in-custody investigations. That has been put on a statutory basis.
Baroness Stern: My Lords, the Minister will be aware that Sarah Campbell was one of many drug-dependent women in prison. Probably one-half of all women in prison are seriously drug-dependent. Does he agree with me that to offer drug treatment as an alternative would be a good option for many of them and would provide a way out of their lives of drugs, crime and imprisonment, which is a vicious circle? If so, will he confirm that there are only 17 women-only residential drug treatment places in the whole of England and Wales?
Lord Rooker: My Lords, the noble Baroness has put her finger on some key aspects. The reality is that some 70 per cent of women who enter custody need detoxification. That may not be the reason they are in custody, but it is a key factor. Purely coincidentally, today the prisons Minister, Paul Goggins, is opening the first-night centre at Styal prison. That is a key factor.
The statistics on how long people have been in custody before they self-harm, in the sense of completing the exercise or being saved from it, show that it is quite a short period. More work needs to be done on that aspect. In some ways it would be quite inappropriate in terms of central policy, but I have to say that Sarah was not in prison for a drug-related conviction, although there were drug-related aspects to it and she died of an overdose. As regards drug offences, 35 per cent of women in custody at the moment—some 1,200—are in prison as a result of drug offences.
Viscount Bridgeman: My Lords, does the Minister agree that there is no room for complacency, and that in a high profile prison like Holloway, suicide attempts occur almost nightly?
Lord Rooker: My Lords, yes, there have been some. I am not in any way negating what happens in Holloway, but some quite extravagant claims were made that half a dozen people were being cut down every night. The evidence did not back that up. Nevertheless, work is going on in Holloway to create safe cells. Of course, such cells are automatically designed in to new prisons, but they are not in older

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prisons. Safe cells are being created which makes it much more difficult—although not impossible—for people to commit self-harm.
Baroness Howe of Idlicote: My Lords, will the Minister tell the House why only 17 places are available for women with drug problems? How many of these women have young families for which they are responsible and which might very well contribute to their self-harming?
Lord Rooker: My Lords, work is taking place. The self-inflicted death rate per thousand women is three times the rate of men, for which there have to be reasons. First, the distance that women have to travel to prison is 60 miles which, on average, is about 10 miles further than men. Virtually 70 per cent of women entering prison, as I have said, require detoxification of some kind of opiates, alcohol and other substances, which is a serious issue.
We need to provide a better process, which is why we are bringing assessment care into the action plan for the care of at-risk prisoners once they are identified. I cannot give a specific reason for why there are only 17—I may not accept that—but work is taking place to create more safe cells and, at Styal, to create a first-night unit so that people are treated differently in the first few hours when they enter prison, particularly women who may have been separated from their families and to whom prison may have come as somewhat of a surprise. On the other hand—I am not negating the fact—one has to consider why women are entering custody. The urban myth that the majority are in prison for shoplifting is simply not true.

Further Education: Over-50s Provision
11.8 a.m.
Baroness Sharp of Guildfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to ensure that people aged over 50 have local access to education courses.
Lord Triesman: My Lords, the Government are committed to safeguarding learning for personal fulfilment which does not necessarily lead to qualifications. That includes opportunities for the over 50s. The Learning and Skills Council's budget for such learning, delivered through local education authorities, increased from £206 million in 2003–04 to £207.4 million in 2004–05, compared with £145 million in 2000–01. In 2003–04 there were about 879,000 adults aged 50 or over in further education, an increase of about 80 per cent over 1997–98.
Baroness Sharp of Guildford: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware that when the Learning and Skills Bill went through this House in 2000 we received extensive assurances from the Minister that adult services would not suffer as a result of any
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expansion of services for 16 to 19 year-olds? That is precisely what is now happening. The success of getting 16 to 19 year-olds to participate, particularly in further education colleges, is greatly squeezing the adult budget in such colleges.
Adults can get funding only for courses that lead to an acknowledged qualification. Does the noble Lord accept that the adults who are suffering are those who do not wish necessarily to participate in a full-length qualification—perhaps because they do not have the confidence or any wish to do so—but who nevertheless need to be able to put their toe in the water of new learning? Is he also aware that by restricting the availability of what is called "leisure learning", such learning is in many senses now available only to the affluent middle classes?
Lord Triesman: My Lords, like everybody else, I hear anecdotes about who feels squeezed. I hope the House will forgive me if I go back to the raw facts. An 80 per cent increase in the number of people taking the kinds of courses which apparently are at risk seems to be a significant change and achievement. I hope that the House will accept that the whole process is a lifelong learning process. That means life-long; it is not just about adults but relates to the whole thrust of policies right the way through from childhood and involves building skills for life.
As that develops, it is bound to be the case that institutions make changes in the pattern of what they provide—some because priorities change and some because education changes. Educational changes are really the life-blood of this. Were they to stop, I would be much more concerned.
Baroness Greengross: My Lords, if life-long learning is to become a reality, will the Minister accept that age should be relevant when you are looking at who is interested in a course?
Instances of prejudice have been recorded against older people taking part in courses, which has led—I do not know whether it still does, but the noble Lord might—to courses being made invalid because twice the number of younger people than older people are required to make a course valid.
Lord Triesman: My Lords, I accept that in the past there have been distortions of these processes. The House is aware of those. Indeed, my noble friend Lady Ashton agreed to set up a special working party to consider age restrictions in a number of areas. I know that the noble Baroness served on that body. It made its recommendations to Dr Kim Howells on 19 January. I am not in a position to make the announcements that I believe he will make within the next couple of days, but I think that its recommendations were extremely influential in the areas the noble Baroness has just drawn to our attention.
Lord Graham of Edmonton: My Lords, I declare an interest as the first Member of Parliament to gain a degree from the Open University, which I did in 1976. I am still the only Member of Parliament to do so. I

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reflect on the local classes I attended. Two ladies in their 80s benefited from the opportunity. So I do not knock the set-up.
Sitting next to the Minister is his ministerial colleague my noble friend Lady Ashton, who recently played a leading role in assuring that the interests of the Open University and the London School of Economics, given the changes which were likely to damage them, would be taken into account. The Minister should be aware that the Open University tells me that after recent meetings it still remains dissatisfied about the intentions of the Government in assisting it in this special relationship. Can the Minister give any assurance both to me and the Open University that its interests ultimately will be protected?
Lord Triesman: My Lords, the Open University is dear to the hearts of a high proportion of noble Lords. I have been concerned by reading articles in the press which I have taken the liberty of disbelieving as a general principle, and then going back again to the facts.
In 2004–05 the general settlement for England had an increase of 2.7 per cent. In the case of the OU it was 3 per cent. Next year the settlement for England is 4.1 per cent and for the OU it is 4.7 per cent. The OU has made the point that there may be difficulties as the fee system changes beyond that. In a nutshell, the Higher Education Funding Council for England is carrying out a significant piece of work on what should be done for part-time students, not just at the OU but right across England. I know that the same issues are being addressed in Scotland and Wales. There are 20 institutions of higher education where more than 50 per cent of the students are part time. So it is very important to get it right for everybody, including the OU but not just the OU.
Baroness Walmsley: My Lords, does the Minister accept that part of the limitation on access for the over-50s might be to do with the shortage of staff? What do the Government intend to do about the fact that teachers in FE colleges, who teach the same subject to the same level as sixth-form teachers in schools, are paid 10 per cent less?
Lord Triesman: My Lords, no one will expect me to intervene in the bargaining arrangements for further education and the settlements achieved there when compared with the system of pay reviewing which occurs for teachers. I point out that £1 billion of total funding for further education has been set aside as an increase between 2002–03 and 2005–06. That should produce some leeway for all sorts of flexibility, including in salaries—but that is, as I say, a matter for the colleges.
I think that yesterday's Budget produced among the best news there could possibly be for the FE sector—£75 per week in education maintenance allowances, encouraging people to stay at school; free transport which should help the over-50s get to their further education colleges; and a building programme which will be the envy of western Europe.

General Election: International Observers
11.16 a.m.
Lord Greavesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What arrangements will be made for the appointment of international observers during the next general election campaign.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of apholland): My Lords, it has not been the practice of the UK Government formally to appoint observers at UK elections, However, we are aware that observers, for example, from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, have been invited to be present to observe previous election campaigns in the past. We intend to extend a similar invitation when the next election is called.
Lord Greaves: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that fairly helpful Answer—perhaps a very helpful Answer. In considering advice that might be given to the OSCE and any other observers, will the Minister bear in mind the dramatic increases in the number of complaints and allegations about voting fraud, particularly but not only connected with postal voting, which have been made in the past few years?
Is the noble Baroness aware that only a fortnight ago a former councillor in Blackburn pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to such offences in 2002; and that this is only the tip of the iceberg of what is going on? Will she give advice to such observers that they might concentrate their attention on those places and in those areas where such allegations are made?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I am not sure it is for me to give advice to observers. I think it is for the observers to determine where best they can use their skills and expertise and to look at the elections. There is no evidence of widespread postal voting fraud or that postal voting is inherently less secure. We have cases that are currently sub judice. When they are resolved, we will of course examine any issues that arise because it is important to protect the integrity of all our voting systems.
Lord Campbell-Savours: My Lords, is there not a case for welcoming observers from the emerging democracies, such as Iraq, who have a lot to learn in Britain?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, indeed. We have a good track record in the UK of observers going out to other countries. I think it is absolutely right and proper that we should invite people to observe how we proceed here.
Lord Cope of Berkeley: My Lords, the Minister and the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, were both thinking of observers coming to learn from us. In the new circumstances, to which the noble Lord, Lord Greaves,

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draws attention, of the higher possibilities of fraud and so on from the changes, perhaps we have something to learn from other people as well.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, in my Answer, I specifically was not referring to observers coming to learn from us. Indeed, I said that observers should determine where they could best use their skills. I accept that it is important that observers come to see how we demonstrate our democracy through the ballot box, but also to support us in ensuring that at all times there is integrity in the system.
Lord Inglewood: My Lords, in response to the supplementary question from the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, was not the Minister a trifle complacent about the widespread concern in the north west about electoral fraud and malpractice? It is one thing simply to talk about where convictions have been obtained, it is another completely to disregard the widely held view and concern of those involved in the political process that something has been going seriously awry for some time.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, there was nothing complacent in my answer. I said that there was no evidence of a widespread problem and that when the cases, which are now sub judice, are resolved, we will look carefully at what comes out of them to ensure that we addressed any issues that arose about the security of the system. I am very concerned that we should not give the impression without evidence that somehow we have a problem with our voting system, which has stood us in very good stead for a long time.
Lord Avebury: My Lords, further to the question of the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, will the Government consult the Commonwealth Secretariat about the possibility that it might put together an observer mission that would include some representatives from African countries?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, that is a very interesting idea. I shall certainly pass it on to my ministerial colleagues.
Lord McNally: My Lords, without accusing the Minister of complacency, is there not a danger that, in the desire to turn around the decline in turnout in our elections in recent years, we may put at risk the integrity of our system? Are there plans properly to evaluate the new voting system? An increase based just on making voting ever easier does not increase the quality of our democracy. We need democrats to make democracy work and we need better education, especially of the young, in the civic responsibility in a society such as ours to exercise their vote.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I agree wholeheartedly with what the noble Lord said about the need to educate people. We need to ensure that people understand the importance and value of voting—how incredibly important it is to exercise your
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right to vote—but, alongside that, to recognise the way in which our young people, in particular, operate and find different ways to enable them to exercise that right. The Internet and technology generally is involved. We must be clear that those go hand in hand with integrity in the system.
Lord Hughes of Woodside: My Lords, every Member of your Lordships' House and every political party in this country demand the best integrity in all of our elections. Noble Lords have spoken about widely held views that there is corruption or a lack of integrity in elections. Is my noble friend aware that that itself casts doubt on the election process? Just before an election, it sounds as though people are crying foul before they have even heard the result.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I agree with my noble friend that we must take great care in what we say. We must be sure that where allegations are made, they are investigated; and that where things are discovered that need to be put right, they are put right; but we should be very cautious of suggesting that things are badly wrong when they are clearly not.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, is the Minister aware that there is a major international dimension to this? The Russian Government are complaining about observers from the West always going to observe elections in eastern Europe and not having proper mutuality. Is it not therefore very much in our interest to ensure that we encourage observers from other countries to come here?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I cannot comment on the Russian Government, but it is very important that we offer the opportunity to discuss with colleagues in emerging and fully fledged democracies the ways in which we exercise our democracy. That is a healthy debate and an important opportunity that elections provide and I am sure that that will be much welcomed.

Prevention of Terrorism Act: Northern Ireland
11.24 a.m.
Lord Glentoranasked Her Majesty's Government:
What consideration they have given to the application of powers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 to those individuals suspected or identified by the Police Service of Northern Ireland or the security services of acts of terrorism within the Northern Ireland context.
The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): My Lords, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will be considering carefully the application of the powers of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 to

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Northern Ireland. However, it is an exceptional piece of legislation aimed at exceptional circumstances and we would not expect its provisions to be used routinely. Our aim is that if individuals are suspected of involvement in terrorist acts, the police will seek to gather the evidence necessary to secure a conviction in court.
Lord Glentoran: My Lords, I thank the Lord President for that response, which I find encouraging, in as much as the Secretary of State is giving the matter consideration. However, in Northern Ireland, we have much more than reasonable suspicion that people, both loyalist and republican, are involved with terrorist gangs that carry out all forms of criminality, including murder. The Justice Minister in the Irish Republic has even named two Members of the other place as serving members of the IRA army council. Do Her Majesty's Government have any intention of using control orders against those who, according to the police and security forces. pose a terrorist threat in Northern Ireland? In the light of last week's legislation, if not, why not?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I think I made the Government's position absolutely clear in my Answer. Control orders will be used sparingly and only where necessary in the interests of public safety. We have made it absolutely clear that where individuals are suspected of involvement in terrorist acts the police will seek to gather the evidence necessary to secure a conviction in court. That remains the Government's preferred method. I cannot, of course, speculate on possible applications in individual cases but, as I said, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will consider the matter very carefully.
Lord Smith of Clifton: My Lords, will the Lord President take this opportunity to dispel a growing feeling that the pursuit of alleged terrorists in Northern Ireland is less forceful than it is in England and Wales? Furthermore, will she speculate in an informed way about when we may expect some arrests following the McCartney murder and the Northern Bank robbery?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I know that the noble Lord, Lord Smith of Clifton, does not really expect me to speculate on those matters. The Government are absolutely clear that the McCartney family deserve justice. We will continue to call on all those with information to come forward to assist the investigation. Justice means proper investigation and proper judicial process.
I have already answered questions about the Northern Bank raid investigation across the Dispatch Box. The noble Lord will be aware that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is undertaking a major investigation into the Northern Bank robbery, including the kidnapping and hostage-taking. More than 45 detectives are involved; more than 200 interviews are planned or have taken place; and 600 actions have already been logged.
Lord Dubs: My Lords, I welcome my noble friend's comments and her resistance to the questions from the
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other side of the House. Will she confirm that it is much better to give the police in Northern Ireland time to conduct their investigations in order to bring people before the courts if at all possible? The worst thing that we can do—justwhen public opinion is moving more strongly than ever before against terrorists and criminals in Northern Ireland— is to give the people who perpetrated those crimes a sense of being victims. That would mean that we would lose the political argument, which at present is going very much on the side of the Government and the ordinary people there.
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I entirely agree with my noble friend Lord Dubs that the police need to be given time to conduct investigations. They also need to be given the resources, and we have been assured that they are available. I see the noble Baroness, Lady Harris, nodding, because I know that she frequently asks that question. I can also tell my noble friend that the strong line being taken by the family in the McCartney case in seeking to secure justice is being supported by the people of Northern Ireland, who are themselves putting pressure on the criminals in that regard.
Lord King of Bridgwater: My Lords, will the Minister clarify the position? Her noble friend has congratulated her on resisting the suggestion, but I thought that I heard her say that the Secretary of State was considering those matters. Is it not the case that, whether in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, obviously the Government would prefer a proper prosecution to take place? But is she saying that in cases where it is not possible, depending on the gravity of the situation, the Secretary of State is considering the possible use of such orders?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I can only repeat what I said in my original Answer: the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will consider carefully the application of the powers. The Act has only just been passed. but the Government's preferred method, which we made absolutely clear when the legislation was going through the House, is for the police to gather the evidence necessary to secure a conviction in court. That remains the position.
Lord Thomas of Gresford: My Lords, are the Government reluctant to use control orders in Northern Ireland based on reasonable suspicion because they fear the stirring up in the Northern Irish communities of the sort of hornets' nest that we were talking about last week?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I feel a bit like a broken record, repeating the Government's position. Our position when the legislation was going through this House, and now, is that we prefer to secure a conviction in court. We have always made it absolutely clear that this legislation will be used sparingly. I cannot comment on what might be hypothetical situations.
Budget (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Public Processions (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2005
Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 (Amendment No. 2) Order 2005
Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 (Amendment No. 3) Order 2005
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I beg to move the four Motions standing in my name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That the draft orders laid before the House on 9 February, 22 February, 24 February and 7 March be approved [11 th Report from the Joint Committee].—(Baroness Amos.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Child Benefit Bill
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey): My Lords, I understand that no amendments have been set down for Committee and that no noble Lord has indicated a desire to move a manuscript amendment or to speak in Committee. Therefore, unless any noble Lord objects, I beg to move that the order of commitment be discharged.
Moved, That the order of commitment be discharged.—(Lord McIntosh of Haringey.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Mental Capacity Bill
11.32 a.m.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill be now further considered on Report.
Moved, That the Bill be further considered on Report.—(Baroness Ashton of Upholland.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
Clause 4 [Best interests]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 8:
Page 3, line 17, after "feelings", insert "(and, in particular, any relevant written statement made by him when he had capacity)"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, the purpose of this amendment is to clarify that if someone with capacity has written down their wishes and feelings in respect of a matter, including positive preferences, those must be explicitly taken into account in a best-interests determination.
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Patients do not have a right to demand and receive treatment, so advance requests cannot have the same legal effect as advance decisions to refuse treatment. However, the amendment makes clear that preferences about any aspect of a person's life, including treatment, should be respected and taken into account. We believe that that has always been implicit in Clause 4, which says that the decision-maker,
"must consider, so far as is reasonably ascertainable—
(a) the person's past and present wishes and feelings".
I agreed to make that clear, in response to an amendment about advance statements from my noble friend Lord Carter in Committee.
I want to clarify how that relates to medical decisions because in a medical situation it is already best practice for any doctor who departs from a patient's clearly expressed wish to explain his reasons for doing so, and he would be expected to keep records to enable that. That means that, where someone has sought to make an advance refusal of treatment that does not qualify under Clauses 24 and 25, but there is still a reasonable belief that that is an expression of the person's wishes, it will be taken into account, too, in assessing best interests. The absence of a valid and applicable advance decision does not automatically mean that treatment must be provided. As I have indicated, the decision must be made according to the overall best interests of the person. The more specific and well thought-out the statement, the more likely that it will be persuasive in determining best interests.
The amendment goes further than the stakeholders' requests to us in that it covers all best-interests decisions, not just those involving treatment. For example, it covers financial preferences or where somebody might wish to go on holiday. I hope that that meets the needs that I said I would address in Committee. I beg to move.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Chapmanmoved Amendment No. 9:
Page 3, line 39, at end insert—
"( ) Nothing in this Act shall permit the withdrawing or withholding from any person of nutrition or hydration, howsoever provided, save where the provision thereof would itself cause harm or burden to the person greater than if the nutrition or hydration were not provided."
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, before I talk about the amendments tabled in my name, I wish to thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Ashton and Lady Andrews, for the government amendments that were put forward and accepted by this House on Tuesday evening and this morning. Those anti-discrimination amendments will help to protect those who are most at risk from misrepresentation in this Bill. Those amendments, plus others tabled today, particularly those relating to Clauses 34 to 40, where patients will have an independent advocate to speak for them, are most welcome.
That brings me to Amendments Nos. 9, 9A and 113, to which the noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, and the noble Baronesses, Lady Masham of Ilton and Lady Knight of Collingtree, have kindly put their

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names. Over the many days on which we have discussed and debated the Bill I have watched it change from a document that instilled fear in me to one that, although not perfect, is much safer and much more protective of the most vulnerable in society.
There is still one area of real concern to me; it is covered by these amendments. I cannot perceive a society that would, or could, accept the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration unless to give it would cause harm. To talk of intention and purpose seems somewhat unreal when we are talking of that which sustains life. For us to spend hours discussing the most appropriate words seems irrelevant when we all know the consequences of withdrawing basic nutrition and hydration.
I acknowledge and accept that there are situations where treatment is futile. I also accept that as the dying process progresses, the body no longer requires sustenance. Those are facts. However, the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration can increase the suffering and distress of the patient until the deprivation of hydration takes effect. We must remember that this Bill does not just cover people who are unconscious and unaware. Clause 3(1)(d) clearly states that,
"a person is unable to make a decision for himself if he is unable—
(d) to communicate his decision".
Lack of capacity can be because of inability to communicate. If these amendments fail, fully conscious, fully aware people are at risk of having sustenance removed.
From a personal point of view, I cannot think of a worse nightmare than feeling hungry or thirsty, not being able to communicate and having full knowledge that the only respite would be as I approached death. I am certain that that scenario is not the Government's intention. But if Clauses 4 and 60 are not amended it will happen. There have been documented cases where people have had nutrition and hydration removed but continued to show signs of wanting food and water because, for lack of capacity, there was no opportunity to voice new wishes.
I do not want to challenge the Bland judgment; I have started each amendment "Nothing in this Act" to avoid conflict with it. I also appreciate the fact that this will affect only a small number of people. But if you or somebody you love are one of that number, you would not find that any consolation.
I ask noble Lords to support the amendments because, morally, it is wrong to increase the suffering of people in the latter stages of life, when they are at their most vulnerable and should be offered the highest levels of dignity, respect and care. I beg to move.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, I am very happy to support this amendment put down by the noble Baroness, for whom all of us, already, have a great admiration. I confess that I am feeling a sense of déjà vu as the debates on this Bill continue. Every time we put down an amendment to remedy what we believe is a dangerous implication in the Bill—that it creates a
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serious risk in some of its aspects—we are told soothingly and convincingly "not to worry—that protection is in the Bill already".
Whether we are trying to ensure that suicide by advance decision does not happen, or we are trying to help those with conscientious objections by making it certain in law that their rights would be protected, or whatever protective measures we seek to make, the answer is the same. We are told, "There is no need for this amendment. The Bill will not allow any diminution of patients' rights or the rights of those who care for them". Yet we can never be certain that that is correct because it is never on the face of the Bill.
I have an unhappy feeling that the same anodyne dose will be offered to this amendment. As I have said, I have no wish to endanger the Bill by speaking at length. But if we do not speak now, when can we? Those of us who see and feel the dangers ahead have a clear duty to seek to shield patients from the pain that we have already seen many suffer.
When I introduced my Patient's Protection Bill, I did so because I had such a wealth of shocking evidence that sick people in NHS hospitals were being deliberately denied food and liquids and were dying because of it. Sometimes the food and liquids were deliberately put out of the patient's reach. I am not making those stories up: there is ample evidence for them.
The Government blocked the Bill but a Government Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Filkin, who was responsible for the Bill, assured me when I sat on the Select Committee which studied it, that the matter would be addressed in this Bill. Therefore, in earlier debates, I have not unnaturally sought to be sure that it provides the safeguards which really are so desperately needed. But, yet again, the soothing syrup which so effectively clogs the wheels of action is offered in large spoons.
We are told, "There is no need for this amendment. Such treatments as withholding food and liquids, putting them out of the patient's reach or failing to make the patient comfortable by moistening his dry mouth, are already covered by good medical practice. No hospital would act in this way".
If all that is true, why, under these present rulings, which have been referred to so specifically and so frequently, have we so much evidence from patients, their relatives, MPs and public figures who have seen it for themselves, as well evidence from television programmes, newspaper reports and even doctors and nurses? Why does it go on if it is already illegal? That seems a perfectly fair question. When Nelson said, "I see no ships", his motive was brave and noble. But when the BMA pretends that those things do not happen, it fear that I cannot ascribe to it—although I admire that profession greatly—the same noble intentions.
I am getting quite used to being told that amendments are unnecessary. The only reason that this one is in that category is either a belief that all evidence is illusory or that we can afford to turn our hacks and close our eyes on people who are suffering. Years ago I would have accepted without question

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that doctors would always do everything possible to help their patients, to keep them alive if possible, and to keep them comfortable. I still admire doctors, but that old belief has gone. I do not believe it any more: how can I, with all the evidence against it?
I understand that newly trained doctors do not now affirm the Hippocratic oath, which put the patient's care as a priority. They no longer sign automatically that the duties of a doctor mean also taking on the content of that oath. Whatever unwritten laws there may be in the medical profession's rule book, in the name of patients we must face the facts of evidence and try to get this amendment in the Bill.
11.45 a.m.
Julia Quenzler, a famous court artist at the BBC, witnessed her mother being sentenced to an agonising death by thirst as a result of doctors depriving her of water. She said that her mother would give a firm nod when asked whether she wanted a drink of water, but the water never came. She states:
"My mother was not seriously ill when she walked into hospital. In fact she was a relatively healthy woman with a relatively common problem. Six days later she was on her deathbed".
She went on to state that she did not know what more she could have done, apart from abseiling off the hospital roof, to bring attention to her mother's needs. She said that she,
"literally begged [the doctors] with my hands pressed in supplication. I don't know why these doctors did what they did. In the absence of any plausible explanation, I can only conclude that they considered my mother an expendable nuisance".
The examples I give are all cases that have come to my notice since my Patient's Protection Bill failed to become law. A nurse, Pat Tyler, said in respect of her mother:
"She must have died thirsty … she must have been dreaming of cups of tea, of rivers of water. They should not have taken the water away from her".
But they did.
Nurses at Kingsway Hospital in Derby have claimed also that their patients were dying of thirst and that they were not given water or drips. I have added all those cases to my large pile on the subject since the last time we debated this issue.
It is undeniable that whatever rules may govern medical procedure, they are not sufficient to stop the cruel things which are going on. Do we want to stop them? I hope that we do. Do we accept that it is wrong? I hope that we do. If so, the remedy is now in our hands to take action. Agreeing the amendment would make it clearly law that patients must not be treated in the way in which they have been treated in the past, and the amendment in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, is the answer.
Of course, we recognise that in some cases providing food and liquid might harm the patient. Peers will observe that the amendment does not disallow the stopping of nutrition where that danger exists. The noble Baroness has been very careful about that. We
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cannot fail to agree the amendment if we want patients to receive the very first necessity, which is usually for comfort and well-being, but always for life.
Finally, I must express the profound hope that the other regular formula against amendments—that is, that they will wreck the Bill—will not be made in this regard. This amendment will not wreck the Bill. It will save the lives of many patients.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, I support the amendment standing in the name of my noble friend. I also pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, who has just resumed her seat. She previously put before your Lordships' House her Patient's Protection Bill and has assiduously pursued this issue. believing, as she does, that we need to give every possible protection in the Bill to vulnerable people. I know that all parts of this House are not so far apart in wanting to achieve that objective.
However, as my noble friend and the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, have said, the issue is how we go about it. In supporting the amendment, I simply return to a subject that I and others raised during the passage of the Bill that the noble Baroness put forward. and an issue that I also raised at Second Reading and in Committee.
The amendment flows from our discussion last Tuesday. If the loophole that was identified by Professor John Finnis, Professor of Law at Oxford University, and Archbishop Peter Smith of Cardiff had been closed, I doubt that the movers of these amendments would feel the need to pursue the argument further.
During our earlier debates, considerable doubt arose about whether we should believe lawyers such as Professor Finnis or the noble Lords, Lord Carlile of Berriew and Lord Brennan, also distinguished lawyers. As the noble Baroness has just asked, should we trust the many assurances we have been given or should we look for provisions in the Bill? I have always erred on the side of the latter approach, which is why I welcome Clause 58 as a first step in addressing the issues identified today in these amendments by my noble friend.
Curiously, during the 36 hours that have elapsed since we last considered the Bill on Report, an issue has arisen that should inform today's debate about the confidence we place in assurances, and on the importance of writing things in the Bill. In 1990 in another place, I challenged a proposal to permit eugenic abortions up to birth on unborn babies with a disability. I said that it was a discriminatory provision, which is the thrust of the argument put forward today by my noble friend Lady Chapman and which lies at the heart of these amendments. I said that it was also a discriminatory provision that would lead to perfection tests governing our right to life.
In 1990 I circulated a legal opinion drawn up for me by two eminent Oxford lawyers, Professor John Finnis—much cited in our debates two days ago—and Professor John Keown, now professor of law at Cambridge University. Professor Finnis said that if the law was changed in the way proposed in 1990, it would lead to abortions on the grounds of conditions such as cleft

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palate or hare lip. At the time he was ridiculed and castigated. One Member of Parliament, Mr Frank Doran, accused him of "pure scaremongering", while the present Solicitor-General, Harriet Harman, said that both Professor Keown and Professor Finnis should be reported to the Bar Council and to the Law Society.
No doubt Ms Harman will have followed carefully yesterday's decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to take no action in a case raised by a brave young Anglican curate from the Chester diocese, Joanna Jepson. She challenged the abortion of a baby, under the terms of the 1990 law, who had a disability. The baby's life was ended at seven months' gestation. The grounds for the abortion, as correctly anticipated by Professor Finnis in 1990, were that the baby had a cleft palate. The Crown Prosecution Service has now upheld the decision to end the life of a baby of seven months' gestation merely because of a very minor disability.
Was Professor Finnis scaremongering, or did the professor of law at Oxford University have a stronger grasp of the law than the present Solicitor-General, who wanted him brought before the Bar Council and the Law Society for accurately analysing the ramifications of a law that had been laid before Parliament and which was supported by many leading political figures with a great knowledge of the law, even such as the present Prime Minister himself?
In the context of the amendment before us, this case reveals two things. First, we now routinely practise eugenics in Britain and, as my noble friend Lady Chapman has just reminded us, the provisions in this Bill could further put the lives of disabled people at risk. Secondly, it puts into sharp relief the things that have been said by Professor Finnis about the need to close a loophole in Clause 58. One noble Baroness said to me yesterday that she had not appreciated that it was Professor Finnis who worked with the Government in drafting Clause 58, and that if anyone should understand its shortcomings, it would be he.
For the sake of the record, and in advance of the extensive debates on Lords amendments that may take place in another place, it is important to put on the record the united view of Professor Finnis and the Archbishop of Cardiff, Peter Smith. However, I see that the noble Lord, Lord Carter, wishes to speak. I shall return to that in a moment, after happily giving way to the noble Lord.
Lord Carter: My Lords, I rise just to remind the noble Lord that the Joint Committee that I chaired on the draft Bill recommended that there should be a clause in the Bill along the lines of Clause 58 which, strictly speaking in law, is not necessary. It is a declaratory clause and was brought forward, as I say. as a result of the recommendation made by the Joint Committee.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord. Lord Carter, for reminding us of that. He will also confirm that throughout the consideration period Professor Finnis had extensive discussions with the department and ensured that this provision was
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placed in the Bill. But it is also important to recognise his view that this provision does not go quite far enough.
I recognise also that the gap between us is one which still could be closed between now and Third Reading. That is why I am offering these thoughts in a constructive way. I want to see a resolution of this issue and I want the Bill, which contains much that is good, to proceed to the statute book.
I remind noble Lords of what the Archbishop of Cardiff said in a letter to the Labour Member of Parliament, Mr Jim Dobbin, earlier this month. The Archbishop wrote:
"Professor Finnis and I believe that a further amendment is still needed to ensure that the Bill confers no authority on expressly suicidal advance decisions. We therefore strongly support efforts of Members of both Houses who are seeking to introduce an amendment to exclude decisions from being given validity or authority by a Bill where they have a purpose of bringing about death or are motivated by a desire of doing so. I very much hope the government will reconsider its opposition to inserting such an amendment. which we firmly believe can be made without affecting the jurisdiction of the courts affirmed in the Bland case".
That point was just made once again by my noble friend Lady Chapman in introducing these amendments.
It is well known that the main promoter of advance decisions is the Voluntary Euthanasia Society. The society has been ominously and curiously quiet about the Bill, knowing how it can be exploited. I know that the Government might now regret it, but it is a fact that the VES advised the Government on the preparation of an earlier consultation document. Making Decisions, which paved the way for this Bill. Is it any wonder, in the light of that and in the light of previous experience, that we now have our suspicions about where the Bill might lead?
My noble friend's amendment and her speech remind us that a great many people outside this House who are following our proceedings fear being inappropriately denied nutrition and hydration, the very basics of life itself. And in the light of the eugenic abortion at seven months' gestation of a baby with a cleft palate, please let no one accuse my noble friend, myself, or Professor Finnis of "pure scaremongering", or threaten us with the Bar Council or some other professional body. This House may dismiss their fears as ill founded, but I should like to stress a point I have made before in your Lordships' House. We are not legislating for some Utopia where decision-makers will always have the best interests of incapacitated persons at heart.
During the 1990 debate, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Brightman, said that, "it would be unthinkable" for a doctor who was carrying out a termination to preserve the mother's life or health to gratuitously terminate the life of the child:
"A doctor does not need an Act of Parliament to teach him that elementary duty".—[Official Report, 18/10/90; col. 1065.]
But sadly, as the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, has just said, what was once unthinkable can rapidly become normative if we do not put the necessary safeguards in our legislation. What was once a heinous crime can rapidly become standard medical procedure. It is not enough to leave it to good intentions and, yes,

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it is sometimes the role of Parliament to legislate not just to spell out duties, but also to protect the weak and the vulnerable.
Some individuals, perhaps not many, will seek to use this legislation to end prematurely the lives of those who lack mental capacity. Denial of nutrition and hydration is one of the ways in which this could be done.
Many people's fears were compounded when we learnt that the Secretary of State for Health has argued in his submission to the Court of Appeal in the Burke case that resource considerations need to be brought to bear on the decision on whether artificial nutrition and hydration should be provided. My noble friend Lord Maginnis of Drumglass has been pursuing this point in Questions put to the Minister, the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton of Upholland.
This amendment does not oblige medical professionals to do everything to keep alive patients who are clearly dying and for whom the provision of nutrition and hydration would have no benefit or would be harmful, futile or burdensome. On Tuesday, I listened with great interest to the moving speech of the noble Lord, Lord Carter. He told us that,
"we are all entitled to follow the dictates of our conscience, but not perhaps by attempting to impose them on others through legislation".—[Official Report, 15/3/05; col. 1289.]
Neither this amendment nor the amendments debated in your Lordships' House on Tuesday are an attempt to impose anything on anyone. Rather, they represent an attempt to improve the legislation. They do not necessarily represent perfection, and we are all open to further dialogue and discussion with the Government between now and Third Reading to get this right. These amendments represent an attempt to ensure that the Bill cannot be used as a vehicle for intentional killing. I believe that that objective is shared by everyone in the House who has contributed to these debates.
On Tuesday the Minister helpfully answered the seven questions posed by the noble Lord, Lord Carlile. I shall end with just two further questions. First, will the Minister tell us quite explicitly today, in answer to a question raised with her last Tuesday by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Oxford and myself, whether Clause 58 covers advance directives? Secondly, do the Government support the legalisation of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide? They are two straightforward questions that need to be recorded in our debates. They are different questions from those that have been asked so far. We have received the Government's assurance that the Bill does not legalise euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, but suspicions will linger for so long as the Government fail to commit themselves to opposing any attempts in Parliament to legalise either euthanasia or assisted suicide.
Many of us would like to see the Bill enacted, but its fate is now in the hands of the Government. Unless the fears raised by my noble friend Lady Chapman are properly addressed between now and Third Reading, the Government will—I know and they know—be in
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deep trouble with their own supporters as well as the Opposition Members in another place. I hope that, between now and Third Reading, they will seize the initiative and re-engage with Professor Finnis and others to seek a mature political resolution of these complex issues. I support the amendment.
Noon
Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes: My Lords, I shall intervene briefly following the excellent case made by my noble friend Lady Knight and others. I have just one question for the Minister. If the Bill already covers these points, and these things cannot possibly happen, is there any reason why a relative or close friend, visiting a patient who is unable to communicate in any way, can be prevented from demanding, on behalf of their close relative, that he should be given nutrition and hydration?
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, I have put my name to the amendments. It was mistakenly omitted from Amendment No. 9A. Many people feel that the Bill is still not clear enough in safeguarding at-risk and vulnerable people as regards food and fluid.
What Ministers and Members of both Houses think should happen may not be what is happening in some busy hospitals and nursing homes. Some disturbing cases have just arisen in a nursing home in Yorkshire. The Minister will no doubt say that the amendments are not necessary, but many people feel that they will help to clarify what has become, and what may become, a grey muddle on the ground.
Doctor Anthony Cole, a consultant paediatrician and magistrate whom I know, has said:
"We hold most strongly that death by dehydration is unacceptable, inhumane and leads to a slow and painful death".
I hope that the Minister will accept the amendments, thereby helping many people who are concerned about what is happening and what may happen in the future.
Baroness Murphy: My Lords, I oppose the amendments, but I recognise the cases that the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, has mentioned. Cases of bad care come across my desk every day. Amid the many hundreds of thousands of treatments that are given every year, such cases undoubtedly exist. I would be the first to say that we needed better professional practice than to allow people to remain in that sort of distress.
I shall address what I believe is a false premise about artificial nutrition and hydration. Before doing so, I turn to the priority that we have all given to the autonomy of the individual in making decisions about their future treatment and care in advance directives.
We all strongly support the idea in the Bill that you should be able to make a decision when you have capacity about whether you wish to accept specific treatments when you lack it. Artificial nutrition and hydration are invasive medical treatments that fall clearly into the categories of treatment that would be included if an individual said that they wished to refuse life-saving interventions. They involve the insertion of a

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nasogastric tube, which is not pleasant at all, or the intravenous infusions of artificial nutriments and chemicals. The paraphernalia restrict movement, and the process requires extensive monitoring. It is uncomfortable and very often distressing.
Only yesterday, I saw new guidance from the National Patient Safety Agency about the serious problems involved in maintaining nasogastric tubes. It is not like eating and drinking. The person who is fed through a nasogastric tube does not have a sensation that he has had a meal. It is not a good meal where you sit down with your friends and have a glass of wine and what I suppose these days would be ciabatta sandwich, panini or whatever. It is not like that at all. You are receiving artificial nutriments which often give you very unpleasant diarrhoea and so on.
How often have I witnessed uncomprehending, distressed older people tugging out the tubes and drips in an attempt to be free of the discomfort? On general medical wards, tubes are all too often left in, when someone would really be better not having them.
The whole procedure is burdensome. While the burdens are generally acceptable to people during a temporary acute illness or during a period after an operation from which one is hoping to recover, they are rarely justified as a long-term form of care when someone is approaching the end of life during a fatal illness. I recognise that the noble Lord, Lord Alton, addressed that issue.
If the individual is at home, the question never arises. If they are being cared for by family, tubes and drips are not put in. The possibility arises only when somebody goes into hospital and receives unnecessary interventions. Having written a letter to express that, in the event of my becoming incapacitated, I do not wish to have life-saving treatments, I have assumed that my statement includes those burdensome treatments. Supporting the amendments would mean that my wishes and most other advance directives could be disregarded and overturned.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords—
Baroness Murphy: My Lords, I have nearly finished. Comfort is all. The many patients with dementia for whom I have cared often have two serious physical problems at the very end of life. The first is their skin care and the comfortable disposition of their body; and the second is oral care and the hydration of the mouth. Above all, those require good, basic nursing care. It is possible to maintain somebody's hydration without all the artificial, intravenous paraphernalia. When we are near to death, we all crave the right touch more than the right food. It is the individual who has the right to decide in advance, and we should do nothing to undermine that right, as the amendments would.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords. the noble Baroness has spoken only about artificially conveyed food and liquid, but the amendment does not refer merely to that. It refers to simple feeding and the fact that, so often. food is too far away, yet none of that has
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been addressed by the noble Baroness. Some of us have a great deal of evidence of patients not being fed ordinarily, let alone with tubes. Would the noble Baroness speak for just one second about that?
Baroness Murphy: My Lords, I agree with the noble Baroness completely, but basic care is in the Bill. The way we must address the best interests of the patients is by proving good clinical practice. I believe that there are safeguards in the Bill. Clause 58, for example, would satisfactorily address the concerns of the noble Baroness. We must tackle the problems that the noble Baroness is raising very vigorously, but this Bill is not the place to do it in this way.
Lord Walton of Detchant: My Lords, I must make absolutely clear, despite the great sincerity and force with which the proposers of the amendment have put forward their case, my reasons for deciding, after very careful thought and consideration, that I cannot support it.
I say to the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, that the Hippocratic oath is no longer sworn by doctors and medical students, and the reason is quite clear: it is totally out of date. It includes all kinds of curious suggestions, such as, "I will not cut persons labouring under the stone", and a whole lot of other things that are totally inappropriate to modern medical practice. But all medical students are taught that their primary concern as doctors is to have a duty of care to their patients, which involves the responsibility, particularly with terrninal illness, to offer what many people refer to as "tender loving care", including everything that falls within that category.
As I said on Tuesday, the Select Committee on Medical Ethics, which I chaired, made one or two things absolutely clear and explicit. First, the competent patient, after full explanation of all the potential consequences, has an absolute right to refuse medical treatment even if that will ultimately end in death. That is not suicide or an intending of death but a refusal to accept treatment which the individual accepts as having no benefit or adding nothing to their individual well being. If for that reason a competent patient refuses artificial nutrition and hydration, so be it—that is their own responsibility.
The problem is more difficult with the incompetent patient. I must confess that I would not wish to see the withdrawal of food and fluid from an incompetent patient without exceptional reasons, which are very important. I can say to the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, that if a doctor can be shown not to have fulfilled that duty of care by giving appropriate clinical care to a patient, particularly towards the end of life, that doctor could be reported to the General Medical Council, which would have the absolute right to consider whether under its own guidance the doctor had demonstrated such neglect or disregard of personal responsibilities to the patient as to raise an issue of serious professional misconduct. That is in the GMC's rules; it is something that I remember drafting many years ago.
The defect in the amendment is that it would overturn the decision of the Law Lords in the Appellate Committee in the case of Tony Bland. The

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reason for that is quite simple: Tony Bland and many other patients like him were in a permanent vegetative state, which meant that the cerebral cortex was dead. He and other patients in a similar situation had no awareness of the position which they were in or of their surroundings, and no reflex responsibility indicating that they were in any sense conscious. Tony Bland and other patients in a permanent vegetative state were still able to breathe and their hearts were still beating, but they were unable to swallow, and they were fed by a feeding tube and given food and fluid in that way.
In a patient who is totally unaware of his or her surroundings and who has no function in the cerebral cortex, one cannot then claim that to give feeding by a tube would do harm or impose a burden on that individual. The Law Lords' decision was that the maintenance of artificial hydration and feeding in the case of Tony Bland was not in his best interests. That, I think, is the guidance that we must use; and that is why I am firmly of the opinion that to pass this amendment would have the effect of overturning the decision on Tony Bland and would raise an enormous number of very difficult and anxious cases.
I shall say one thing to my noble friend Lord Alton, whose absolute sincerity in contributing to these debates is unassailable, I am sure. That is, that I have signed an advance directive that simply says that if I become incompetent and am in a terminal illness, I would not wish to have life-sustaining treatment of a particular kind. That falls in line with the treatment-limiting decisions which we hallowed in the House of Lords report from the Select Committee on Medical Ethics, which was accepted by this House. For the advance directive to instruct doctors to withhold certain treatment in an incompetent patient in a terminal illness is not assisted suicide; it is a treatment-limiting decision which is entirely valid under the present law. To impose this amendment would make that extremely difficult. I am afraid that I must tell my noble friend Lord Alton that I find no loophole in the Bill and that any further attempt to delay its passage would be very harmful to the many excellent provisions that exist within it.
12.15 p.m.
Lord Carter: My Lords, I wish to address myself to the phrase in Amendment No. 9A relating to the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. A lot of what I was going to say has just been said by the noble Lord, Lord Walton of Detchant, and I need not say any more about the Bland judgment except to quote from it a crucial sentence by Lord Keith of Kinkel. He referred to the state of Tony Bland's brain and so on, and went on to say:
"The undisputed consensus of eminent medical opinion is that there is no prospect whatever that Anthony Bland will ever make any recovery from his present condition, but that there is every likelihood that he will maintain his present state of existence for many years to come, provided that the medical care which he is now receiving is continued".
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If the medical care could keep him alive for many years to come, it clearly was not harmful or burdensome, and this amendment would mean that the Bland judgment would be overturned.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, on that point, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Carter, but does he recall that I raised at an earlier stage of our proceedings the case of Andrew Devine, who also entered a persistent vegetative state, on the same day as Tony Bland. He was a constituent of mine then, when I represented a constituency in Liverpool. The noble Lord will recall that it was at the Hillsborough Liverpool game that these terrible events occurred. Five years later Andrew Devine recovered; he is still alive today and has been fed subsequently. Therefore, the predictive nature of the decisions that have been made cannot always be accurate. Also, it is not the intention of the movers of this amendment to overturn that.
Lord Carter: My Lords, that intervention is extremely helpful, because it goes to the heart of the debate. I do not believe that the noble Lord, Lord Alton, believes that those who care for people who are in a persistent vegetative state should have the power to seek the court's approval for the ending of artificial nutrition and hydration so that their life can come to an end. That is a clear division of opinion, and I entirely respect the noble Lord's sincerity. There are those who believe, entirely sincerely, that the beginning and end of life belongs to the Creator and not to us—and I understand those who feel like that.
But I do not believe that they should attempt to impose that opinion on the rest of society through legislation.
To move away from the case of Anthony Bland, there are cases of patients in intensive care who are on life support. If they are on life support, they are completely sedated. The treatment that they receive is not harmful or burdensome. Indeed, the only consolation for the relatives in those situations is that the patient feels nothing. To a use a non-medical term, they are completely paralysed. Such treatment is not harmful or burdensome. There are cases in which the attempt at resuscitation can be successful in preserving life but can lead to irreparable brain damage. Those who care for such people—the relatives and doctors—face an agonising decision regarding the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.
Amendment No. 9A, which mentions life-sustaining treatment, would prevent a decision being taken to withhold such treatment. I understand and respect those who as a matter of conscience would not wish to make such a decision, but I do not agree that such a right should be removed from those who might wish to exercise it.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill: My Lords, I promise not to bore the House by repeating the summary that I attempted to make on Tuesday of the legal and ethical principles reflected in the Bland decision, but I would like briefly to deal with one or two matters that have arisen today on the amendments.

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I should say at the outset that I am perfectly sure that it is not the intention of either the noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, or the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, to wreck this important Bill, but I have no doubt that the effect of these amendments would be to torpedo the Bill, for the following reason. As the noble Lord, Lord Walton of Detchant, emphasised, there are no loopholes in this Bill. These amendments would overturn not only the Bland decision but all the legal and ethical principles contained in it and would in my view breach the human rights in the convention.
I am perfectly sure, although I am no longer on the Joint Committee on Human Rights, that if these amendments were to be referred to that committee and a legal opinion obtained— which, of course, it is too late now to do—it too would come to the considered view that these amendments were incompatible with, for example, Article 8 of the convention guaranteeing personal autonomy and Article 3 on dignity. and so on. As I say, however, I will not bore the House with that.
I should like to do a couple of things that I hope will be useful in this debate. The first is to remind the House of the safeguards that have been built into the Bill by the Government with our consent, which it seems to me are extremely important in giving the context.
The first point is that the Bill makes it quite clear that decisions to be taken about any treatment for someone who lacks capacity, whether or not it is life sustaining, must be determined by whether it would be in that person's best interests to receive the treatment. That is Clause 4.
Then, the Bill has been amended to make it clear that when someone is making a determination about whether life-sustaining treatment would be in someone's best interests, they cannot be motivated by a desire to cause the person's death. That is in Clause 4(5). That makes it clear that personal value judgments or a desire that someone should die for whatever reason have no part to play in determining what is in someone's best interests. That amendment ensures that artificial nutrition, for example, is not withheld inappropriately as a result of any value judgments by the decision maker.
Then, in addition to requiring that advance decisions that refuse life-sustaining treatment must be made in writing and witnessed, Clause 25(5) and (6) make it clear that an advance decision is not applicable to life-sustaining treatment unless it includes a statement that it is to apply to the treatment even if the person's life is at risk. That makes it clearer than the previous provisions. It requires anyone making an advance decision to refuse life-sustaining treatment not only to specify that they wish to refuse particular life-sustaining treatment, but also to specify that they wish that refusal to apply even if it risks death.
Those safeguards, together with the guidance which I understand will be included in a code of practice, will provide a completely balanced and workable framework to protect the sanctity of life and the patient's interests and, if I may say so, the ethical good practices of the medical profession.
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Clause 26(2) provides that where the doctor is in any doubt about the validity and applicability of an advance decision, she or he can provide treatment according to the person's best interests safe from liability.
I have wearied the House with that because it is important to get the framework right.
In order that the House understands the clash of principle which underlines these amendments, I want to go back, as the noble Lords, Lord Carter and Lord Walton, have done, very briefly to one passage in Bland. I only wish that it were possible to summarise some of these principles. They deal, I think quite clearly, with a different philosophy—a complete different philosophy—from that of the movers of this amendment. For those who want to look it up, it is the 1993 Appeal Cases. The particular passage I am looking at is in the judgment of Sir Thomas Bingham, as he then was—then the Master of the Rolls; he is now, of course, the senior Law Lord—and it has not been mentioned in the House before. At page 809, he began by saying:
"if, presciently, Mr. Bland had given instructions that he should not be artificially fed or treated with antibiotics if he should become a P.V.S. patient, his doctors would not act unlawfully in complying with those instructions but would act unlawfully if they did not comply, even though the patient's death would inevitably follow. If Mr. Bland were a child and a ward of the court, it would decide what was in his best interests, having regard to the views of his parents but not treating them as conclusive … This case is novel because Mr. Bland is not a child and a ward of court, he is immune to suffering and, as already stated, he gave no instructions concerning his treatment if he were to become a P.V.S. patient".
I skip the next passage about what is artificial feeding, which the noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, explained very clearly, and why it is part of treatment. But then, Sir Thomas Bingham, as he then was, went on to say:
"It is relevant to consider the objects of medical care … traditionally they have been (1) to prevent the occurrence of illness, injury or deformity … (2) to cure illness when it does occur; (3) where illness cannot be cured, to prevent or retard deterioration of the patient's conditions; (4) to relieve pain and suffering in body and mind. I doubt if it has ever been an object of medical care merely to prolong the life of an insensate patient with no hope of recovery where nothing can be done to promote any of these objects. But until relatively recently the question could scarcely have arisen since the medical technology to prolong life in this way did not exist".
Then, Sir Thomas Bingham, as he then was, quoted case law from around the world—the United States, New Zealand, Canada—all to the same effect, and the Bland principles reflect those. I would ask those who are interested to look particularly at the New Zealand case that he summarises on pages 810 and 811 which, in my view, is wholly in accordance with Bland and wholly in accordance with the dignity of the individual, with the sanctity of life and with patient autonomy.
The problem about these amendments is that they would take away the Bland principles, even though I understand it to be said that that is not their intention. We know that certainly the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, is no friend of the Bland decision. Previously, I think that she was not very keen on it. But that is not the point. The point is that whether or not

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one is a friend of the Bland decision, in my view, the Bland decision, which is the law of the land, is entirely correct and should not be overturned.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, the record of what we say here is very important. Does the noble Lord not accept—perhaps he was not in his place when I said it— that I have said at least once if not twice that I agreed with the Bland decision? He is wrong in what he has just said.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill: My Lords, I am delighted to hear that and glad to know it, because these amendments cannot stand with Bland.
Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes: My Lords, before the noble Lord sits down, I wonder whether he is aware that in, for example. the United States, one can legally appoint another person to take these decisions on their behalf if their mental or even their physical condition is such that they are unable to make their views known.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill: My Lords, in the United States they use a slightly different test from ours; they use a substituted judgment test rather than a best interests test. But it comes to very much the same thing, and the ethical principles set out in Bland repeat what the Supreme Court of the United States and other courts in the United States and Canada have said. There is no real substantive difference between them. They are all to the same effect. They are all contrary to these amendments.
Lord Patten: My Lords, I do not often trouble your Lordships' House with speeches, but I am troubled by a number of the issues that are raised in these amendments. I also think that the noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, is right in predicting that there may be a bit of trouble—to use "trouble" again—in another place unless we can find some way of perhaps getting some accommodation between all of us who wish to see this Bill on the statute book. But that said, I think that these amendments would ensure that basic care, which includes nutrition and hydration, however provided—as the noble Baroness, Lady Knight of Collingtree, has said, it is not just through tubes but through the mouth—is not withdrawn inappropriately.
I am not a medical man or a lawyer, but I am completely bemused by the classification of "foods and fluids" as medical treatment. I simply do not understand that, despite having read the helpful letters that have been circulated. I have yet to hear a convincing explanation why nutrition and hydration. however so delivered, should be classified as medical treatment and not as basic care—the sort of care that we heard about earlier regarding dealing with bed sores and other issues.
12.30 p.m.
Exactly what medical ailment is being treated? Since when has hunger or thirst been considered an illness? Those things constitute deprivations, not illnesses. It has
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even been established in the case of animals that freedom from hunger and freedom from thirst constitute two of the five welfare considerations to which all domestic animals are entitled. Surely it is not unreasonable for the same criteria to be applied to human beings as are applied in law to animals. If starving a sheep to death is worth a six-month prison sentence—as was reported some months back—how can it be logical, ethical or compassionate to justify the starving to death of a human being? I simply do not understand and I would like to be relieved of my burden of misunderstanding or stupidity by the Minister.
I hasten to add at this point that none of us wants to make unlawful the withdrawal of food and fluids delivered by artificial means from a patient who is in the process of dying, and where the placing of feeding tubes would be regarded as entirely and unduly intrusive and inappropriate—the kind of situation to which the noble Lord, Lord Detchant, to whom I always listen very carefully, has referred in the past—or where, indeed, the risk of placement of feeding tubes would be excessive.
However, in the Leslie Burke case, the High Court declared that it was hard to envisage any circumstances in which withdrawal of assisted nutrition and hydration (ANH) from a sentient patient—the kind of patient to whom the noble Lord, Lord Walton, referred— whether competent or incompetent, would be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
The learned judge—I note that a very learned noble Lord, who is much more learned in the law than I—wishes to intervene.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill: My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the decision of my old opponent in the Bland case, Mr Justice Mumby, as he now is, whose arguments were entirely rejected by the House of Lords in the Bland case, but who is now a learned judge, is now under appeal to the Court of Appeal with the consent of Mr Justice Mumby, and that the medical profession itself wishes to be joined and heard as to why that judgment, with which I respectfully disagree in certain respects, is wrong?
Lord Patten: My Lords, I was not aware of the fact of which the noble Lord has just informed your Lordships. However, nothing in what he said prevents me continuing the argument which I was putting before the Chamber as a non-lawyer.
It is worth repeating that in the Leslie Burke case the High Court declared that it was hard to envisage any circumstances in which withdrawal of assisted nutrition and hydration from a sentient patient, whether competent or incompetent, would be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. It would be interesting to see what happens during that process hut in the mean time I refer to what we have on the record. The learned judge in the Burke case also referred to the suffering of patients caused by dehydration and starvation. Will the Minister confirm what safeguards are in place in this Bill to ensure that patients affected by it do not suffer through the premature and inappropriate

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withdrawal of nutrition and hydration? That to me is a fundamental issue. I suspect that it is also a fundamental issue for many members of all parties in another place.
I am deeply troubled—I am not often deeply troubled, just as I do not often trouble your Lordships' House with a speech—by the fact that the Bill does not provide for judicial scrutiny of decisions to withdraw assisted nutrition and hydration. Therefore, a case might reasonably be made that it is in breach of Article 8 of the European Convention.
Lord Walton of Detchant: My Lords, I hope that the noble Lord will forgive me for interrupting. I wish to put three questions to him. Does he agree that the administration of food and fluid through a feeding tube which invades the human body can be construed as medical treatment? I wholly agree with him that the giving of food and fluid to a sentient patient who is perfectly capable of giving or withholding consent is a part of basic care; that I do not deny. However, the noble Lord may remember that many years ago in connection with the Northern Ireland hunger strikers the whole issue was raised whether doctors had the right to force feed them and to force them to take fluid. After a great deal of ethical consideration. it was decided that they did not have that right. In other words, it still stands that the sentient, competent patient has the absolute right to refuse medical treatment even if he or she also refuses food and fluid.
The other point is that under the Bland judgment, as regards any patient who is in a permanent vegetative state, the tube cannot be removed without the approval of the High Court. This Bill does nothing to change that ruling.
Lord Patten: My Lords, I entirely agree with the noble Lord in every sense that anything which invades the person is a medical treatment, but it may also be the critical way of delivering basic care. On the second point which the noble Lord made, when I was fortunate enough to join your Lordships' House in 1997, I promised myself never to use the words "I remember". However, I am afraid that I am about to break that promise to myself because I do remember in 1981 and 1982, when I was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in Northern Ireland—where I had been sent by the noble Baroness, Lady Thatcher, for disobedience for creating too much trouble on the Back Benches—sitting by the bed of the second of the hunger strikers, God rest his soul. when he was two days away from dying of starvation. The hunger strikers drank Highland Spring water. It was a sad and terrible thing to see. Of course, any hunger striker has the right to do exactly what they will with their own bodies in the sense that it was done in the Maze Prison in those dreadful and sad days. I hope that I never have to say "I remember" again in the time I am spared for the service of your Lordships' House.
However. I return to what deeply troubles me, and that is I do not think that the Bill provides for judicial scrutiny of decisions to withdraw ANH. Therefore, it may be in breach of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Joint Committee
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on Human Rights appears to be aware of the Bill's deficiency in relation to that. Paragraph 2.51 of the Joint Committee's 23rd report of Session 2003–04 states that,
"in relation to the withdrawal of ANH, the presumption in favour of life-sustaining treatment is not sufficiently strong in the Bill to satisfy the requirements of Articles 2,3 and 8 as explained by the High Court in Burke".
In its most recent report—the fourth report of Session 2004–05—which I commend to your Lordships, the Joint Committee urges the Government to amend the Bill to make it clear that if ANH is to be withdrawn or withheld, the document making that refusal or conferring the authority to make that refusal, whether an advance decision or lasting power of attorney, must make it clear that it applies to the refusal of ANH. Otherwise, ANH should continue to be provided, the committee states. The Joint Committee considers that reference to "life-sustaining treatment" is too vague and that people may not appreciate that a decision to refuse life-sustaining treatment would mean that they would be deprived of nutrition and hydration. We are dealing with human beings who may not understand technical terms at the time that they make this commitment. Therefore, I would like to know exactly what action the Government have taken in response to the Joint Committee's report. I am sure that the noble Baroness will tell us that in her response.
The noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, said that we live in a eugenic society. We have done so for many decades; it is just that it seems to be bubbling up to the surface now. We used to talk about people being "pro-life" and "the politics of pro-life". I do not mean party politics, but the way in which life issues get brought into the political process.
It is interesting for those of us who read the newspapers regularly to see how young female correspondents and commentators, often in their twenties and thirties, are now raising those issues, changing their minds, and changing the ground of argument, as they were once so much in favour of keeping the eugenic society under wraps on matters of abortion that the noble Lord, Lord Alton, referred to. The politics of death, which is the term that I prefer to use, will not necessarily roar but will come quite fast up the political agenda. I know that some people do not like to have some of those issues brought into politics. We had a case of that a week or so ago, when the Prime Minister said that he did not wish to have a particular pro-life/anti-life issue raised in the general election campaign.
None of us who are democrats should ever attempt—as Martin McGuinness has most recently done with the sisters and the fiancée of Mr McCartney who was killed in Northern Ireland—to rule something out of political debate. Anyone who has stood in any election in recent decades will know that those matters of life and death come up from the floor in question and answer sessions, very often promoted by the Church. None of us can rule the key issues out of political debate. The Minister would not seek to prevent that; she is much too sensitive and much too talented, and I had better stop there in case 1 damage her career.

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The issues of life and death and the politics of death will be part and parcel of the next few weeks and the next few years, and we are seeing a major sea change in people's attitudes to those issues. I hope that the Minister can find some way to allow all of us in both Houses who wish to see the Bill on the statute book to vote for it.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, this has been a long and interesting debate. I begin by saying to the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, who opened the debate, that I was grateful for her words. I want to say something to her at a personal level. When I came into your Lordships' House, I found that I had to get to grips with the fact that the effect of individual words, because we are legislators, is different from that in the world that I came from. I wondered, as the noble Baroness was talking about dealing with words, whether the same thing is happening to her—that sort of journey into understanding that an individual word put in a law can have a huge effect. I shall return to that as I discuss the amendment.
I say to the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, that I would never want to weary her. I fear that sometimes the noble Baroness feels when I say that something is unnecessary, or use what she described as "anodyne" words, that somehow it is a failure to recognise the underlying interest and cause that she speaks for. I want her to know absolutely—I said it on Tuesday and I will say it again—that I fully understand and respect the issues that the noble Baroness has sought to raise. I say again to those noble Lords who have not been present throughout our debates that because of the work of the noble Baroness, it has become a bigger issue in the Department of Health and in the work that we are doing on this Bill to think carefully about how well basic care is provided for patients. I do not dispute or deny any of the individual, sometimes horrific, stories that she has told us, but that is about people not fulfilling their duties properly, and it is something that we need to address. I simply say that it is not addressed by the amendments.
I say to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, that I would never seek to bring anything that could be described as a threat to him. I have tried in the course of the passage of the Bill to meet and discuss with anyone who has asked me about any of the issues that have been around. We have tried to provide information, and we have had two sessions with palliative care experts in the House for noble Lords. I am sorry that the noble Lord, Lord Patten, was not there, I plan to send him the little briefing pack about why ANH is a treatment, which I think he would welcome. I have held open sessions every day that the Bill has been in the House. I have visited hospitals and talked to doctors and to as many experts as I possibly could. On Tuesday, I put forward the best case that I could, supported by some in your Lordships' House and opposed by others, about why I felt that it was unnecessary to do some of the things that the noble Lord, Professor Finnis and the Archbishop of Cardiff have sought.
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12.45 p.m.
There was an Opportunity at that stage for those who put forward the amendment to seek the opinion of noble Lords. The noble Lord, Lord Walton, has indicated that he withdrew because he was satisfied. and the noble Lord, Lord Carlile, is of the same mind. The noble Lord. Lord Brennan, indicated to me last night that he would not be pursuing the issue. All I can do is try to persuade noble Lords of the issues. I will do no more than that, and I will not do it in any way other than the appropriate manner that noble Lords would expect; that is what debates are for. The noble Lord must consider whether and how he wishes to pursue this. It is no use saying to me, "In another place there will be concerns". Yes, there will be concerns. Noble Lords will be talking, as they do, to their opposite numbers, as am I. We are in your Lordships' House specifically to deal with the issues before us and to make our decisions and our judgments. Yes, I will continue to talk, but I have no intention of reversing my position as I laid it out on Tuesday. I would not want the noble Lord to think that I would do any other.
I want to make clear the position of the Department of Health on the Burke judgment, because it is important. The side issues around the Burke judgment were not around the provision of artificial nutrition and hydration, which we agree when it is in the best interests of a patient should always be provided: there is no issue about that. It was that alongside it came whether a patient could demand any treatment. There are two problems here that the Department of Health is interested in. The first is around clinical judgment. If a patient determines the treatment that they request that is different to a doctor saying, "This is what you need. You can choose to have it or not, but this is what I recommend". Secondly, there is the resource question that we need to get underneath within that. That is why the Department of Health has joined the Burke appeal, not because of the ANH issue, which it is clear about.
The noble Lord said, "Does the Bill support euthanasia?". It does not. Do the Government in this Bill, or do I, support a position of assisted suicide? No, my Lords, we do not. I do not. and I would not put a Bill before your Lordships' House that did anything to change the law on murder, manslaughter, or assisted suicide. I would resign my position. I would not do it, the Government would not do it, and I would not pretend to your Lordships" House if that were the case. This does not do it. People who have talked and debated with us have come to that conclusion. People of great eminence, not least the noble Lord, Lord Walton, and others who have looked carefully either from, as it has tended to be, a legal perspective or a medical perspective, have increasingly said to me, "I have looked, I have listened, I have looked again, and I agree". The noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, who cannot be with us, sent me a letter—I shall not bore your Lordships' House by reading it out—and she is clear that this Bill does not have the loophole.

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Clause 58 is clear; the law on murder, manslaughter and assisted suicide is unaffected. An advance decision cannot require a doctor to do anything, and certainly does not require a doctor to take any step to aid or abet suicide. An advance decision refuses consent to treatment. We all have a right to refuse consent if we have the capacity to do so. The Bill turns what is already in law—the ability to refuse consent—from common law into statute. We have said that when it is about life-sustaining treatment it must he written; it must be specific, and it must be witnessed.
For example, the noble Lord, Lord Alton, and I have talked about a young man of 19 with no apparent condition who comes in with an advance decision written and witnessed saying that he does not want anything done. Where the doctor is sure, because it is obvious that this person has tried to commit suicide, they can treat. The difference is that they can treat without any question of their being taken to court or sued under this Bill. That is a huge and important difference.
The second reason is that even if the decision was not of that type, if the doctor believes that the circumstances have changed in any way—that the treatment has moved on because it was written some time ago or that the individual has done something that suggests that they would not do that or whatever reason—he has only to have any doubt and he can treat, and continue to treat, while seeking advice from the courts if necessary. The Bill makes it much safer and much more protective for people than the current position. That is why it should be on the statute book as soon as possible.
The noble Baroness, Lady Oppenheim-Barnes, who I am pleased to see has joined our debates, raised a question about relatives. In the Bill there is a new right—which, I confess, I thought existed already—that the next of kin will be consulted. I did not know that there was no right in law for that whatever. In the Bill there is a new right for relatives and loved ones to have their voices heard when the doctor is deciding what is in that individual's best interests. I think that it is really important that if my husband, my son, my daughter or my stepchildren were in that position I would be able to be consulted and so would they—as loved ones. That is a very important safeguard. However, if, in that consultation, the doctor had concerns that a loved one was not acting in the best interests of the patient, he can treat. Again, there is a fundamental difference in the position.
I could spend a long time explaining to the noble Lord, Lord Patten, why ANH is a treatment, but I am not going to, because I shall send him the presentation by Professor Rob George, the palliative care expert, which is much better. It is not about classification. What matters in the Bill is ensuring that what is offered to the patient is in his best interests. The whole premise within the Bill is that if you are acting on behalf of someone who lacks capacity, you have to act in his best interests. You cannot do anything that is not in the person's best interests.
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For me, the only thing that could override best interests would be if I had written an advance decision that said, in certain circumstances and in a particular way, I would not want this. So, if I am a Jehovah's Witness I may wish to refuse a blood transfusion for religious reasons, which is my right, and decide to write that in an advance decision. Then, if I end up in a road accident and need a blood transfusion, which is clearly in my best interests, my decision on religious grounds can override that. I personally might not like that; the noble Lord might not like that; but that is the right of an individual.
I also wish to be clear that when it is in the best interests—
Lord Patten: My Lords, could the Minister now, or at a later stage in her speech, to which I am listening with great care, address the specific question that I asked about why food and water are regarded as a treatment, not basic care?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I was trying to get around that by offering to send the noble Lord specific details of the two sessions held in your Lordships' House with a palliative care expert. He explained specifically why artificial nutrition and hydration were regarded as a treatment. I was trying not to weary your Lordships House because some of us have considered this matter many times. If the noble Lord wishes me to go through that, I am able to do so. However, I felt that it might be of more use for the noble Lord to be able to reflect on the particulars and to talk to the palliative care expert who has made himself available to discuss these matters with any noble Lord who wishes.
Lord Patten: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for giving way a second time and I shall not trouble her again. But I would ask her to reflect on the fact that there may be all sorts of meetings held by all sorts of people with all sorts of views—particular experts in this place, another place or in buildings outside—but it is in this Chamber, in your Lordships' Chamber, where these issues are debated. It is fundamentally undemocratic to suggest that a Minister should not reply to a point, because it happens to have been exhaustively debated in a couple of sessions held by experts in some other place. That is completely wrong.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill: My Lords, before the noble Baroness replies to that, is she aware that the answer was given by the Law Lords, the Court of Appeal and the judge of first instance in Bland? That is the law of the land and it would be pointless to go into it now. The noble Lord and everyone else can read what they have said. That is the law.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I was also going to say that I covered this matter in Committee. I am not denying the Chamber the opportunity to discuss it. but we have debated these amendments before. Sadly, the noble Lord was not here and was not able to read Hansard. I am sorry that that was the case,

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but I was merely trying to say that I have a way of short-circuiting a whole process, which is to give him a presentation. He could ring the palliative care expert if he wished. He would be available, which I thought would benefit the noble Lord, who could return to the matter if he wished to at another stage. I am very happy to go through the reasons. I trust that the noble Lord will understand that I was not trying to circumvent democracy in any way, shape or form.
The noble Lord, Lord Walton, also specifically addressed this point as an eminent medical professional in describing the invasive nature of the treatment. If you wish to give someone ANH, you must obtain his consent. But there are real consequences for someone who has ANH treatment; for example, you have to watch that he does not become waterlogged, which can be a real problem. Kidney functions must be observed and blood must be regularly taken. For some conditions, ANH is detrimental—for example, with some forms of stomach cancer, where the provision of that food would enable the cancer to grow.
These are all issues that the medical profession believe put ANH into the category of medical intervention and, therefore, treatment—the reason being that you are bypassing the functions of the body and having to monitor the body in particular ways. The noble Lord may not agree with that view. I am not a medical expert, but I have gone to the medical experts and brought them to your Lordships' House so that they could make the position clear. It is also true that there are real side-effects for ANH, of which noble Lords will be aware. There is great discomfort on occasions, bloating or diarrhoea—many burdens that can be felt by the individual when this treatment is provided. So it is carried out with great care and in the right circumstances.
The critical point is that it is carried out when it is in the right and best interests of the patient. To a large extent I agree with the concerns of the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, and the noble Lord, Lord Alton. We should be giving people food and water and artificial nutrition and hydration when it is in their interests. We should not deny people those things. That goes back to the argument or discussion we had on Tuesday about the whole issue of basic care. It is a medical treatment because of the way that it has to be carried out and because of the consequences involved—
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness and I shall be brief. Will she answer two questions? She mentioned clearly that the nearest and dearest have a right to state their opinion. Does that opinion override and take priority over the decision that might have been made by any of the other consultees? As the noble Lord, Lord Patten, said, it seems that the Bill is incompatible with Article 2 of the human rights convention which states that everyone's right to life shall be protected by law. Is that the case? Is the noble Baroness engaged in any consultation about that?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, we are moving off into other areas. Regarding the first question, we have enshrined the right of a loved one to be consulted, which does not exist at all at the moment. We have also put in the Bill provision for a lasting power of attorney, so you can give to your loved one the ability to act on your behalf in a whole range of issues, including medical treatment. In all of those contexts, we have said that when you are treating someone the best interests of the patient are paramount. So if you have appointed a lasting power of attorney, but, on listening to that person, the doctor feels that he or she is not acting in the best interests of the patient, he can say, "I am not satisfied, I am going to treat; and 1 am going to go to court to obtain a decision on this".
That is the position. As I have tried to explain, we have made the position much clearer, much safer, but it is skewed and errs on the side of saying: when there is doubt, you treat. What you cannot do, whoever you are, is not to act in the best interests of the patient, because that would be completely wrong.
Our view is that the Bill is entirely compatible with Article 2. We are in discussion with the Joint Committee and will continue to be, but we think that there are no issues that have not been addressed. We are grateful to the committee, which has carried out a great deal of work.
Perhaps I may now deal with the point that underlies much of this issue—and it is worth stating what is in the Bill. I do not think that we can address the kind of negligence issues that have been raised by the noble Baroness in terms of basic care. I have said on many occasions, and I do not wish to weary the noble Baroness or anyone else, that those issues will need to be, and should be, addressed properly. What we have put in the Bill is a new criminal offence of neglect. That will capture professionals, as well as others, who withhold vital care and treatment from a patient in need. That is a substantial step forward, which recognises the importance of that issue.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, I welcome that provision and I am grateful to the Government for having included it. If, for example, a cup of tea was put aside and the patient could not reach it because of his incapacity, that would now be a criminal offence. I think that the Minister is right to remind us that that provision is in the Bill.
1 p.m.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord. The provision is important because it is precisely about that point, and we should recognise that. The noble Baroness should take some credit for it, and rightly so.
I want to finish by setting out our three basic reasons for resisting the amendments. The issue of the way in which they are drafted goes back to what I said to the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, at the beginning of the debate about the effect of words. Often when we discuss amendments, I know what underlies them but it is partly my job to explain what the amendments would do if they

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were included in the law. They would, in fact, force on people in their final days non-beneficial provision of artificial nutrition and hydration and other forms of lifesaving treatment, regardless of what was in the patients' best interests. I return to that point as the central plank of my argument.
Sometimes in a palliative care setting—the noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, will know this better than most—it is in a person's best interests for treatment to be withheld because it would confer no real benefit. Doctors balance benefits and burdens when determining whether a treatment is in the best interests of a patient. I remember that in Committee the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, said that such decisions are determined almost on an hourly basis as the patient moves towards death in his final days. One is then balancing all the time.
In some end-of-life situations, it cannot be assumed that all or any treatments should be given just because they are available. That is not always the right thing for the patient, but the amendment would require that. I do not think that decisions to withhold life-sustaining treatment are taken lightly; they are taken with great love and care. In situations where the patient is dying, it is critical that he does not suffer a painful or undignified death. In palliative care situations, patients are not, and will not be, denied necessary hydration. Suffering is caused only where the care is negligent, and I repeat that that offence is now included in the Bill.
Secondly, under the amendment, patients would not be able to make an advance decision to refuse any form of life-sustaining treatment. That would lead to the situation that I described on Tuesday—it may seem a rather bizarre example but that would be the effect—concerning someone who had, for religious reasons, decided not to receive a particular treatment. That would be okay while the person had capacity but, under the amendment, when he lost consciousness and thus capacity, the advance decision would not count and he would be given the treatment. So it is possible that someone who was going in and out of consciousness would not have his religious views respected, and I would not wish to see that happen. Not only would the amendment affect those who have religious concerns but it would limit the personal autonomy for which we all strive and would create a disparity between what one can refuse contemporaneously and what one can refuse in advance.
Thirdly—this has been said many times and so I shall be brief—the amendment would overturn the Bland judgment. We would not wish to see that happen to that judgment, and the subsequent 36 cases, because it provides a good way of resolving a difficult and heartbreaking situation.
I have taken some time and I hope that my explanation has been helpful to the House. In the spirit of our continuing debates, I hope that I have answered as many of the points as possible and that the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, will feel able to withdraw her amendment.
Baroness Chapman: My Lords, I thank the Minister for her very detailed response. It is not my intention to
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overturn the Bland judgment, and I understand what she is saying. I still have concerns about non-dying patients having some treatments withdrawn but, because I hear what the noble Baroness is saying, I shall go away and rethink the matter. For now, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
[Amendment No. 9A not moved.]v
Clause 5 [Acts in connection with care or treatment]:
[Amendment No. 10 not moved.]
Clause 6 [Section 5 acts: limitations]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 11:
Page 4, line 28, at end insert—
"( ) But D does more than merely restrain P if he deprives P of his liberty within the meaning of Article 5(1) of the Human Rights Convention (whether or not D is a public authority)."
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, we now turn to a group of amendments which respond directly to particular concerns raised by the Joint Committee on Human Rights. The committee wanted the Bill to confirm expressly that actions amounting to the deprivation of liberty do not fall within the definition of "restraint" used in the Bill. The amendments achieve that.
Amendments Nos. 11, 37 and 48 clarify that Clauses 6, 11 and 20 do not provide a defence against deprivation of liberty. That means that no one acting in connection with care or treatment under Clause 5, nor an attorney or deputy, may deprive a person who lacks capacity of his liberty. "Restraint" includes only restrictions of liberty.
Amendments Nos. 109, 112 and 108 are merely consequential amendments to ensure that the Bill defines the necessary terms of "public health authority" and the "human rights convention". We recognise that the distinction between restriction of liberty and deprivation is complex, and the Bournewood case is relevant here.
The European Court judgment in the Bournewood case made clear that the question of whether someone has, in fact, been deprived of liberty depends on the particular circumstances of the case. Specifically, the court said at paragraph 89 of the judgment:
"The distinction between a deprivation of, and restriction upon, liberty is merely one of degree or intensity and not one of nature or substance".
As noble Lords are aware, in the Bournewood case the European Court said that further procedural safeguards must be in place whenever deprivation of liberty is used in a person's best interests. I know that noble Lords will want to raise many more detailed concerns in relation to the Bournewood judgment, and I look forward to discussing them fully in relation to our Amendment No. 107. Meanwhile, I hope that this group of amendments addresses the concern of noble Lords and the committee that "restraint", as defined in the Bill, does not cover actions amounting to deprivation of liberty. I beg to move.
On Question, amendment agreed to.

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Clause 7 [Payment for necessary goods and services]:
Lord Goodhartmoved Amendment No. 12:
Page 5, line 2, at end insert—
"(3) Subject to subsections (1) and (4), a contract purportedly entered into by a person who lacks capacity to enter into the contract is not enforceable against that person and may be set aside on an application to a court made by or on behalf of that person.
(4) Subsection (3) shall not apply if the following conditions are satisfied—

(a) the terms of the contract are fair to the person lacking capacity,

(b) no other party to the contract knew or should have known that that person lacked or might lack capacity, and

(c) failure to enforce the contract against that person or the setting aside of the contract will cause loss or hardship to another party to the contract.

(5) It shall be for a party seeking to enforce the contract or objecting to its being set aside to prove that the conditions in subsection (4) are satisfied."
The noble Lord said: My Lords, this amendment is of much less serious importance than the one that we have just been discussing. It raises an issue brought to my attention by the CAB.
In English law, a contract entered into by a person lacking capacity can be set aside on his or her behalf only if the other party to the contract knew of the incapacity when he or she entered into the contract. In Scotland, I understand that any contract entered into by a person lacking capacity is unenforceable by the other party, even if the other party was not aware of the lack of capacity at the time of making the contract. According to the CAB, that system works satisfactorily in Scotland. Businesses in Scotland do not pursue claims against customers who turn out to have lacked capacity. It seems to me that, in fact, English law does not go far enough, although Scottish law may go a little too far in making all contracts unenforceable in that situation. I moved an amendment in Committee. I withdrew it after debate and have now returned with what I think is a somewhat improved version.
In its briefing, the CAB refers to two contexts where there is an abuse of people lacking capacity and where remedies in English law are inadequate. The first and obvious one is where someone grossly overcharges a person lacking capacity for supplying goods or services or grossly underpays for property which he acquires from the person lacking capacity. The other context, which is perhaps a little less obvious, is where the person lacking capacity buys at a reasonable price goods or property which are inappropriate or for which the person buying them has no need.
In Committee, I referred to one particular example from my own experience at the Bar involving a man who owned a small hobby farm and bought gigantic cowsheds to install on the farm, threatening ruin to his family. Steps had to be taken to make that impossible.
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Our amendment starts, with proposed new subsection (3) of Clause 7, by providing that any contract entered into by a person lacking capacity is unenforceable against that person and can be set aside by him or her. Of course. the person lacking capacity, or persons acting on his behalf, would always be free to enforce the contract against the other party if it was favourable to the person lacking capacity.
Subsections (4) and (5) of the amendment provide for an exception from the rule that a contract is voidable where certain conditions are satisfied. I shall take my cowsheds example and show how those conditions apply.
The first condition is that the terms of the contract are fair when looked at independently of the surrounding circumstances. As far as I know, the cowshed case involved sheds that were sold at the market price and the terms of the contract were perfectly normal; they were such as would have been insisted on by the supplier with anyone else. So the first condition there is satisfied.
The second condition is that the other party was not aware of the buyer's lack of capacity and had no reason to suspect it. I cannot say whether that condition was satisfied in the cowshed case. Was the buyer's behaviour so strange as to raise doubts about his capacity? Was enough known by the provider of the cowsheds about the size of the farm or the herd involved to indicate that the sheds were wholly inappropriate? We do not know whether there was anything which required investigation.
But, even if there is no cause for suspicion and both the first and second conditions are satisfied, the third condition also has to be satisfied. In the cowshed case, the supplier of the sheds must still show that he would be worse off if the contract were set aside than if the contract had never been entered into. This condition would be satisfied, of course, if the supplier had started building the sheds, had paid employees for working on them and had used materials which could not be recovered. The condition would not be satisfied if the contract could be cancelled at an early stage, before work was done on site or other substantial expenses had been incurred in performing the contract.
I believe the amendment gives protection to people lacking capacity while protecting also the interests of other parties to the contract who have acted properly and would stiffer loss through its cancellation. I hope the Government will look on the amendment favourably and accept the principle behind it. I beg to move.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, it was amusing to see the noble Lord, Lord Roper, arrive in the middle of the cowshed explanation.
I have met with officials from the Department of Trade and Industry and my own officials to talk through these issues. I know that this is something about which the noble Lord. Lord Goodhart, feels strongly. I acknowledge, as does the noble Lord, that there is a tricky balance between empowerment and protection. We have also had discussions with the CAB. which we know is interested in this matter.

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On the one hand, we are trying to protect people who lack capacity from being bound by an inappropriate contract into which they may have entered; on the other hand, we are trying to empower people to take as many decisions as they possibly can. These include, perhaps, people with fluctuating capacity due to mental health problems, or people in the early stages of a degenerative disease who can make some decisions and not others. These matters have to be, in a sense, weighed in the balance.
I cannot accept the amendment at this stage because, when I spoke to the officials about this matter, we were very uncertain about what would happen; we did not feel that we had the evidence before us of what the consequences might be. We need to consider whether the existing protections are inadequate and what would be the genuine practical benefits of the amendment. We also need to consider what its potential impact would be on business. That is a matter of great concern to the Department of Trade and Industry in particular.
I am also worried about the risk of disempowering people; that traders might take risk averse action if they are fearful that somehow they will not be able to enforce a contract. We have spoken before about discriminatory issues and how people feel about other people. For example, a person with a learning disability, who is trying to make a contract with someone for the supply of goods, might find himself in a position where the trader is fearful that it will be decided that it is not a real contract and therefore will not do business with that person.
I am sure the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, will accept that there is also the possibility that his proposal could be used in fraud; that people could claim that they lacked capacity. We must remember that, under the Bill, lacking capacity could mean that you were blind drunk in an A&E ward. You can lack capacity for all kinds of reasons. Therefore there could be fraud where people claim that at a particular moment they had a mental health problem, lacked capacity, and therefore are not liable for what they have just purchased or what they have just done.
The impact goes wider than consumer contracts; it could also affect personal relationships between individuals. These issues affect all vulnerable people, not only those who lack capacity, and I am keen to consider also the wider group.
1.15 p.m.
On a previous occasion I referred to some of the issues we have been addressing, particularly in the Department of Trade and Industry, in regard to doorstep selling—an issue about which I feel very strongly—the unfair commercial practices directive and the Consumer Credit Bill.
I recognise that this is an important matter. I have committed my department—I wish to put this on the record—to carrying out scoping research work to assess whether there is a problem arising from the current law and, if so, the extent of that problem. This will take into account people who lack capacity and the broader group of vulnerable consumers more generally.
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The DCA will also commit to working with the Department of Trade and Industry as part of the implementation strategy of the Bill to ensure that policy development within the DTI on consumer strategy, credit and indebtedness is sensitive to the needs of consumers who lack capacity.
I hope that that commitment will satisfy the noble Lord that I accept and recognise the principles he is seeking to develop. However, I cannot accept the amendment because I fear that we might accidentally do something around the empowerment issues, or something which will have a detrimental effect on business, because we have not had time to scope out the problem. On the basis of the commitment I have given, I hope the noble Lord will feel able to withdraw his amendment.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness. I welcome the fact that her department will undertake a scoping inquiry into the matter. It is an issue of some importance. Although there is a possibility that a situation under the amendment could be a source of abuse, equally there is no doubt that the law as it now stands could be a source of abuse in the other direction.
I hope that in due course something will come of this. However, as I am sure the noble Baroness anticipated, I never intended to push the amendment to a vote. I hope that not too many other farms will be covered in enormous cowsheds in the future. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 9 [Lasting powers of attorney]:
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 13:
Page 5, line 36, leave out "section" and insert "sections 1 (the principles) and"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, this is not quite such an entertaining amendment—there is not a cowshed in sight—but, nevertheless, it is important.
In moving Amendment No. 13, I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 16, 42 and 47, all of which concern attorneys, deputies and the court. 1 am very pleased to bring the amendments forward because currently the Bill makes specific reference only to Clause 4, the "Best interests" clause. The amendments are a response to the very helpful concerns raised by the noble Earl, Lord Howe, the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, and the noble Baronesses, Lady Greengross and Lady Barker.
We believe that ensuring that attorneys, deputies and the court follow the principles in Clause 1 is vital if people who may lack capacity are to be given the opportunity to make as many of their own decisions as they can. This, of course, is the burden of the Bill. They are already required to do so by the provisions of the Bill, but we agree with noble Lords that further emphasis would be helpful. This is what we have done.
Let me reiterate that the principles are designed to empower and enable people who, in the past, might have had their lives taken over, their freedoms restricted and their decisions taken from them, albeit on the very good intentions of others. We want to ensure that people are enabled to make as many decisions for themselves as possible, so that they can

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lead as full a life as possible. The extension of those five key principles set out in Clause 1 make that very much more likely. Therefore, I beg to move.
Earl Howe: My Lords, I thank the Government for having responded so positively and constructively to the concerns that I and others raised in Committee. This added emphasis adds value to the Bill. I am grateful to the Government for listening.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Schedule 1 [Lasting powers of attorney: formalities]:
[Amendments Nos. 14 and 15 not moved.]
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 16:
Page 37, line 5, leave out from "the" to "4" in line 6 and insert "duties imposed on a donee of a lasting power of attorney under sections 1 (the principles) and"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendments Nos. 17 and 18 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 19:
Page 38, line 5, after "severally" insert "in respect of any matter"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, these amendments concern the Court of Protection and deal with some small, but quite significant, issues, some of which were raised by my noble friend Lord Christopher. We touched on this on Tuesday. Since then, I have had the benefit of a discussion with the master of the court, Master Lush, and we have sought to resolve some of the outstanding issues that he had. We shall resolve them once the Bill is on the statute book.
These amendments allow the Court of Protection to decide whether a lasting power of attorney is valid. That means that the court will be able to "blue pencil" a section of a lasting power of attorney that is ineffective or illegal and leave the remainder of the lasting power of attorney to stand. I have discussed this issue with my noble friend Lord Christopher and I feel sure that he would welcome this amendment, were he here. It is certainly something that the master of the court was concerned that we should deal with. The court can direct the public guardian not to register a lasting power of attorney whose flaws would make it inoperable. That is an important safeguard.
Amendment No. 29 enables the Court of Protection to make a decision where there is an objection to a lasting power of attorney. That is particularly important when objections are not matters of fact; for example, if someone objects because they think that the proposed attorney lacks capacity.
In Amendments Nos. 19,35,36,40,41 and 45 we are ensuring that a donor of a lasting power of attorney has all possible options when wanting to appoint more than one donee. So a donor can specify, on different matters, that all the donees must act together or that any or all of them may act. The donor could say, for example, that any of their chosen attorneys can act in relation to most matters, but, if they were selling the
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donor's house, they must all act together. Amendment No. 45 gives the same flexibility to the Court of Protection when it appoints deputies.
Amendment No. 43 will help to ensure that the arrangements for supervising court-appointed deputies are robust, but I hope not too bureaucratic. The court will be able to grant powers to the deputy on condition that it first obtains the public guardian's consent for certain actions. It is important that the deputies are, of course, properly supervised, but it would be disproportionately burdensome and costly to require them to apply to the court all the time for authority to act. That supervisory role should properly be undertaken by the public guardian.
Finally, Amendments Nos. 117 and 118 clarify that it will no longer be possible to create an enduring power of attorney once the lasting power of attorney provisions in the Bill come into effect. I beg to move.
Earl Howe: My Lords, once again, I thank the Government for introducing these amendments, which I agree are beneficial to the Bill. They provide welcome flexibility. The safeguards are still there, but at the same time the Government have ensured that the bureaucracy and procedural aspects are kept to the absolute minimum. I am very happy to endorse the inclusion of the amendments.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 20:
Page 38, line 16, leave out "11" and insert "10A"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendments Nos. 21 to 25 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 26:
Page 38. line 43, at end insert—
"Instrument not made properly or containing ineffective provision
10A (1) If it appears to the Public Guardian that an instrument accompanying an application under paragraph 4 is not made in accordance with this Schedule, he must not register the instrument unless the court directs him to do so.
(2) Sub-paragraph (3) applies if it appears to the Public Guardian that the instrument contains a provision which—

(a) would be ineffective as part of a lasting power of attorney, or

(b) would prevent the instrument from operating as a valid lasting power of attorney.

(3) The Public Guardian—

(a) must apply to the court for it to determine the matter under section 23(1), and

(b) pending the determination by the court, must not register the instrument.

(4) Sub-paragraph (5) applies if the court determines under section 23(1) (whether or not on an application by the Public Guardian) that the instrument contains a provision which—

(a) would be ineffective as part of a lasting power of attorney, or

(b) would prevent the instrument from operating as a valid lasting power of attorney.

(5) The court must—

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(a) notify the Public Guardian that it has severed the provision, or

(b) direct him not to register the instrument.

(6) Where the court notifies the Public Guardian that it has severed a provision, he must register the instrument with a note to that effect attached to it."
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendments Nos. 27 and 28 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 29:
Page 39, line 17, leave out sub-paragraph (2) and insert—
"(2) if the Public Guardian is satisfied that the ground for making the objection is established, he must not register the instrument unless the court, on the application of the person applying for the registration—

(a) is satisfied that the ground is not established, and

(b) directs the Public Guardian to register the instrument."

On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendments Nos. 30 and 31 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 32 to 34:
Page 40, line 28, at end insert—
"7A (1) Sub-paragraph (2) applies if the court determines under section 23(1) that a lasting power of attorney contains a provision which—

(a) is ineffective as part of a lasting power of attorney, or

(b) prevents the instrument from operating as a valid lasting power of attorney.

(2) The court must—

(a) notify the Public Guardian that it has severed the provision, or

(b) direct him to cancel the registration of the instrument as a lasting power of attorney."

Page 41, line 10, at end insert—
"Severance of ineffective provisions
21A If in the case of a registered instrument the court notifies the Public Guardian under paragraph 17A(1)(a) that it has severed a provision of the instrument, the Public Guardian must attach to it a note to that effect."
Page 41, line 13, leave out "or 21" and insert ", 21 or 21A"
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Clause 10 [Appointment of donees]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 35 and 36:
Page 6, line 9, at end insert ", or
(c) jointly in respect of some matters and jointly and severally in respect of others"
Page 6. line 10, leave out "If" and insert "To the extent to which"
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Baroness Andrews: My Lords, I beg to move that further consideration on Report be now adjourned. In moving the Motion I suggest that the Report stage begin again not before 2.27 p.m.
Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.

Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories) Order 2005
1.27 p.m.
Lord Evans of Temple Guitingrose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 20 January be approved [7th Report from the Joint Committee].
The noble Lord said: My Lords, in laying this order for affirmative resolution, the Government are fulfilling commitments they made to both Houses following the recommendations of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee. The noble Baroness, Lady Buscombe, and the noble Lords, Lord Goodhart and Lord Carlile, proposed amendments to that effect.
Members of this House might find it useful if I briefly outline the main objectives of the Gender Recognition Act before considering the detail of this order. The Act provides transsexual people with legal recognition of an everyday reality: the gender to which they now belong—their acquired gender. This is no mere legal technicality. It determines who an individual can marry, their pension rights and much else.
The effect of legal recognition will be that the transsexual person is entitled to be treated for all purposes as a person of the acquired gender, and gains the legal rights and responsibilities appropriate to that gender. The Act sets out clear criteria against which a transsexual person applying for legal recognition will be assessed. Each application will be properly scrutinised by a Gender Recognition Panel, composed of people with legal and medical qualifications. That application process is robust, credible and sustainable, and was recognised as such by Parliament during the passage of the Bill.
In drawing up that application process we had to be mindful of the fact that many other countries already grant legal recognition to transsexual people in their acquired gender. This is something we cannot ignore when so many UK citizens live and work overseas and just as many overseas citizens live and work in the UK. That is why Parliament agreed to include in the Act a process whereby a person who has gained legal recognition overseas can also gain legal recognition in the UK.
However, Parliament also agreed that it was only fair to provide such individuals with a simpler process for gaining recognition in the UK. They will have already changed their gender and obtained legal recognition for that change. It would be unfair and unnecessary if, at the end of that long journey, they were required to repeat the full legal process in the UK.
At the same time, Parliament and the Government were rightly concerned to ensure that the criteria set out in the Act were not compromised. If we were not alive to that danger, a person who did not expect to receive recognition in the UK could potentially go overseas to a country with much softer criteria. If by virtue of that overseas recognition that person also gained

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recognition in the UK, others would follow and the integrity and credibility of the process in the Gender Recognition Act would be damaged.
This order protects the integrity of the application process in the Gender Recognition Act. We have undertaken careful research to identify those countries and territories which have a process for legal recognition at least as rigorous as our own, and it is our intention to publish details of that research on the Gender Recognition Panel website.
The precise criteria for legal recognition of a change of gender are of course not standardised across the world. In drawing up this list we applied two key criteria: first, we allowed only countries or territories that provide legal recognition for gender change—the UK Act is about legal recognition and we felt that we should only approve others which had taken the same decisive step; and, secondly, we allowed only countries or territories where the process of legal recognition is such as to demonstrate the permanence of the decision to change gender.
Of course that meant that there were countries which did not meet these tests. For example, one country which did not pass muster was Bosnia-Herzegovina. There, while there is a unique citizen's code which refers to "change in gender", the local police station makes the decision on change of name and change of gender. The legal adviser we contacted said that it was probable that such a decision would be based on documentation issued by a competent hospital. This was not good enough.
The order can be revised as countries or territories establish new schemes for legal recognition. The links we have forged with contacts overseas through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will enable us to keep the list of countries or territories up to date.
Once alerted, we will investigate, and if we are satisfied that the criteria for recognition meet our requirements in terms of legality and permanence, an amending order will be brought before the House.
Using the same network of contacts, we will also be able to monitor changes in policy which might cause us to withdraw a country or territory from the approved list. However, as countries which appear in this order recognise gender change in law it would be unusual for there to be any resiling from this position.
The order has been consulted on and has received the support of the transsexual community.
In summary, the order provides clarity as to those countries or territories with a process for legal recognition which we can trust. A transsexual person who has been recognised in any of the countries or territories on this list will have undergone a process of gender reassignment with the intention of living permanently in their acquired gender. I commend the order to the House.
Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 20 January be approved [7th Report from the Joint Committee].—(Lord Evans of Temple Guiting.)
Lord Henley: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that very full and helpful explanation of exactly what is
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behind the order. By giving that very full explanation most of my questions have been answered. In particular, I wanted to ask about the details of how the Government intend to check on the rigorousness of tests in other countries overseas. For example, in Bosnia-Herzegovina it seems that one just goes along to the local police station to have one's change of gender ratified. I am grateful for the explanation that that is not appropriate. The country cannot be put on the list at the moment, unless it improves its tests in the future.
The noble Lord went on to say that there would be further orders in due course as evidence appeared from other countries on whether their tests were suitably rigorous, and the Department for Constitutional Affairs would be able to recognise them. How often will it be necessary to come to the House with further orders adding countries? I cannot remember whether under the Act it is only the first such order that needs to have affirmative resolution. Subsequent orders might not be possible with this particular order because of what happened at the time of the passing of the Act, but perhaps subsequent orders might be introduced under the negative procedure. Otherwise, the noble Lord will have to come to the House presumably with some regularity as he adds Bosnia-Herzegovina, then Idaho or India or whatever other country or state of the United States has been left out. I put that forward as an idea. It is certainly something that might be thought of in the future.
I have one further minor question. In the Explanatory Memorandum we are told that a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared. I am sorry, I misread that. I see that one has not been prepared. I failed to notice the "not". I had some doubts as to what on earth any regulatory impact assessment could look at in this order. But I am glad to see that one has not been prepared on this occasion.
With that perhaps I may say that I welcome this order. I shall be interested to know how many further orders we will have to see in the future and how often.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, we fully supported the legislation under which the order is made. We are very happy to support this legislation.
I am glad that the order includes a large number of territories. It includes the whole of Australia, almost the whole of Canada, 46 out of the 50 states of the USA, together with New Zealand, all the major European states and most of the minor ones. There are obvious gaps. For instance, the list does not as yet include any state that is wholly within Asia. It includes Turkey and Russia, both of which are partly within Asia. It includes no states from Latin America and it includes only South Africa from the states of Africa.
So I hope that in due course it will be possible to come back; that the changes in the law which have been adopted here by the Gender Recognition Act and in many other countries will spread to those parts of the world as well; and that it will be possible therefore

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to get extensions from time to time with the approved countries. We feel that this is certainly a very big step in the right direction. We are entirely happy with it.
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: My Lords, I am grateful for the welcome the order has received. There were a few questions from the noble Lords, Lord Henley and Lord Goodhart, with which I shall deal. The noble Lords might be interested in the criteria that we apply to territories when we engage in discussion with them. The speaking note is a long one. I shall not try and précis it because that will not do it justice, but I will make sure that both noble Lords have a copy of it because it is very interesting.
I move on quickly to the recognition of the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, that the list of countries is a very good one, although there are sad omissions. It will also be interesting for the noble Lords to see the list of countries and those with which we have decided we cannot make an arrangement at the moment.
The noble Lord, Lord Henley, helpfully asked whether subsequent orders will be by affirmative or negative resolution. They will have to be made by a affirmative resolution: that was the arrangement that we made. However, we do not expect to be coming back to the House regularly. It is really too early to tell, but there may be an order once in every parliament. I am grateful for the welcome that the order has received. It is terrifically important and I commend it to the House.
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Courts Act 2003 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2005
1.41 p.m.
Lord Evans of Temple Guitingrose to move, That the draft order laid before the House on 9 February be approved [10th Report from the Joint Committee].
The noble Lord said: My Lords, a draft of the order was laid before Parliament on 9 February 2005 and approved by a Commons Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation on 8 March 2005. The order updates wording contained in existing legislation, to make it consistent with the Courts Act 2003. It does not advance any new policy.
The Courts Act received Royal Assent on 20 November 2003. The Act is designed to modernise the court system in England and Wales and improve access to justice for the public by enabling better use of resources nationally and locally. On 1 April 2005, most of the provisions of the Act not yet implemented will come into force. These include Sections 6, 7 and 8, which will render the terms "magistrates' courts committee", "justices' chief executive", "commission area" and "petty sessions areas", and variants on those, obsolete.
Not all those concepts have a direct replacement in the new regime, but to the extent that they do, it is necessary to amend other legislation that uses those expressions so that the day-to-day operations of the machinery of justice can continue without disruption.
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I am convinced that the House will not want me to attempt to explain the effect of each provision, but an example will show what the order does.
Section 6 of the Late Night Refreshment Houses Act 1969 provides that each licensing authority is to keep a register of licences for late night refreshment houses granted by it. Section 6(2) requires licensing authorities to give a copy or extract from the register to the,
"justices' chief executive for any petty sessions area",
falling wholly or partly within their area.
From 1 April 2005, references to justices' chief executives and petty session areas will be redundant. It is therefore necessary to change the references mentioned, respectively, to read "designated officer for any local justice area". Paragraph 38 of the schedule to the order does that. The effect will be that the procedure described in the Late Night Refreshment Houses Act 1969 can continue undisturbed.
That is a typical example of the minor and consequential changes which comprise this order. The order ensures that the obsolete references previously mentioned are removed by the time of the coming into force of the relevant sections of the Courts Act 2003 on 1 April 2005. The policies on these matters were fully discussed during the passage of the Courts Act 2003.
Although I am confident that searches to identify the obsolete references in legislation have been comprehensive, I cannot be certain that all references have been captured in the order. If any other reference is found in future, it will be considered and the necessary amendment made. The provisions of the order have no impact on the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights. I can advise the House that to complete this necessary updating exercise, a further order dealing with secondary legislation, and subject to negative resolution procedure, has also been prepared. Copies of the secondary order are available from the Printed Paper Office. I beg to move.
Moved, That the draft order laid before the House on 9 February be approved [10th Report from the Joint Committed].—(Lord Evans of Temple Guiting.)
Lord Henley: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister on two counts. First, I am grateful for his assurance that there is no new policy in the order and that it is simply a question of semantics, changing the wording used in various Acts as a result of the Courts Act 2003. The whole House will be grateful for the fact that he thought it necessary to give us simply one example of the changes, rather than detailing all 113 paragraphs of the order. As I said, the order seems to be merely a question of semantics. As a result, we see the disappearance of the words "petty sessions" from a large number of places. As a publisher, 1 suspect that the noble Lord will find the replacement for many words—"chief executive", for example, will be replaced with "designated officer"—somewhat more ugly, but no doubt he was not party to the precise words chosen.
Returning to the disappearance of petty sessions, when I was called to the Bar, some 20 or so years ago, I thought that petty sessions had long since ceased to

1481
exist, but I was obviously wrong in that. Is this the last that we will see of petty sessions, or did they disappear many years ago, back in the late 1960s or early 1970s, and merely the words have survived in various Acts until this order under the Courts Act 2003?
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, I have not checked through all the changes to see whether they are genuinely consequential, but they certainly appear so and I am happy to accept the Minister's word for it. Although the changes are consequential, the order upholds the principle that any amendment, even consequential, by secondary legislation of primary legislation should use the affirmative procedure. The Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform has been pressing for that for some years. That is plainly right, even if it means that we deal with something that is of no general significance. Therefore, I am glad to welcome the order.
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: My Lords, I am grateful for the speed with which we have dealt with the order. I absolutely take on board the point of the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, about the affirmative procedure.
The noble Lord, Lord Henley, is absolutely right: I regret the passing of some of this wonderful language. In 10 or 15 years' time, many of Dickens's novels will have to have footnotes to explain to readers what those wonderful institutions were. I am told that the petty sessions area will disappear and be replaced by "local justice area", which illustrates my point.
On Question, Motion agreed to.

Social Security Commissioners (Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2005
1.48 p.m.
Lord Evans of Temple Guitingrose to move, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 23 February be approved [10th Report from the Joint Committee].
The noble Lord said: These amending regulations are brief and highly technical in nature. They do not substantively alter the operation of commissioner procedure, except only to provide for the new appeals from the Pensions Appeal Tribunal. The policy rationale for the changes was debated during the passage of the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Act 2004 and I do not intend to revisit those issues here. However, it may assist noble Lords if I set out some background to the regulations.
The Act received Royal Assent last November. It establishes a new pensions and compensation scheme for members of the Armed Forces. Members of our armed services have the opportunity to appeal decisions about service pensions and compensation to an independent body, the Pension Appeal Tribunal. The tribunal's jurisdiction is being extended to hear appeals against decisions of the Secretary of State under the new scheme.
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A small number of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal's decisions—currently about 20 a year—are appealed in the High Court on a point of law. The Act changes arrangements for those onward appeals. The social security commissioners are to be introduced as that second-tier appellate tribunal, replacing the High Court. That reform to the path of an appeal implements policy in the Government's recent White Paper Transforming Public Services: Complaints, Redress and Tribunals.
Noble Lords will know that there was a debate during the passage of the parent Act on the removal of funding for appellants' legal representation. I do not want to reopen debate on matters decided in the Act, except to note that we consider the new arrangements more favourable for appellants. Having two levels of tribunal provides a quicker, more user-friendly and more cost-effective service to the parties involved, with no need for lawyers.
These regulations provide for the process of appealing from the Pensions Appeal Tribunal to a social security commissioner and the procedure for appeals before a commissioner. We are amending the existing Social Security Commissioners (Procedure) Regulations 1999 that govern procedure for appeals to a commissioner.
It may help noble Lords if I mention the main features of the regulations. Regulation 2 changes a number of definitions in the 1999 regulations; for example the definition of "appeal tribunal" is broadened to include a "Pensions Appeal Tribunal". Sub-paragraph (g) of Regulation 2 also provides that a commissioner hearing appeals from the Pensions Appeal Tribunal is to be known as a "Pensions Appeal Commissioner". That recognises the special status of armed service appellants. We felt it appropriate for their appeals to be distinguished from the general matters of social security. The ex-service organisations supported that approach in consultation on the Bill.
Regulations 3 to 7 insert appropriate references to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal Act 1943 into the regulations. That ensures that regulations on matters such as hearings, decisions of a commissioner and so on deal with appeals from the Pensions Appeal Tribunal. Regulation 8 establishes the procedure for onward appeal of decisions of the social security commissioners to an appellate court. A person dissatisfied with a decision of a commissioner may appeal on a point of law to the Court of Appeal in England and Wales or the Court of Session in Scotland.
I should mention that this instrument is subject to the affirmative procedure because appeals from the Pensions Appeal Tribunal will be subject to the existing strike-out and reinstatement provisions of the Social Security (Procedure) Regulations. We are not changing the operation of those strike-out procedures, merely extending them to include appeals from the Pensions Appeal Tribunal. I beg to move.
Moved, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 23 February be approved [10th Report from the Joint Committee].—(Lord Evans of Temple Guiting.)
Lord Henley: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that explanation. As he says, these are merely

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procedural regulations. I wish to raise only two points. First, I had hoped that the noble Lord could remind us exactly why it was felt necessary to change the process of appeals on a point of law from the High Court to the social security commissioners. He has given a partial explanation.
My second point was about appeals beyond that. I now understand that they are to be dealt with by the Court of Appeal. I think that the noble Lord said that that was provided in Regulation 8, but I would be grateful if he could confirm whether that is the case, because the paragraph does not help much, unless I look also at the 1998 Act. I have no further objections.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, we accept that this is a reasonable step and have no objection to the terms of the regulations.
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: My Lords, again, I am grateful for the speed with which the regulations have been dealt with. The noble Lord, Lord Henley, asked why we were changing the path of appeal. The Department for Constitutional Affairs is working to modernise the UK tribunals system. Modern policy on tribunals holds that there should be a second-tier tribunal to hear appeals on points of law before a matter arises in the courts. The commissioners will be introduced as the second-tier appellate tribunal. We believe that having two levels of tribunal provides a quicker, more user-friendly and more cost-effective service to the parties involved, in comparison with the courts.
I am afraid that I shall have to write to the noble Lord on his interesting question about Regulation 8. I shall do that at the beginning of next week. I thank both noble Lords for their welcome of these regulations and the two orders.
On Question, Motion agreed to.
Baroness Crawley: My Lords, I beg to move that the House do adjourn during pleasure until 2.28 p.m.
Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.
[The Sitting was suspended from 1.55 to 2.30 p.m.]

Mental Capacity Bill
Further consideration of amendments on Report resumed.
Clause 11 [Lasting powers of attorney: restrictions]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 37:
Page 6, line 43, at end insert—
"( ) But the donee does more than merely restrain P if he deprives P of his liberty within the meaning of Article 5(1) of the Human Rights Convention."
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Earl Howemoved Amendment No. 38:
Page 7, line 12, leave out from "treatment" to "and" in line 13.
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The noble Earl said: My Lords, in moving Amendment No. 38, I return to a concern that I raised in Committee about the power of veto over life-sustaining treatment that may be held by individuals who act under a lasting power of attorney.
It is, I think, the position of the Government that this power, far from being a threat to patients or a difficulty to doctors, will be beneficial to both. I can well see that in many cases that will be so. An attorney with close knowledge of the patient, looking to the patient's best interests, will be of inestimable help to a treating doctor who may never have met the patient before and may know nothing of his wishes, beliefs and preferences. In very many cases—perhaps the majority—the doctor and attorney will be in agreement about what is in the patient's best interests, and no problem will therefore arise. The problems arise when doctor and attorney are in disagreement.
Both of them are required under the Bill to work in the patient's best interests. But the interpretation of "best interests" is open to difference. What the Bill is saying is that, in the worst case, an attorney with no medical knowledge whatever can take it on himself to gainsay a doctor whose professional advice is that the patient whose life is at stake should receive certain treatment. It might be perfectly possible for the attorney to maintain, with some justification, that his decision to refuse consent was taken in the best interests of P. But the doctor, who had close knowledge and experience of the treatment, might not think that a fair and reasonable view of best interests.
What happens then? The Bill allows the doctor to seek a ruling from the court where there is such disagreement. But let us take the example of a doctor who has no previous knowledge of the patient and who is confronted by an attorney with no medical expertise and articulates his views plausibly and forcefully. Are we going to imagine that every doctor in that position will have the strength of purpose and the degree of self-belief to refer the matter to the court? I find that unlikely. Doctors are professional people, but they are also human. I very much fear that some will be browbeaten into agreeing to a course of action that runs contrary to their better judgment.
The Government's amendment in Clause 4(5) is most welcome; but the fact is that in many situations involving attorneys it will be absolutely impossible for anyone to detect whether the attorney is or is not motivated by a desire to bring about the patient's death. It is quite possible to imagine circumstances where that desire is wrapped up in some extremely plausible-sounding arguments about best interests.
But malign intent on the part of the attorney is not the only issue. I do not think that, as a rule, doctors will want to go beyond a certain point in seeking to persuade an attorney that treatment should be given where the attorney disagrees. Let us imagine that the doctor emphatically insists on his point of view. If the attorney were to acquiesce, reluctantly and against his better judgment, and the treatment goes ahead only for it to result in the patient recovering but then living in a severely disabled state for a long period, we do not

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need much imagination to see what would then happen. The attorney would be moved to sue the hospital on the grounds that had the doctor not insisted on his view prevailing, the clear adverse outcome for the patient could have been avoided.
If they know that an LPA exists, doctors may therefore be inhibited in some situations from acting in accordance with their professional judgment. One thing this Bill is careful not to do elsewhere is to fetter the clinical freedom and professional judgment of doctors, other than in those cases where the patient himself has expressed a valid and applicable advance decision to refuse treatment. Where there is an LPA, it is not the patient who is refusing treatment; it is his attorney standing in his shoes. That, I suggest, is a very important difference. On every matter other than the giving of life-sustaining treatment, it is a difference that I am prepared to live with because of the undoubted benefits that LPAs will bring. But when it comes to life-sustaining treatment, the pitfalls are in a class of their own.
Here we come back to a point I raised in Committee about the European Convention on Human Rights which the Minister did not properly address at the time. Article 2 of the convention refers to the right to life. The Joint Committee looked at this and found that although Article 2 imposes positive duties on the state to uphold an individual's right to life, a public authority cannot be compelled to impose treatment against a person's express wishes. I have no difficulty with that. Where it is indeed the person's express wishes, there is no problem, but an attorney taking a decision under an LPA is by definition not articulating the person's express wishes. He is exercising his own judgment. The attorney's judgment and the patient's express wishes are not, I suggest, legally on a par. It is as though the Government, in supporting the provision in Clause 11(7)(a), is asking Parliament to accept that in matters of life and death, patient autonomy can be alienated. I do not believe that that is right or possible. It is not good enough to say, as the Minister did in Committee, that the attorney is acting because the donor wishes him to do so. From a human rights perspective, that dodges the issue. In Committee the Minister sought to draw a distinction between court deputies with a power of veto and attorneys with the same power. I suggest that from the human rights point of view, there is no difference. If we remove the power for one, as we are going to do later today, we should remove it for the other.
The problems I have outlined arise from giving, an attorney a legal right of veto over life-sustaining treatment as opposed to a legal right to be consulted. I have no difficulty about an attorney being consulted about life-sustaining treatment. That is entirely right and beneficial. But when a patient's life is at stake, the doctor's professional judgment to treat a patient should not be fettered by the veto of a third party.
I should like the Minister to agree to reflect on this issue further. She must understand that I am not attacking or questioning the benefit that will flow from the generality of decision-making under LPAs; indeed,
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quite the reverse. But it is no accident that in this country and in the civilised world, we place human life and the right to life into a category of its own. The Bill should follow the same principle in the way proposed in this amendment. I beg to move.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, I strongly support Amendment No. 38, which the noble Earl, Lord Howe, has moved. He is right to see the matter as being of a piece with the debates that we have had about best interests and intention and purposes—all the debates that have flowed through our Committee and Report proceedings. He is absolutely right to draw a distinction between the right of veto and the right of consultation. The amendment is therefore extremely helpful.
It is worth drawing the attention of your Lordships to how the amendment works. Clause 11(7)(a) states that,
"subsection (6)(c) does not authorise the giving or refusing of consent to the carrying out or continuation of life-sustaining treatment, unless the instrument contains express provision to that effect".
Those words—
"unless the instrument contains express provision to that effect"—
would be deleted if the noble Earl's amendment were successful. That is exactly the right way for us to proceed. It is also consistent, as the noble Earl said, with other decisions that your Lordships will probably make later today.
No one should have such powers over life and death vested in them. That is at the heart of the issue, and we are right to be directed into that area. We should also reflect perhaps on some of the abuses to which the provision might lead. It is not that everyone who holds the lasting power of attorney would want to take the life of someone whom they are caring for—no one is suggesting that—but we all know that abuses can take place.
I recall vividly, just before I left another place in 1997, a man coming to see me at a constituency surgery and telling me about his own experience. He was born in Germany and came to Liverpool with his mother after she parted from his father. His father had settled in Holland. The man in question, after the death of his mother, decided he wanted to track down and meet his father. He travelled to Holland only to find that his father was one of the nearly 10,000 people who had had their life taken that year through euthanasia. I think about 5,500 people died through involuntary euthanasia last year in Holland.
The point about that case was that the stepbrother had authorised the euthanasia. The man who had come to my surgery complained that the doctor who had carried out the euthanasia had been one of the beneficiaries. He had been given a highly valued piece of art from the man's father's art collection. The case went all the way through to the judicial authorities in Holland, and a petition was laid before the European courts. Needless to say, it ultimately went into the sands. We should be concerned not to build into legislation in our jurisdiction the opportunity for people to benefit.

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Although, as the noble Earl said, doctors are also human—he pointed to the danger of their being browbeaten—it worries me that, in their humanity, doctors are, like the rest of us, capable of being tempted as well. We must guard against those circumstances. The law could be subverted unless we enact the sort of provision that the noble Earl has laid before us. It is a loophole that needs to be closed, and I hope that your Lordships will do it.
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, will the noble Earl or the Minister enlighten me about what otherwise I see to be the implication of the amendment; that is, that the right to refuse burdensome treatment by means of an advance decision would not be available to people who lacked capacity under this clause? If I could be enlightened about that, I would know what I thought about what was being proposed. The references of the noble Lord, Lord Alton, to a case of euthanasia do not, with great respect, seem to be relevant at all to what the Bill intends.
Earl Howe: My Lords, with the leave of the House, perhaps I may answer that. It is certainly not my intention through the amendment to address advance decisions. It relates to lasting powers of attorney, where a person grants a lasting power of attorney to another individual over matters of life and death. It does not relate to advance decisions. The Bill states that, where the power is specifically provided for, the attorney may refuse consent to life-sustaining treatment. My amendment would remove that provision, so that attorneys did not have that power.
2.45 p.m.
Lord Patten: My Lords, I entirely support the amendment of my noble friend Lord Howe, particularly after that helpful response to the important question of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Worcester.
I have three points. First, a number of phrases and words that my noble friend used resonated strongly with me. They bear listening to. My noble friend said that his amendment was beneficial to patients and to doctors. I profoundly believe that to be true. Even more importantly, he said that, in the end, no attorney should gainsay any doctor in his decision. If it came to decision-taking, I would accede to a doctor's judgment ahead of the judgment of an attorney. That is why my noble friend's amendment and his gentle request that the Minister reflect on the issue are so important.
I turn to my second point. The removal of the words,
"unless the instrument contains express provision to that effect",
from Clause 11(7)(a) would give the doctor the opportunity to override the attorney. If the words remain, an attorney can override that doctor. That strikes me as being bad in principle and bad in practice and not to be in the best interests of doctors and patients.
My third point is in response to the advice, related to this issue, that has been issued by Peter Smith, the Archbishop of Cardiff, who, as the House will know, is chairman of the Department for Christian Responsibility and Citizenship of the Catholic Bishops'
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Conference of England and Wales. I know that no one in this House would therefore dismiss this as being a Roman Catholic issue. It ain't; it is a general issue of humanity in the increasingly eugenic society in which we exist. The Archbishop, in a letter to Jim Dobbin MP on 3 March, wrote:
"As you know, we have welcomed the Government's amendment to clause 4(5) of the Bill. In our view this provides an important safeguard which, provided the courts interpret it as it is intended, will ensure that doctors, proxies and other third parties are given no authority by the Bill to make decisions with the intention of bringing about a person's death".
So far so good—His Grace the Archbishop is perfectly satisfied. But he continues: "But"—the "but" is very important—
"this amendment still leaves a major gap. It does not cover advance decisions. The clauses dealing with advance decisions, although tightened up, still leave open the possibility that an expressly suicidal advance decision is binding".
As we go through the remaining stages of the Bill, it is important to bear it in mind that those in the Roman Catholic Church and other Churches, and doubtlessly individuals, feel that what the Government have done in good faith so far to amend the Bill—I thank them for that—does not rule out the opportunity of an adverse decision. So, I fully support everything that my noble friend Lord Howe has said.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, it has fallen to me to speak from these Benches. I am sorry that my noble friend Lady Barker has been called to an important engagement elsewhere and has left me to hold the fort on her behalf.
I will wait with interest to hear what the Minister says, because my initial reaction to the amendment is not entirely favourable. To personalise the issue, I might well say, if I thought that I was at risk of losing capacity, that I wished my wife to have the power to take a decision on my behalf and that I would trust her absolutely to take the decision that, she felt, I would have taken, had I been able to take it. I believe that there would be many cases of that kind. It is obviously something that has to be done with care, and it is absolutely right that if the attorney is to be given power to give or refuse consent to life-sustaining treatment, the power of attorney document should contain an express provision to that effect. But I would not wish the donor of the power of attorney to be placed in a position where he or she could not give to someone whom they wholly trust the power to take a decision on their behalf.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, this is an important debate. I say immediately to the noble Earl, Lord Howe, that of course I am always committed to reflect on everything that we discuss in your Lordships' House, because it is an important part of ensuring that the Bill goes back to another place in the best possible order. I am very clear about this part of the Bill, and I believe that it would be helpful if I explained precisely what the Bill does and what the position is, so that noble Lords can then reflect on those matters as well, and we can continue the very helpful dialogue that we have had.

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I am always mindful of the word "attorney", because it has lots of connotations. In this particular context, it means somebody whom you or I choose, who we believe cares most about us. It could be our husband, wife or partner, our children or our best friend whom we have known all our lives. But it is up to us to make that choice. It is entirely voluntary; no requirement is made on anyone to do it. The noble Lord, Lord Patten, was very clear that if it came to it, he would prefer the doctor to be in control in that situation. That is fine—he need not make a lasting power of attorney. No one is requiring him to do so under the Bill; it is entirely his choice.
For some people, it might be an important choice. There will be people who believe that when it comes to making decisions when they lose capacity—particularly when they are aware that they might lose capacity—they will want somebody whom they love and trust to be in charge. Some people who give that lasting power of attorney will prefer that that attorney should be able to give or refuse consent on treatment necessary to sustain life. They believe that the man or woman to whom they have been married or the child whom they have known all their lives will make the right decision in those circumstances, rather than a doctor who may not know them at all.
There is an interesting issue about the choice that people make. However, the person chosen can do that only if within the power of attorney given to them it is said that they have such a power. So you cannot accidentally give someone lasting power of attorney on life and death decisions: you have to be explicit, under Clause 11(7)(a). The attorney can include conditions or restrictions in that regard, under Clause 11(7)(b), to say that "in these circumstances but not in those" or "this but not that". So we are very clear that it is in the hands of the donor, whether the donor is myself, the noble Lord, Lord Patten, or the noble Earl, Lord Howe, to say, "I wish that person to have this power in these circumstances". Unless it is that express, the power does not exist; when it is that express, it does exist.
Then we get to the situation that some noble Lords fear, when you end up in a position in hospital and there is a conflict between the two people involved. The first thing to say is that the attorney whom you have nominated—your loved one—has a statutory duty to act in the person's best interests. Therefore, we get back into the issue of best interests, in the Bill, very quickly. If a doctor says, "It is my view that we should give this treatment", and the attorney says, "No, I don't want that for them"—the attorney may be saying that for very good reasons, not bad ones, but in any event the attorney says "No"—and the doctor believes that for whatever reason, such a decision is not in the best interests of the patient. the doctor can treat. The Bill is skewed to say, "If in any kind of doubt, treat". Doctors can seek clarification from the court, and they cannot—to answer the noble Earl's question—be sued under those circumstances. One thing that the Bill does is to protect doctors, enabling them to make those decisions in the right way.
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To answer the right reverend Prelate, Clause 25(2)(b) is clear that a lasting power of attorney made after an advance decision to give or refuse treatment to which the advance decision relates will make the advance decision invalid. Similarly, if the advance decision is made after the lasting power of attorney, the reverse is true. So timing is everything in that regard.
I add that the provisions are compliant with Article 2, because the attorney is chosen by a competent adult and can act in this Bill only in the best interests of the person. If that is not the case, the courts come into play and treatment is provided meanwhile. Therefore, the measure is compliant with Article 2.
In summary, the provision gives the right to an individual to say, "I want to appoint somebody to have power of attorney for me". That does not relate solely to medical issues, but we are in that area, so let us stick with that. Within that the individual can say, "I can appoint my husband, wife or child to say that at the final end of my life, that person has the right to say whether I should or should not have the treatment. I would choose that person because they know and love me best and that is what I want—and I am allowed to do that". If when we reach that point the doctor believes that there is any activity going on of a rogue nature or believes that the person is misguided, too distressed or whatever else, the doctor can continue to treat and seek the court's view—and no doubt on the way, I hasten to add, other medical opinion. The doctor cannot be sued.
Lord Patten: My Lords, I am sorry to interrupt the Minister, but I am following her argument as closely as I can. If what she has just said is the case, why are the words that my noble friend Lord Howe wishes to delete necessary?
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I think that is because those words say that you must expressly state your wishes within the lasting power of attorney. If you wish somebody to have power over life-sustaining treatment in the lasting power of attorney, you have to say so absolutely.
To conclude, I believe that we have got the right balance between the right of individuals in our society to appoint someone whom they love and trust to act on their behalf and the right of the medical profession, which very much welcomes this area of the Bill, to be able to say, "That's great—I welcome it very much—but if I am in doubt about the behaviour of this individual, I am covered in law by the right and responsibility to treat while I seek a legal view". I believe that to be the right balance.
Of course, I shall reflect on the matter further, but I hope that noble Lords will feel that that puts the best possible position in this area, and that the noble Earl will feel able to withdraw his amendment.
Earl Howe: My Lords, this has been a very good debate and I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken. The question that we should have in our minds is, surely: what is to be gained by having this power in the Bill and what is to be lost? To me, the potential

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losses far outweigh the potential gains. The Minister says that we should allow people to appoint their own attorneys to take life and death decisions, if that is what they want, but we may be in danger of creating a misleading impression if we say that to people in quite those terms.
With regard to life and death decisions, the power in the Bill is essentially one way. An attorney cannot insist on a patient being treated if a doctor is not willing to offer treatment. All that he can do is to refuse consent to treatment which a doctor believes should be given. How responsible is it for us to allow an attorney to have such a power? The vast majority of attorneys will not be medically trained, yet, if the paragraph stands, they will be able to second guess and overrule doctors.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I am sorry to interrupt the noble Earl, but what he is saying made me think immediately of a case that is very different but which is quite relevant—the case of Baby Wyatt. In that case, the doctors wished to withdraw treatment for very profound and, I am sure, good clinical reasons, and the family said that they did not want that. You could relate that to the issue of lasting power of attorney.
It would be wrong to suggest a lay person, however good, could insist that the patient had X or Y treatment, because that would be to defy clinical judgment. If a doctor came and said, "I think I would like to take the treatment away now", they would have the right to say, "No; I want to continue with the treatment". That is important, too. Then they would have to go to court to resolve that dispute, too.
3 p.m.
Earl Howe: My Lords, I am very grateful to the Minister and I will certainly reflect on that point.
If a doctor's professional judgment, nevertheless, is that the patient's life is worth trying to preserve and that the treatment is in the patient's best interests, why should we enable untrained third parties to overrule that judgment by deciding that life is to be brought to an end? What do we think we are protecting the patient from by doing that? As a general rule, I believe, doctors do not strive officiously to keep patients alive. We might have had that fear if the Bill were amended in ways that have been suggested, but not as the Bill stands. How fair is it on doctors to put them in the sort of position I have described? My noble friend Lord Patten made a very good point on that issue. A doctor may welcome the advice of an attorney, but I doubt whether, in a grave matter of this kind, he would wish an attorney to overrule him. Indeed, I think it could put the doctor in an invidious and very stressful position.
I come back to a point I raised earlier. The noble Baroness says that she is satisfied on it, but I am still troubled by it. We are in danger of bamboozling ourselves, I think, into believing that it is somehow all right for patient autonomy over life itself to be alienated. Delegating autonomy in the generality of matters is one thing, but on the right to life, I suggest, it is a step too far.
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I do not propose to divide the House today because, having asked the Minister to reflect on the issue, the least I can do is to agree to do the same.
Lord Patten: My Lords, I am extremely grateful to my noble friend for giving way. I am not a people's Peer, as he knows; I am a simple Peer. At the moment, I simply do not understand why these words are necessary. I am not asking my noble friend to answer this question—I will go away and reflect, as the Minister has rightly instructed us to do, and as we should do. However, I think there is a substantial chance that if these words remain they will become—when this Bill goes to another place, in the minds of people such as Mr Dobbin, on the Labour Benches, or my right honourable friend Mr Duncan Smith, on the Conservative Benches—a loophole issue.
If this remains, I think that it will remain as a loophole. We will need the most persuasive arguments from the Minister to persuade us that it is not a loophole. I do not know whether my noble friend takes that point.
Earl Howe: My Lords, I confess that I have not spoken to honourable Members in another place about this particular issue, although what my noble friend says may well be correct.
I think it behoves me to withdraw the amendment. As I say, I am grateful to the Minister for what she has said. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Baroness Greengrossmoved Amendment No. 39:
Page 7, line 14, at end insert—
"( ) Any registered provider, manager or member of staff of a service registered within the terms of the Care Standards Act 2000 (c. 14) will not be permitted to assume a lasting power of attorney for any person to whom they provide care in a paid capacity."
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, in moving Amendment No. 39—which stands in my name and those of my noble friend Lady Howarth and the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, who is not here—I shall speak also to Amendment No. 49. These amendments touch on issues that we debated in Committee in amendments moved by my noble friend Lady Howarth, on 27 January, about putting in place better protection for vulnerable people. I have tabled these amendments having consideration to that debate.
The amendments would restrict any staff member, manager or owner of a service registered by the Commission for Social Care Inspection from acting as a lasting power of attorney or a court-appointed deputy. I should add that the restriction applies only to paid staff. However, it will apply to all paid staff.
The amendments have the support of CSCI. I understand that Dame Denise Platt raised the issue with the Minister. She certainly raised it personally with me and my colleagues. It also has the support of other bodies with an interest in these matters, such as Age Concern and Action on Elder Abuse, both of which organisations I am involved with.

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I believe that the amendments are necessary because, as your Lordships know, we have to clamp down on all potential avenues for abuse in care homes, and especially in domiciliary care services. We have heard about people who have been robbed by their care givers and, worse, about those who have perpetrated these crimes but have got away with it because they were registered as holders of enduring power of attorney or as deputies.
The Registered Homes Act and subsequent legislation has helped to protect people who have had their savings taken by a person with power of attorney. I merely seek reassurance that those safeguards will not be watered down.
By becoming a donee or a deputy, a registered manager, provider or their staff or relatives would gain wide-ranging powers, under Clause 12 and Schedule 2 to the Bill, over finances and property. However, these are precluded by the national minimum standards, and there are other potential loopholes. For example, although a person will have to declare whether he has a criminal record, how will the Public Guardianship Office know if he is on the POVA list? People on that list do not have a criminal record but are deemed unsuitable to work with vulnerable people. I should be grateful to know from the Minister how this loophole can be closed.
We know that the risk of abuse is particularly great in domiciliary care services where abuse can go undetected for much longer from co-workers, family or friends. That is why the restriction on paid staff being an attorney or a deputy makes good sense. We must remember that while friendships may blossom between care staff and the people they look after, at the end of the day we are talking about the necessity of a professional relationship similar to that between teacher and child.
I seek the Minister's reassurance that any relevant codes of practice and guidance issued because of the Bill will meet the national minimum standards and regulations. I hope that the Minister will look sympathetically on these amendments. If she cannot accept the wording that I have brought forward, I hope that she will bring forward her own amendments next week at Third Reading. I beg to move.
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I rise to support my noble friend Lady Greengross. I do not want to speak to the amendment at length; my noble friend has made the arguments. I simply want to add that it is also a protection for people in care homes and in domiciliary care themselves.
We have focused on those who rob, cheat and cause great distress to people in their care. We should remind ourselves that the majority of people in these services give superb, warm care. That is one of the reasons why we are often tempted to believe that they can fulfil these roles. We do not expect them only to give good, professional care; we expect them to give it with humanity and often with affection. At the same time, they are able to leave at any moment. This is their career and it is their job. They are not friends and relatives of those who are under their care.
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Therefore, I think that it is totally inappropriate that they take on the role of attorneys and deputies, for their own protection. I have had to intervene on two occasions and investigate situations where extremely able carers have been tempted because money was easily accessible when they were in difficulties. It ruined their careers and indeed their lives. I think that we also owe it to them to ensure that these temptations are not placed in their way. I therefore support the amendment.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, in the absence of my noble friend Lady Barker, I rise to confirm our support for this amendment. I entirely agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Howarth, that of course most of the people involved in the caring profession as paid carers act totally honourably and properly, but I think that people in that category would not, as she said, think it appropriate to take office as an attorney. There is undoubtedly here a risk of abuse from people who abuse the considerable powers they have as attorneys. It would be undoubtedly right, and a necessary safeguard, to ensure that paid carers are not eligible to act as attorneys under a lasting power of attorney for the people for whom they care.
Earl Howe: My Lords, it is very difficult not to be persuaded by the arguments we have heard, not simply that this amendment is a safeguard, which it certainly is, but that it is also a matter of propriety. I hope that the noble Baroness will be sympathetic.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I completely understand the concerns that lie behind the amendment which the noble Baroness moved. Since Committee, we have had productive discussions with the Commission for Social Care Inspection, as I indicated I would. I do not want to rule out the people whom we are discussing completely because we know of a handful of exceptions where the member of staff in question is also related to the person lacking capacity. Therefore, that member of staff was the most appropriate person in these circumstances for a variety of reasons. Those people comprise a very tiny number but they exist. The difficulty with the amendment is that you might rule out such people completely. However, I agree absolutely that as a general rule such appointments should not be made. The code of practice will make that clear.
As the noble Baroness indicated, the national minimum standards for care homes and for domiciliary care provide strong protection in that area and the standards and regulations for adult social care are currently being reviewed and the issue will be taken fully into account. The noble Baroness will also know that the POVA list was designed to ensure that people included in it were not recruited to work as care providers. To achieve precisely what she wants would require fundamental changes to that. We are also considering the recommendations of the Bichard inquiry. One of these proposes that new arrangements might consider these issues more fully. We shall pursue that to ensure that it is dealt with as best it can be. For example, those who work with children or vulnerable adults would be required to be registered. If that scheme is created, it will

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look at whether donees of lasting powers of attorney and deputies should be brought within it. I believe that would address the point in question.
I do not disagree with the principle of the amendment but I do not want to make it absolute in the Bill. It will be in the code of practice and linked to the national minimum standards to ensure that we provide these safeguards. From our conversations with Denise Platt I believe that that strength of reassurance is precisely what she is looking for. On that basis, I hope that the noble Baroness will withdraw the amendment.
3.15 p.m.
Baroness Greengross: My Lords, in view of the Minister's positive but slightly disappointing comments, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 13 [Revocation of lasting powers of attorney etc.]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 40 and 41:
Page 8, line 16, after "severally" insert "in respect of any matter"
Page 8, line 24, after first "power" insert "in respect of any matter"
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Clause 16 [Powers to make decisions and appoint deputies: general]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 42 and 43:
Page 9, line 39, leave out "section" and insert "sections 1 (the principles) and"
Page 10, line 4, leave out from "powers" to end and insert "or impose on him such duties, as it thinks necessary or expedient for giving effect to, or otherwise in connection with,"
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Schedule 2 [Property and affairs: supplementary provisions]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 44:
Page 44, line 27, leave out paragraph 10 and insert—
"10 (1) Any functions which P has as patron of a benefice may be discharged only by a person ("R") appointed by the court.
(2) R must be an individual capable of appointment under section 8(1)(b) of the 1986 Measure (which provides for a individual able to make a declaration of communicant status, a clerk in Holy Orders, etc. to be appointed to discharge a registered patron's functions).
(3) The 1986 Measure applies to R as it applies to an individual appointed by the registered patron of the benefice under section 8(1)(b) or (3) of that Measure to discharge his functions as patron.
(4) "The 1986 Measure" means the Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986 (No.3)."
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The noble Baroness said: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, said that he was acting on behalf of his noble friend Lady Barker. I believe that when we discussed this issue previously, the opposite applied.
This amendment concerns the Lord Chancellor's function to be exercised by the bishop of the diocese where there is a patron of a benefice and the issue of incapacity arises. The debate that we had in Committee was wide-ranging but the issue before us is quite a narrow one. It is not about the Church's existing patronage system; it is solely about those who can act on behalf of a patron who lacks capacity. Under the present legislation the Lord Chancellor's powers to act on behalf of a patron lacking capacity have a judicial quality. If the Constitutional Reform Bill is enacted, the Lord Chancellor will not be a judge and it would therefore be inadvisable to leave paragraph 10 of Schedule 2 in its current form. Therefore, the Government's amendment transfers the Lord Chancellor's function to a representative appointed by the Court of Protection. The court-appointed representative will have comparable powers to a representative who a registered patron can appoint when he has capacity.
The representative will have to be an individual who is a communicant member of the Church of England or a church in communion with it or a clerk in holy orders. The representative will fulfil the patron's role not only in presenting a priest to a vacant benefice under the Patronage Benefices Measure 1986 but also in performing the other functions of a patron such as acting as a consultee when there is a proposal to suspend presentation under Section 67 of the Pastoral Measures Act 1983. In discharging his or her functions the representative will be subject to the provisions of the 1986 Measure in the same way that a registered patron would be.
Government Amendments Nos. 120, 121 and 125 are minor and consequential amendments. Amendments Nos. 120 and 121 ensure that Clause 63 of the Bill can be used to deal with any difficulties which might arise in connection with specialised categories of patron. Amendment No. 125 clarifies the meaning of power of attorney in the Patronage Benefices Measure 1986 and provides for the court-appointed representative to send the information required under Section 9 of the 1986 Measure to the designated officer of the diocese instead of the incapacitated patron.
These are good amendments which have been discussed fully with the Church of England and meet the needs of all those involved. I beg to move.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, I am very grateful to the Minister. I raised this matter originally in Committee on the ground that I felt that the Lord Chancellor's ecclesiastical patronage was, independently of anything that may happen under the Constitutional Reform Bill, something of an anomaly. It did not seem suitable to have any provision in this Bill that added to that

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patronage. I am fully persuaded that the version which the Government have come up with is preferable to my original suggestion that the patronage should rest in the bishop of the diocese. I am entirely happy with these proposals.
The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, from the Bishops' Benches I express gratitude on behalf of the Church of England for the discussions that the Minister has had. This amendment seems to me eminently sensible.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 19 [Appointment of deputies]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 45:
Page 11, line 22, at end insert", or
(c) jointly in respect of some matters and jointly and severally in respect of others"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 20 [Restrictions on deputies]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 46:
Page 12, line 22, leave out from "P" to end of line 25.
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, as the noble Earl has already indicated, in Committee we undertook to bring forward an amendment removing the provision for a deputy to be given powers by the court to refuse consent to life-sustaining treatment in relation to the person lacking capacity.
People were concerned—I share that concern—that a deputy who is not chosen by the person concerned—that is the critical difference so far as I am concerned—should have so significant a power.
This amendment deletes Clause 20(6) and amends Clause 20(5) to provide, quite simply, that:
"A deputy may not refuse consent to the carrying out or continuation of life-sustaining treatment in relation to P".
I hope that this amendment addresses the concern that noble Lords raised and I commend it to the House. I beg to move.
Earl Howe: My Lords, this is an extremely important and welcome amendment and I thank the Government for bringing it forward.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, I agree with the noble Earl, Lord Howe. This is an extremely welcome amendment and one that is in very good faith. I am grateful to the Minister for incorporating it on the face of the Bill.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 47 and 48:
Page 12, line 27, leave out "section" and insert "sections 1 (the principles) and"
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Page 12, line 43, at end insert—
"( ) But a deputy does more than merely restrain P if he deprives P of his liberty within the meaning of Article 5(1) of the Human Rights Convention (whether or not the deputy is a public authority)."
On Question, amendments agreed to.
[Amendment No. 49 not moved.]
Clause 22 [Powers of court in relation to validity of lasting powers of attorney]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 50:
Page 13, line 17, after "whether" insert "one or more of"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendments Nos. 51 to 53 not moved]
Clause 23 [Powers of court in relation to operation of lasting powers of attorney]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 54:
Page 13, line 42, at end insert "or an instrument purporting to create one"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 25 [Validity and applicability of advance decisions]:
[Amendment No. 55 not moved.]
Clause 30 [Research]:
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 56:
Page 17, line 22, leave out "Secretary of State" and insert "appropriate authority"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, these are technical amendments. Noble Lords will be aware that matters relating to health are generally devolved to England and Wales. The amendments are designed to ensure that regulations and guidance relating to clauses on research can be made by the Secretary of State for Health in England and by the National Assembly for Wales. Clauses 30 to 33 make provision for intrusive research to be lawfully carried out, or in relation to a person who lacks capacity where the research is part of an approved research project, approved by an appropriate body and is carried out in accordance with the conditions set out in Clauses 32 and 33.
Amendment No. 56 provides that the regulations specifying the appropriate body may be made by the appropriate authority instead of by the Secretary of State. Similarly, Amendment No. 61 provides that guidance setting out how a researcher must nominate an external person for consultation if no carer or similar person is available will be issued by the appropriate authority. Amendment No. 57 defines the appropriate authority as being the Secretary of State for Health in England and the National Assembly for Wales in Wales. I beg to move.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 57:
Page 17, line 30, at end insert—
"(6) In this section, section 32 and section (Loss of capacity during research project), "appropriate authority" means—

(a) in relation to the carrying out of research in England, the Secretary of State, and

(b) in relation to the carrying out of research in Wales, the National Assembly for Wales."

On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 31 [Requirements for approval]:
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 58:
Page 17, line 36, leave out subsection (2) and insert—
"(2) The research must be connected with—

(a) an impairing condition affecting P, or

(b) its treatment.

(2A) "Impairing condition" means a condition which is (or may be) attributable to, or which causes or contributes to (or may cause or contribute to), the impairment of, or disturbance in the functioning of, the mind or brain."
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, we are bringing the amendments forward in response to considerations that we had in Committee. I am grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Howe, and my noble friend Lord Turnberg, who proposed amendments in Committee intended to clarify one of the key requirements that a research ethics committee must be satisfied with before it approves a research project.
I remind the House of the purpose of the clause and the effect of the amendments. Clause 31 contains the requirements that the appropriate body, which in most cases will be a research ethics committee, must consider before approving research. The researcher must satisfy the research ethics committee that the research relates to the condition the person without capacity has; there are reasonable grounds to believe that there is no alternative research involving only people who can consent; the potential benefit is not disproportionate to the risk; or that the research may benefit others and be of negligible risk and not unduly invasive or restrictive.
Taking the first element, Clause 31(2) is intended to specify that the research must be relevant to the condition the person is in or to the condition—illness, impairment or trauma—that causes that person to lack capacity to consent to the research. We had an interesting debate in Committee, and the amendments brought forward there attempted to clarify how this might be applied to research into matters that were not directly connected to the main cause of the loss of capacity. My noble friend Lord Turnberg sought to address the possibility of research into the failure of bodily systems that might accompany a heart attack, or into the multiple injuries associated with a car accident that had led people to lose consciousness and therefore become incompetent.
We listened carefully to the views put forward then and also those put forward by research organisations. We have already clarified the intention of this clause by an amendment in another place. To refine the concept in the way that we were invited to do has proved difficult, although we have done it: we have laid it out as best we
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can, and we have met the considerations. We intended to give effect to the Law Commission's recommendation that the research should be linked to a condition with which the person concerned is, or may be, affected.
Amendment No. 58 requires that the research be connected with an "impairing condition" affecting the person without capacity, or its treatment. "Impairing condition" is defined as a condition that is or may be connected, or cause or contribute to, the impairment or disturbance in the functioning of the mind or the brain. The amendment does not significantly affect the practical impact of the research clauses, but rather clarifies their scope. The emphasis is now more clearly on the requirement that the research must be connected to an impairing condition that the person has. It concedes that the relationship between the impairing condition and the impairment of, or disturbance in, the functioning of the mind or brain is sometimes not perfectly understood. It makes it clearer that it may be valid to conduct properly designed research to see whether the condition and the impairment or the disturbance are linked.
The amendment makes it clear that research, for example, to prevent kidney failure in a person in a coma following a car accident or heart attack, as raised by my noble friend, would be permissible if the other safeguards are met. The impairing condition would be the trauma or shock following the sudden crash or heart attack. The research ethics committee would have to be satisfied that there was a good case for believing that the research into kidney failure was connected to the impairing condition, or its treatment. That would be the task of the research group involved. The REC must also take into account all aspects of the requirement for approval in Clauses 31(2) to 31(5).
Amendment No. 59 is on a different point, which further reflects our decisions on the recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Human Rights in its report of 24 January, which considers in turn the Government's response to the report of 1 November. The Joint Committee paid careful attention to the wording used in Clause 31(3), which requires the research ethics committee to have,
"reasonable grounds for believing that the research would not be as effective if carried out only on … persons who have capacity".
In January, the second report concluded in paragraph 4.60 that the use of the phrase "reasonable grounds for believing" was a departure from the international standard applied. It commended to us the approach used in Scotland in the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, that research of a similar nature cannot be carried out on an adult who is capable in relation to the decision. It placed the emphasis on the word "cannot" because it felt that it was closer to the accepted international standard.
We have taken the Joint Committee's comments to heart, although we do not entirely agree with its conclusions. Nevertheless, we have looked again at the wording of the biomedicine convention. We agree that it is possible to reformulate the requirement in Clause 31(3) in a way that makes that intention clear and comes closer to the view of the Joint Committee.

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The amendment replaces the former wording to the effect that the research would not be as effective. It now states that there must be reasonable grounds for believing that,
"research of comparable effectiveness cannot be carried out if the project has to be confined to, or relate only to, persons who have capacity to consent".
Noble Lords will agree that it is clearer and stronger in that respect. It is now very close to the wording of the biomedicine convention, which says in Article 17.1 that research of comparable effectiveness cannot be carried out on individuals capable of giving consent. I am pleased to say that we are following our international obligations there.
Amendment No. 63 again was discussed in Committee. I am grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Howe, and the noble Lord, Lord Turnberg, for raising their concerns about the intention of the original wording. It affects what happens when people are to be enrolled in an approved research project. Clause 32 details the steps to be taken to inform and consult carers about whether the person without capacity should join a research project. As noble Lords will be aware, the rule is that a carer, or someone who is nominated under guidance to be consulted, be asked whether the person should begin the research. There is a group of cases that make it more difficult, and those are urgent cases in emergency situations such as trauma care, where it is important to give treatment in the first few minutes.
Noble Lords will know that many research projects are ongoing in the UK, mostly in hospitals, comparing for example better ways of treating heart attacks or head injuries, or finding out what changes the body undergoes after severe infections such as meningitis. We need to find out better ways as research progresses. If the treatments and trials are to take place, we must realise that it is not practicable to undergo the full consultation process required for this type of research.
We have accepted the recommendation in Committee that we should look again at the wording, and our amendment is along the lines that have been suggested. It widens the range of doctors to be consulted about research in an emergency, so that we do not arbitrarily exclude a doctor who is caring for the person already. We want to provide that the doctor who can be consulted may well be a consultant, surgeon or even a GP whose patient suffers a sudden cardiac arrest or goes into septic shock, for example.
3.30 p.m.
If the emergency happens in the community—outside the hospital—it is perfectly possible that a person's GP can be involved and give approval for research to be initiated by, for example, a paramedic attending the person at home. It is important to think that research in such a case may simply be the taking of a blood sample. As I hope is clear, those doctors are usually best placed to advise the researcher, as they are familiar with the patient's medical history. It is important to know that, including any complications.
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In some cases, they will have discussed the prospect of research with the patient themselves, and know their wishes and feelings.
We have amended the subsection to make it clear that, whatever the doctor's relationship to the person who lacks capacity, the doctor must not be involved in the organisation or conduct of the research project. That was the second element with which noble Lords were concerned. We must avoid potential conflicts of interest where they may be seen as an incentive or other motive to enrol the person in the project, and we have made sure now that that cannot happen. The amendment would rule out a researcher consulting a doctor who might, for example, be organising the research within his or her hospital.
As set out in Clause 31(6), the researcher, in seeking approval from the REC, would have to specify the arrangements for consulting with another doctor. The three amendments clarify and strengthen the Bill and the research arrangements. We are grateful to noble Lords who have enabled the debate and those changes to take place. On that basis, I hope that they will be able to accept our changes in the spirit in which they were made. I beg to move.
Lord Turnberg: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for putting in the amendments, which answer all the points raised in our earlier debate. She has explained clearly why they were so important to introduce. I certainly do not need to make the case again and am delighted that they are there.
So far as Amendment No. 63 is concerned, it is clear that anyone directly involved in the research one way or another should not be the person who gives permission for that research. That is entirely rational and sensible. There is the case in which a doctor is also the carer of the patient and happens to be involved in the research. As I understand the amendment it suggests that, because he or she is involved in research, even though they are the doctor in charge of the care they will not be allowed to approve the research. That is entirely right. I commend the amendments.
Earl Howe: My Lords, I too thank the Minister very much for the amendments, which address the concerns that we raised in Committee.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, in Committee, I too raised the issues and brought to noble Lords' attention the Joint Committee's recommendations, the biomedicine convention and conflicts of interest. The Government have gone a long way to addressing a number of those questions, and I am grateful to them for that. When the Minister introduced the amendment, she said that there were no significant discrepancies between our international obligations under the biomedicine convention and the requirements set out in the amendments. What differences exist? Is there something of any kind of significance of which we should be aware before we approve of what are very welcome amendments?
Baroness Andrews: My Lords, I have not got the biomedicine convention in front of me, but I quoted it,

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using "cannot". Rather than improvise, I will double-check and write to the noble Lord about it. I was also thinking of the words of the Joint Committee on "reasonable grounds for believing". In Committee, we felt that that was a high test rather than a dilution. Again, I put on record that we have kept that form of words, because they are an efficient and high test of probity.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 59:
Page 17, line 40, leave out from "that" to end of line 42 and insert "research of comparable effectiveness cannot be carried out if the project has to be confined to, or relate only to, persons who have capacity to consent to taking part in it"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Knight of Collingtreemoved Amendment No. 60:
Page 18, line 3, leave out "or" and insert "and"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I hope that no one in the House or outside it regrets that we have spent many hours on these clauses. Never before has it been accepted in this country that it is right to have medical experimentation and research on mentally handicapped people without their permission. We are dealing with an extremely serious principle. The hours that have been spent on the matter have certainly not been wasted. I join others who have thanked the Government and the Minister for the changes that have already been made.
Amendment No. 60 was tabled previously by the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, but was not voted on. It is yet another attempt to ensure that mentally handicapped people get every protection that the Bill will allow. We failed earlier to ensure that research on a subject unable to give consent must be of a nature that should directly benefit the subject. I was sorry about that failure, but my regret does not prevent me still trying to protect a human being who cannot protect himself. Clause 31(4) speaks only of potential benefit, not benefit. It is certain that much of the upcoming research will not benefit the person on whom it is carried out. Let us at least make the tiny improvement that there will be two conditions of research in the subsection, not only one.
I must voice some concern about the weight that noble Lords clearly put on the Council of Europe's biomedicine convention. I have some little experience of the Council of Europe, having served on it for 15 years. I am bound to remind the House that that body is not empowered to make law. We suffer badly enough in all conscience from having European legislation forced on us willy-nilly. I have noted some of the effects of the Council of Europe's judgments to be absurd. For instance, it was agreed that all patients who suffer any reversal in their medical condition—whether kidney failure, a stroke, a heart attack or anything of that nature—must be entitled to compensation when that reversal happens in hospital or under the care of a doctor. I found it appalling that that the principle of "no fault" compensation should be accepted. Although sensible
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arguments were made against that, the Council of Europe passed it. I hope that it is an edict that we will never accept in this House.
I shall move on to Amendment No. 62, which is grouped with Amendment No. 60. I want to deal with the conditions that are set out in Clause 32. We learn that the person conducting research must find someone upon whom he can call to consult about the person on whom he intends to carry out the research. As the Bill acknowledges, he may well have a problem with that because it should be someone who is engaged in caring for the subject but it cannot be someone who is paid to do that caring.
A large number of potential subjects for research under these clauses will be in homes. Sadly, many of them have no one to look after them except paid carers and no one who is really interested in their welfare. A whole generation of mentally handicapped people were, very sadly, horn to mothers who were perhaps over the age of 40, and we all know that that resulted in a large number of mentally handicapped people being born.
I clearly remember being approached by a constituent who was desperately worried about what would happen to her son when she died. She had given her whole life to looking after that child—to her, and to me, he was still a child. She said, "I don't know what's going to happen to him". Of course, what does happen is that the care is extended and, if there is no one to look after the person in question, he is moved into a home or a place where paid carers will look after him. But those people cannot be consulted because they are paid.
So Clause 32, rightly, makes provision for such a case by stating that the researcher, named in the Bill as R, must find someone who is prepared to be consulted—presumably for pay, although I do not know whether that is the case; we have never been told, but presumably it will be a paid job. That opens up other questions such as who will pay. Will it be R, his drug company or the hospital trust, or are we convinced that there are people who will do this difficult job? To do it properly will require time, thought and care. There may be such people—great numbers of them—who are prepared to do the job, but I am not altogether happy about that.
Rightly, the consultee must not be someone connected with the research. But noble Lords should make no mistake that this new research ruling can, and probably will, make large profits for the drug companies. Therefore, the amendment states that we should ensure, as the Bill does not, that the consultee on whom the whole conduct of the research depends must have no connection with the researcher. The Bill states that he must have no connection with the research, and that is right and sensible, but it does not say that he cannot have a close connection with the researcher.
Therefore, it seems to me that the researcher, in looking for someone to consult and give the green light to go ahead with the research, could nominate his wife, girlfriend, cousin, father, uncle or anyone, because

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there is no provision in the Bill that states specifically that the researcher must not have any connection with a person who is close to him.
I raised this matter on 1 February 2005, when we had the third day of Committee on the Bill, but in the Minister's reply there was no mention of this point. I do not blame the Minister in the least because she had many points to answer. Since then, I have received letters from various Ministers but there has never been any indication that they have been able to consider the small amendment on this point.
Repeatedly, Ministers have expressed concern that everything must be done to safeguard potential research subjects. Indeed, I pay tribute to the Government because they have given much thought and care to this point and to ensuring that a great deal of care is taken over this issue. But if this concern, which is widespread and has led to many changes in the Bill, is genuine, we must go this one step further. We must recognise that if the researcher can call upon someone with whom he has a close connection, that will be very partial advice, and that worries me.
Therefore, I hope that the amendment will be considered sympathetically. It makes no attempt whatever to wreck the Bill, and I hope that it will not be described as such. That is far from the case. I am simply trying to give maximum protection to handicapped people, who will be in a very difficult position when the Bill is passed. I beg to move.
3.45 p.m.
Lord Rix: My Lords, I want to express my disquiet that the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, persists in describing people with a learning disability as "mentally handicapped". That is now a discarded description. I am also concerned at her assumption that all 1.5 million people in this country with a learning disability do not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. That is untrue and I feel that it should be placed on the record.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, I assure the noble Lord that that has in no way ever been stated or believed by me. Undoubtedly we are dealing with a situation involving some people who are unable to make judgments for themselves. I have never suggested for a moment that all people with a mental handicap have no possibility of making any decision for themselves.
Lord Carter: My Lords, the noble Baroness will remember that she said that we spent a long time on this issue in Committee. She will also remember that the Joint Committee, which I chaired and of which she was a distinguished member, also spent a long time on this subject. Indeed, I am sure that the noble Baroness remembers that she proposed an amendment to the committee's report and she will also remember conversations that we had in which I explained to her exactly how to do so. The amendment was to the effect that people judged to be incapable of making, and unable to make, decisions for themselves should not be
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used in medical research experimentation. She will also recall that she was not able to convince the committee on that point.
The conclusion that we reached in the committee was that the amendment as drafted would require the research to be of benefit to the person who was the subject of the research and also of general benefit to people with that condition. We took the view that the treatment being researched should be of benefit, and it was put to us by doctors who gave evidence to the committee that they would not carry out such research unless that was the case. That is the essential point.
In considering whether the research would be of direct benefit to the person concerned, it is important to remember the conditions that we gave as examples. Research into some of the conditions would be of benefit to the person involved and other research would not. We mentioned investigating why people with Down's syndrome are at risk of contracting Alzheimer's disease, how best to treat the effects of acute brain injury, how to understand and manage problems such as self-injurious behaviour affecting people with autism, the causes of potentially debilitating mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, and the best treatments for brain disorders, such as new variant CJD. I list those to show that, in some cases, research might be of benefit to the people involved but, in other cases, it would certainly not be.
We took the view that when people lack the capacity to give consent, they should be involved in medical research only if it is either in their best interests, which is obviously of benefit, or—not "and", as the amendment states—if it is the only method of conducting research into their particular condition and everyone involved with them is satisfied that it is a non-exploitative proposal which will not harm or distress the individual involved. I believe the Bill reflects that view.
Our conclusion was that a clause should be included in the Bill to enable strictly controlled medical research to explore the causes and consequences of mental incapacity and to develop effective treatment for such conditions. This clause must include rigorous protocols to protect incapacitated adults from being exploited or harmed. I think the Bill does just that.
Baroness Murphy: My Lords, perhaps I may follow the words of the noble Lord, Lord Carter, by illustrating two research projects in which I have been involved over the years and which would have been ruled out completely by Amendment No. 60. These were completely painless and non-invasive projects involving simple CAT scans and positron emission tomography scans of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
The safeguards in the Bill are excellent. I have some sympathy with the wish of the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, to have the consultee quite removed from the researcher and I shall be interested to hear the response of the noble Baroness, Lady Andrew's, in that regard.

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The effect of Amendment No. 60 would be simply to rule out an enormous amount of valuable research. We would not have the benefit of carrying out simple, basic, non-invasive research; it would be ruled out completely by that one change of word.
Lord Alton of Liverpool: My Lords, I have added my name to Amendment No. 62, to which the noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, has just referred. I agree with her that the Government need to answer the points made by the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, in relation to that amendment.
I know that the noble friend of the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews—she is just about to resume her place—reminded us at the Committee stage that she has a dislike of lists. However, we have the beginning of a list in Clause 32(3)(a) and (b), and it does not seem unreasonable to me to add a "(c)". The words have no connection of any kind with R and it is the kind of belt and braces provision that should be inserted into the Bill.
The noble Baroness, Lady Knight, is right to remind the House that we are taking awesome decisions in a whole range of areas. This is the first time that the House—perhaps for commendable, but nevertheless controversial, reasons—has allowed subjects who have some kind of disability to be used for tests and trials that might advance medicine but, nevertheless, may not be with the consent of the person concerned. It is quite an important step change from that which we have allowed previously.
Every generation has to guard against these matters. I was recently rereading the debates that occurred in 1913 in regard to a Bill introduced then—the noble Lord, Lord Rix, will be interested in this—which used the words "A Bill dealing with people's mental deficiencies". That Bill sought compulsorily to sterilise disabled people. A conference was called in London of people front all the different political traditions of the day—the noble Lord, Lord Patten, will be interested in this—and that conference was entitled the "Eugenics conference".
It took the redoubtable Mr G.K. Chesterton and his ally, an independent Member of another place, Josiah Wedgwood, to ensure that that legislation was literally blown out of the water. Perhaps it was one of the few good things that happened in 1914, but the legislation went no further.
We can see what has happened in the decades that followed. I shall not refer to events in Germany but in social democratic Sweden, between 1920 and 1970, more than 70,000 people were sterilised against their will. As the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, has rightly reminded us, we have to guard against such eventualities here.
I commended the Government on the previous group of amendments because I believe that they have listened carefully to many of the issues raised by the noble Baroness. Today, and right the way back to the Joint Committee, she has been her usual assiduous self
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in ensuring that we do not dodge these questions. Ever since we first met in 1979 I have regarded the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, as a person to have on your side, especially if you are in a position where you are at some kind of risk or vulnerable. I say to the noble Lord, Lord Rix, that I know the stands he has taken, both here and in another place, on behalf of disabled people. I congratulate her on doing that. She always shows great tenacity.
We have made a lot of progress in dealing with these issues during our considerations, but I should particularly like to hear the response of the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, to Amendment No. 62, to which I have added my name. I believe that it is a reasonable request to add this belt and braces provision that the person who may be researched upon should have no connection at all with R.
Lord Renton: My Lords, I have several confessions to make. The first is that I have a daughter, aged 50, who is severely handicapped both physically and mentally. She cannot talk; she cannot walk. That is how I happened to become chairman of Mencap and—in spite of the presence of the noble Lord, Lord Rix—I understand that that body is still known, in short, as Mencap. Indeed, the best thing I ever did for Mencap was to get the noble Lord appointed as secretary-general.
I gladly support Amendment No. 60, which has been moved by my noble friend Lady Knight, but I have serious doubts about the drafting of Clause 32. If I may say so, it is in the wrong way improved by the amendment of my noble friend.
I was the only chairman since 1870 of an official committee to advise Parliament how Acts of Parliament should be drafted. At that time there was no question of using the method contained in the Bill of describing a person merely as "R". It is a very strange practice which has had odd results. In fact, the result that we find in Clause 32 is a very odd one indeed.
I know that we are at Report stage—and I confess that I did not intervene at the Committee stage to put this rather fundamental suggestion forward—but we must make our legislation understandable, and therefore legible, to all the hundreds and millions of people in our society who will be bound by it—and they can only be bound by it if they can follow it easily.
I know I am rather old, but I find it strange that Clause 32 starts by stating,
"This section applies if a person"—
and then a bracket is opened and in that bracket, in inverted commas, is the letter "R". It is not easy for people to understand, when the letter "R" appears again, exactly what its meaning and effect will be.
I know it is rather late in our consideration of the Bill to make such a proposal but it is never too late to try to get a Bill right. I ask the Government to reconsider at Third Reading the use of the letter "P", which appears earlier in the Bill, and the use of the letter "R", which appears here. The people who have to obey the Bill will find it easier to do so without this

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kind of strange reference. One could go on, but I shall summarise my view. It is unfortunate, especially in a Bill that affects people who lack mental capacity, to have to find out whether these cross-references—merely capital letters—will be understood well enough to enable people to obey the law.
4 p.m.
Lord Patten: My Lords, I am sure that the Minister has listened very carefully to what my noble friend Lord Renton said and will pay it due and proper attention. I agree, with respect—as I understand one says in legal circles—with what my noble friend has said.
I want to make three points on the amendments in the name of my noble friend Lady Knight of Collingtree. First, Amendment No. 60 concerns research. I like research. It is good to have research and very often good research is research that fails because it shows that something is not happening. I can see why people wish to have the ability to conduct research and I do not dissent from that at all.
However, I agree with my noble friend in her first amendment, that replacing the word "or" with "and" in the relevant subsection has a double benefit. It gives a double protection in the interests of patients. In the end, I am much more interested in the human being and the patient than I am in research. That is why I support the amendment. We also have to guard against the unimaginable happening, which is another reason why I support the amendment.
My noble friend Lord Alton spoke about the Eugenics Society before the First World War. I did not know about that, as he explained it to the House. One never knows how some of these provisions will be used somewhere down the line. I prefer caution where one is dealing with the rights of individuals who suffer from severe personal difficulties, whether mental or physical.
Secondly, addressing Amendment No. 62, I fully support the insertion of the additional words in the relevant subsection. I would be interested to hear what the Minister has to say about the medico-ethical considerations in relation to the ability of someone to conduct such research to be prepared, as the subsection says, to,
"nominate a person who—
(a) is prepared to be consulted by R"—
I hope my noble friend Lord Renton will forgive me for using that word—
"but
(b) has no connection with the project",
without the additional provision of,
"(c) has no connection of any kind with R".
That leads to some difficult issues. I do not want there to be any suggestion that I am criticising the Minister, but this is a very important point and I do not believe that saying this needs to be considered by this or that medical body and that there should be a code of
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practice fulfils the need that is met very succinctly and accurately by the amendment tabled by my noble friend Lady Knight of Collingtree.
Thirdly, the noble Baroness mentioned that many hours had been spent on this kind of issue. I do not believe that my noble friend has any reason to be apologetic to the House. I have to report to the House a disquieting leak from the Whips' Office in another place. How another place conducts its business is not a matter for this place. Indeed, it is a surprise to me to hear through this leak that the other place is allowing only one hour for the final consideration of this Bill in another place.
Setting aside the fact that leaks like that should not occur from a well conducted Whips' Office—I am sure it would not have happened, under any circumstances, under the benign reign of the noble Lord, Lord Carter—I do not believe that anyone in your Lordships' House should be at all ashamed or apologetic for wishing to look at the issues in full before they return to another place, which will be starved of a second more than 60 minutes when considering the Bill.
Lord Carter: My Lords, as the noble Lord has mentioned me, I would say: "If only I had had the chance". If "or" were replaced by "and" in subsection (4), how would research into Alzheimer's disease be conducted? Does he also agree that his fears about eugenics and so on are dealt with in Section 31(5)(b)(ii) which prohibits research that is "unduly invasive or restrictive"?
Lord Patten: My Lords, it should be possible to conduct research, but I would always put the interests of patients first in the legal framework surrounding such research. That is why I would wish to see the research that is being carried out into Alzheimer's disease also being intended to provide knowledge for the causes and treatment for the care of persons affected by the same or a similar condition. The noble Lord and I probably take a slightly different view on that.
Lord Rix: My Lords, I would like to clear up a point with the noble Lord, Lord Patten, and with my noble friend Lord Alton. Of course, I am aware of the eugenics movement and I am aware that 70,000 people were sterilised in Sweden. My noble friend Lord Alton failed to mention that, at the same time, 75,000 people were sterilised in North America. Is sterilisation seen as research? In my view it is not research: it is sterilisation for social reasons to make it easier for those caring for the woman—generally it is a woman; men are never sterilised—as she is not seen fit to bear babies. I would not consider that truthfully to be research; I would consider that to have been inflicted on those women to make life easier for their carers and the world at large in a social context.
Lord Turnberg: My Lords, I am not sure how we were diverted into eugenics and sterilisation. For all the reasons mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Rix, I do not believe that is entirely relevant to these two amendments.

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I admit to some sympathy with both of the amendments tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Knight. The words in Amendment No. 62,
"has no connection of any kind with R",
sound not unreasonable. I am not sure that that form of words is necessary, nor am I convinced that,
"has no connection with the project",
is not sufficient. However, it is sufficiently important to think about and I am interested to know how the Minister will respond to that, because the principle behind what she has said is not unreasonable.
I have some difficulty with regard to Amendment No. 60. I am keen to see "or" rather than "and" because I do not think that all research must necessarily be of potential benefit to P. But the second part of paragraph (a) says,
"without imposing on P a burden that is disproportionate to the potential benefit".
That is an important element. It should never, whether or not it is a benefit to an individual, impose on P a burden that is disproportionate. So in that case the "and" should be there.
It may be that that element of paragraph (a) is covered elsewhere. I do not know; I quickly read through this. However, I think that,
"without imposing on P a burden that is disproportionate to the potential benefit to P",
should be an "and" rather than an "or". Although the,
"have the potential to benefit P",
should be an "or". So the provision may need splitting up.
The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I do not think that the noble Lord, Lord Patten, answered the question posed by the noble Lord, Lord Carter, about Alzheimer's, which is a crucial example. It may be that it is absolutely vital to conduct research on Alzheimer's disease with a body of Alzheimer's patients, but that there would be no immediate benefit for the Alzheimer's sufferer who is taking part in that research.
If the amendment is agreed to, it would be difficult to see how one could conduct any research on a disease such as Alzheimer's. As I understand the matter, that was the thrust of the example given by the noble Lord, Lord Carter. The noble Lord, Lord Patten, answered it the other way around, but not the way around that I put it.
Baroness Andrews: My Lords, we have had a wide-ranging debate, as we did in Committee, on the ethics and principles of research and how it fits into the Bill, particularly with the concerns raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Knight.
As the noble Lord, Lord Alton, said, the noble Baroness has been assiduous. I wish she were on our side. In fact, I am sure that we are both on the same side on the fundamentals.
I want to start where the noble Baroness started. I think she said, "Never before have we accepted that we can have research on mentally handicapped people".
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Leaving aside the language, I want to say—and we have said this in some of the correspondence we have had with her—that this is the first time in law that we have attempted to create a clear and proper legal framework around research, as it involves people with mental incapacity. It is a very important and positive step.
If we look back over the past 15 years, the Joint Scrutiny Committee and the Law Commission years ago noted, complained about and called-for improvements to the lack of clarity around research. Traditionally, research has been done under the Medical Research Council guidelines since 1991. We have moved to change and improve that. We did that first in 2004 with the important clinical trials regulations on drug regimes and so on. Now we have done it in relation to research in general. So I know that the whole House welcomes this proper and legal framework.
I am sorry that we do not have the provision as right as we should. I am sure we should have consulted the noble Lord, Lord Renton. By using "P" and "R", we have tried to attempt, perhaps in an over simplistic way, to make the Bill easier to read. Clearly, we do not have that quite right.
The second thing I want to say to the noble Baroness, Lady Knight, is about the Council of Europe. I respect her wide experience on European affairs. The Council of Europe is a very well respected forum to debate consensus of an ethical nature and draft conventions, such as the biomedicine convention. When we sign up, they are binding, inasmuch as any member of state who signs and ratifies a convention must ensure that national laws comply with it. So these are very much in our national interests and in our structures.
I turn to the amendments. I shall restate the purpose of Clause 31 before I deal with the amendment. The purpose of Clause 31 is to define what kind of research can be approved involving people who lack capacity to consent. Subsection (4) states that the research must meet one of two requirements: it must have the potential to benefit the subject of research without imposing a burden that is disproportionate to the benefit—I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Turnberg for emphasising that point; it is extremely important; or it must intend to provide knowledge relevant to the causes, treatment or care of people affected by the same or similar condition.
The amendment would tie the two requirements together in a way that research would be allowed only if it was intended to benefit the patient. It would limit the types of research that could be carried out to that which is not only of benefit, but also to that which is easily demonstrable as being of benefit. It would effectively make impossible research that might indirectly benefit that person or that might benefit other people who have the same condition now or in the future.
So, with respect to the noble Baroness, these are not tiny improvements; they are a significant straitjacket around research in ways that I shall explain in a little more detail.

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In Committee, we had the debate prompted by the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman. What I said then and what is important is that research is surrounded by strict safeguards. First, it must entail negligible risk. Secondly, anything done must not significantly interfere with the person's freedom or privacy. Thirdly, it must not be unduly invasive or restrictive. There is then the requirement to consult with the incapacitated person's carer or a nominated person. Then there is the assessment about whether that research itself may be burdensome. That means assessing the level of discomfort and so on. I shall also return to that.
4.15 p.m.
I understand the concerns behind the amendment. The Bill strikes the right balance between the concern of the noble Baroness that those involved are properly and fully protected, and yet that vital research can flourish, so that people with those conditions in five or 10 years' time will be better off, with better care and prospects.
I want to make two points about research. They have been made very well—better than I could—by noble Lords already. Part of the argument revolves around the concept of research designed to generate new knowledge. That is what we call fundamental research. It is the source of research that is furthest away from direct application. The noble Lord, Lord Patten, will know from his experience in the Department of Education how important fundamental research is to all innovation across all sciences. Without it, we make no progress. It is our evidence base for all our science and medicine. The whole point is that we cannot guarantee where and how those benefits occur.
The amendments effectively make research that may indirectly benefit that person or others impossible. We have heard the example of Alzheimer's disease. The noble Baroness will not be thanked if, for example, as a result of the amendment, in 50 years' time we are using the same treatments and technologies to treat heart disease and any forms of brain injury, trauma or stroke, that we are using now. We fully anticipate that our research organisations will be able to take us forward to things that are presently unimaginable. We have learnt more about the brain in the past five years than we have in the past 500 years. We do not want to stop such beneficial research; I am sure that the noble Baroness does not either. Likewise with genetics. Think of the progress that has been made in genetics in the past few years—our understanding, prediction and treatment of family-based disease. We must be very careful about what we are doing.
Our second problem about tying the provision to direct benefits concerns the methodology of research. With the best will in the world, research is now governed—for our safety as consumers—in a way that is rarely able directly to benefit those with the particular condition. New knowledge takes time to be evaluated. It must be safely reviewed by peer review systems, replicated by and compared with other
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findings and validated. It is only when we have gone through that exhaustive and often international process that we can say what treatment is safe. The lead times vary, of course. In health or social care, we may progress from fundamental research into a new treatment or care pathway in a matter of two or three years. In other forms of research, it may take us a great deal longer.
We have tried not just to surround the process with safeguards as I have described but to reflect that there are rights here to be respected. We, and many others, believe that it is important for people who lack capacity to have the opportunity to contribute, not least as citizens. The Council of Europe Biomedicine Convention states:
"Were such research to be banned altogether, progress in the battles to maintain and improve health and to combat diseases only afflicting children, mentally disabled persons or persons suffering from dementia would become impossible".
The group of people concerned may in the end benefit from this kind of research. When we drew up the Bill, we listened to the advice of the Joint Scrutiny Committee and to the Making Decisions Alliance, which also said that such people should have the right to participate.
I have already referred to the hierarchy of safeguards. There are the safeguards for the people themselves, which mean that they must be listened to and respected if they show any sign of distress, objection or simply not being interested in taking part. The second line of safeguard is the consultative level, both in inviting people to take part and in taking care of them while they are involved in the research project. Thirdly, at organisational level, the whole project, from its inception to conclusion, is validated by a research ethics committee, which keeps the project, its processes and its methodology under constant review, ensuring that the consultation is constantly valid.
On a later amendment, when we will talk about the relationship between the individual and science in society, we will have an extra safeguard to offer. Not only would the amendment not help those who have a right to be involved and who will be able to benefit indirectly, if not immediately, but also we do not want to prejudice the future of research and the benefit of people with a disability.
In Amendment No. 62 the noble Baroness has raised another very important point. We have considered in detail the issue of who is consulted about a person's involvement. Clause 32 deals with the arrangements for seeking agreement for people to take part in a research study once it has been approved. The Bill rightly sets out the importance of consulting those best placed to comment on the likely wishes and views of the person who lacks capacity.
The first thing that a researcher must do is take steps to identify someone who cares for the person and is willing to be consulted. If that is not possible, the researcher must nominate someone else to act as a consultee. The noble Baroness has tried to ensure that that person is not connected to the research project or the researcher.

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I shall try to reassure the noble Baroness on that point. I hesitate to say that the amendment is not necessary; rather, her concerns are covered by the Bill. Clause 32(3) states that the person consulted must have,
"no connection with the project".
We are sure that that could be very widely interpreted. It would certainly include someone involved with, or connected to, either the study itself or a member of the research team. It would also cover wider connections, such as someone with a direct link to funding decisions for the study, for example, or who was involved with the research ethics committee.
I am adding to the examples that have already been given. But although the wording is already wide enough to capture these cases, we will in any case spell out in the Secretary of State's guidance, which is foreseen in Clause 32(3), the range of connections that we mean. We will make it clear that that includes a connection to the researcher. Of course we will consult on that, as we will on the guidance as a whole. We will also make it clear that we expect researchers, if in doubt, to err on the side of caution in interpreting the clause—that will be clear to the research ethics committee, too. It is not always possible to spell out in advance, or to anticipate, the sort of issues and incidents that might arise. That is why we must leave ourselves some room to be able to respond and to make judgments based on individual decisions.
For people who have no immediate or obvious person to help them—we have used the term "unbefriended"—we intend to ensure that healthcare providers that host clinical research make arrangements, through the chief executive, to identify a panel of people who could be available to act as a nominated legal representative as relevant to the trials being undertaken in the organisation.
That will obviously be of huge benefit. Only a very small number of people would have neither someone whom they knew nor someone who could come from another source to help and advise them through the process. Where there is nobody, and we have to set up such a panel, we will certainly look at the training for the requirements of the role. We will also monitor the performance of that body to ensure that it operates to the highest standards. It is possible that the clinical ethics committee could take on that role.
A range of individuals employed by an NHS trust or another healthcare organisation could potentially fulfil the role of a legal representative, such as other clinical staff not connected with a trial, social workers or non-executive members of the trust board. That is probably as much detail as I can provide at the moment about the ways in which we are approaching that problem.
In conclusion, Amendment No. 62 proposed by the noble Baroness would cause major problems. Her suggested wording would be practically impossible to interpret. Would working in the same hospital or living in the same street, for example, count as a connection of any kind? It would take us into realms
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of association that are very difficult to cover and to anticipate. I think that the noble Baroness would accept that point. But I hope—
Lord Patten: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for giving way. In the spirit of trying to be helpful, perhaps a form of words saying "unknown" or "not known" to the person could be used.
Baroness Andrews: My Lords, I am no parliamentary draftsman, but I can see that that might have exactly the same, if not more, difficulties than the words "of any kind". It is as long as a piece of string. Obviously, in legislation we want to be as clear and as tight as possible.
Lord Patten: My Lords, surely, if one is not known, one is not known. Lengths of string do not come into the argument.
Baroness Andrews: My Lords, perhaps I may conclude what I was going to say. As it is constructed, the noble Baroness's amendment causes major problems. I hope that what I have said about the nature of the definitions in terms of not being connected, and the protections that we will offer for people who are bereft of friends or connections, will satisfy the noble Baroness that we have addressed her concerns in respect of Amendments Nos. 60 and 62 and that she will feel able to withdraw the amendment.
Lord Renton: My Lords, before the noble Baroness sits down, would she be so good as to tell us whether there is any hope, in Clause 32, of elimination of the expression "R", which replaces very few words, and, in earlier clauses, the expression "P"?
Baroness Andrews: My Lords, there was something that I forgot to say to the noble Lord. We take the point that he makes. The best that we can do is ensure that those terms are fully and properly explained in the code of practice and the guidance that is offered.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, it is obviously a matter for great regret that every amendment I put forward is causing huge trouble and would cause even worse if it was in the Bill. Because of what has been said, I stress that I am in no way against research. I want it to go on and to ensure that it does go on.
I must apologise to my noble friend Lord Renton for offending him by adopting the language of the Bill, which I believe is too late to change now.
Lord Renton: My Lords, I was in no sense trying to blame my noble friend.
Baroness Knight of Collingtree: My Lords, that is a comfort. But, obviously, I have deeply upset the noble Lord, Lord Rix, for which I am sorry. I do not try to upset anyone. I am just trying to give—as I understand Ministers want—as much protection as possible to people who may be used, under those three clauses, for research.

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1 have listened very carefully; I have particularly taken on board the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Turnberg, and others, about Amendment No. 60. I am grateful to the noble Baroness for what she said. I think she heralded that some assurance would be put in at some point to cover my worries. The noble Lord, Lord Carter, mentioned not once the amendment that I was trying to move; that is, the researcher must not pick someone who has anything to do with him or her. That was all I was trying to achieve with the amendment. I did not want to elongate the debate.
However, in the light of the noble Baroness's assurance that this point will be covered at least to some extent by inserting an amendment at a later stage, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 32 [Consulting carers etc.]:
4.30 p.m.
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 61:
Page 18, line 26, leave out "Secretary of State" and insert "appropriate authority"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendment No. 62 not moved.]
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 63:
Page 19, line 13, leave out "concerned in P's treatment or care" and insert "involved in the organisation or conduct of the research project"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 33 [Additional safeguards]:
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 64:
Page 19, line 25, leave out from "he" to ", or" in line 26 and insert "appears to object (whether by showing signs of resistance or otherwise) except where what is being done is intended to protect him from harm or to reduce or prevent pain or discomfort"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, these government amendments have once again been tabled in response to arguments put to us in this House. Amendments Nos. 64, 65 and 66 further strengthen the protections around Clause 33 and make it crystal clear that it is the person without capacity who comes first.
Amendment No. 64 is needed to make sure that in respecting any signs of resistance from the person, it is clear that the person's greater health needs must come first. I will come later to Amendment No. 65, which is based on principles that stem from the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki on medical research. It adds a new requirement that the interests of the person must be assumed to outweigh those of science and society. Amendment No. 66 makes it clear that any withdrawal from research does not require beneficial treatment to be halted.
All these amendments are further backed up by government Amendments Nos. 97 and 99 which specifically name researchers as having a duty to have regard to the code of practice. This brings them into
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line with others named in the Bill. In all, this is a comprehensive package of amendments that reiterates the importance we attach to protecting people who lack capacity.
Turning to the individual amendments, Amendment No. 64 highlights the important issue of how to balance respecting a person's wishes against protecting them from harm. Let me just remind noble Lords that Clause 33 includes the safeguard that if a person objects to something, their objection must be respected. It is very important to make it clear that this amendment is absolutely not intended to and will not weaken that safeguard.
However, in our debate in Committee led by the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, speaking on behalf of the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, attention was drawn to the issue of preventing harm to patients in very specific circumstances. For example, a patient might make an action, even a reflex movement, as natural as flinching or pulling away before a needle is put in his arm. The way the clause is currently drafted could be interpreted as meaning simply that a researcher could not even act to steady the person's arm. That could lead to a much more harmful effect on the patient, or it could even be interpreted more extensively as meaning that research could not be continued at all in such a situation. That, too, is something we cannot contemplate.
Our concern here is that the clause could be interpreted as encouraging researchers to discard standard safety measures simply because a person without capacity objects to them. That is not our intention.
For the first time, therefore, the clause puts a positive duty on researchers to respect signs of resistance while recognising the fact that a person's greater health needs must come first, and therefore a researcher's duty to protect the patient must come first. That will mean taking an action intended to minimise pain or discomfort.
The amendment highlights a researcher's duty of care and fits well with the broader requirement in Amendment No. 65, that the interests of the person must be assumed to outweigh those of science and society. I am sorry that the noble Lord, Lord Alton, is not in his place because he has championed this issue at each stage of the Bill. In introducing these amendments we are putting beyond doubt the fact that the interests of the person come first.
The noble Lord has repeatedly stressed the importance of adopting language from widely respected international declarations such as the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki. Not only have we put this in the Bill, we also intend to use the code of practice to explain it in more detail. Although it was not possible to accept the noble Lord's precise amendment because it would have introduced an impossibly broad duty of care that would have been unworkable, we are happy to adopt its spirit.
Amendment No. 65 therefore adds the important principle of ethical research to the Bill. It adds to the safeguards already provided in Clause 33 a new requirement that the interests of the person must be

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assumed to outweigh those of science and society. I am confident that the general duty set out in Section 5 of the 2002 edition of the Declaration of Helsinki will be supported by researchers as the pre-existing principle of ethical research, and which is now enshrined in the Bill. So that is a very positive response, not only to the noble Lord, but also to the Joint Scrutiny Committee, which also recommended that we use the declaration as the framework for the Bill.
Amendment No. 66 would extend the safeguards in Clause 32(6) so that a researcher would not have to stop any treatment if he felt that doing so would create a significant risk to a person's health in cases where the person asked or indicated that he or she no longer wanted to be a part of research. I am grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Howe, and the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, for proposing the amendment in Committee. We were sympathetic to what they were trying to achieve.
The Bill already contains such a safeguard for cases where a carer objects to a person's involvement. Clause 32(6), for example, allows a researcher to continue treatment in such cases if withdrawal would be detrimental to the person's health. However, as I said in Committee, it makes no sense to have that safeguard for situations where a carer objects to the research, but not the person. Government Amendment No. 66 rectifies the imbalance. In all such situations, the needs of the person come first, and the person can of course be withdrawn from the research project—and not have data recorded about him, for example—but he can continue to receive the treatment.
I turn finally to Amendments Nos. 97 and 99. Again, I am grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Howe, for proposing an amendment that would add research to the list of subjects to be covered by the code of practice. The draft code contains a chapter on research, and the final version will undoubtedly do so. It is an extremely important chapter. It will set out more fully than the Bill can do the detail of when research should or should not be undertaken, and all of the safeguards that will be in place to protect the person lacking capacity.
We have gone a little further than the noble Earl, Lord Howe, suggested in his amendments. We have also placed a duty on researchers to have regard to the code. It is only right that researchers should be in the same position as the independent mental capacity advocates, attorneys, deputies and others in a position of trust.
People acting in a professional capacity or for remuneration are already caught by Clause 40(4). That will usually apply also to researchers, but it is safest to spell it out, as it might not always be clear.
I hope that noble Lords will feel that we have responded as well as we might to the points that were raised in Committee. The amendments strengthen the Bill and extend the protections offered to patients involved. It is to the credit of noble Lords that we have responded to their suggestions in the way that we have. I beg to move.
Earl Howe: My Lords, I welcome all the amendments in this group, but particularly Amendments Nos. 66, 97
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and 99, which were prompted by concerns that I raised in Committee. I thank the Government for tabling the amendments.
The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, those who originally proposed the amendments and the Government are both to be commended, because many people who have had anxieties about this part of the Bill will be reassured by the resounding clarity of the statement that the interests of the person must be assumed to outweigh those of science and society. That will send a real signal of reassurance to many people.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendments Nos. 65 and 66:
Page 19, line 31, at end insert—
"( ) The interests of the person must be assumed to outweigh those of science and society."
Page 19, line 37, at end insert—
"(5) But neither subsection (3) nor subsection (4) requires treatment that P has been receiving as part of the project to be discontinued if R has reasonable grounds for believing that there would be a significant risk to P's health if it were discontinued."
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Baroness Andrewsmoved Amendment No. 67:
After Clause 33, insert the following new clause—
"LOSS OF CAPACITY DURING RESEARCH PROJECT
(1) This section applies where a person ("P")—

(a) has consented to take part in a research protect begun before the commencement of section 30, but

(b) before the conclusion of the project, loses capacity to consent to continue to take part in it.

(2) The appropriate authority may by regulations provide that, despite P's loss of capacity, research of a prescribed kind may be carried out on, or in relation to, P if—

(a) the project satisfies prescribed requirements,

(b) any information or material relating to P which is used in the research is of a prescribed description and was obtained before P's loss of capacity, and

(c) the person conducting the project takes in relation to P such steps as may be prescribed for the purpose of protecting him.

(3) The regulations may, in particular,—

(a) make provision about when, for the purposes of the regulations, a project is to be treated as having begun;

(b) include provision similar to any made by section 31, 32 or 33."

The noble Baroness said: My Lords, the amendment proposes a transitional regulation-making power to cover ongoing research and provide for the necessary flexibility in the provisions for approval of research by a research ethics committee, with consultation of carers and additional safeguards. Why do we need transitional regulations? Primarily because it is necessary to smooth the transition for researchers from the current common law position to the new statutory safeguards for research involving those who lose capacity. We need them to avoid stopping ongoing and essential research.
It was clear from our early debates on the concept of material time that there were a range of transitional issues which my noble friend Lord Turnberg and the

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noble Earl, Lord Howe, were concerned about. Those issues were associated with research ongoing when the Bill comes into force, which we expect to be in April 2007. We already have the flexibility to cater for the majority of those in the ordinary powers for making transitional provisions in Clause 61, but we need to provide for more comprehensive regulation-making powers to cover projects that enrol people with capacity who go on to lose capacity during the research projects. We are aware, as we propose them, that there really must be a smooth transition without stopping research or causing unnecessary bureaucracy for the RECs. The advantage of a regulation-making power is that we can cater for a wider variety of social situations and do so in full consultation with researchers. We can also refine what is in the Bill and the code of practice.
We recognise that some of the specific requirements in Clauses 31 and 33 are intended to protect those who lack capacity at the outset. But that is difficult when there are large, ongoing research studies because there may be no further contact with the participant, it may be difficult to judge at a particular time whether the person lacks capacity, and so on. So the flexibility in the interpretation of safeguards is really very important.
The specific types of research that will fall under these regulations will be those that started before Clause 30 came into effect, those that enrolled people who had capacity and then went on to lose it, and those which involve material and data collected before the onset of incapacity. Concerns were raised in Committee and the noble Lord, Lord Warner, said that he would consider the issue of long-term projects in particular. We have looked back at the debates that we had on the Human Tissue Bill in 2004. The concerns obviously relate to projects that are already under way. Indeed, the research community raised with us the need for clarity on whether, once people enrolled when they had capacity have lost capacity beyond the commencement of the Bill, the researcher must go back to the research ethics committee to seek approval again, and agreement from relatives and carers.
Researchers also need to understand the relationship between common law consent and these provisions. I am happy to make it clear that when Clauses 30 to 33 come into force there will be a statutory regime-making provision for research involving those incapable of consenting to their involvement. A researcher who complies with all the requirements of Clauses 30 to 33 has lawful authority for his actions and should have little to fear in relation to the common law. These are important issues, and we set out in Committee the way in which we feel that the Bill operates.
Let me briefly recap. The Bill applies to intrusive research, which would require consent if the person involved was capable of giving consent. The Bill does not apply to research that is done during temporary incapacity, such as general anaesthesia during surgery, providing that consent was obtained in advance. Consent endures the temporary loss of capacity.
Consent given before the onset of incapacity to a long-term research study also endures. The noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, gave the UK Biobank as an
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example of such a study. But consent endures up to the point when a person with capacity would be in a position to withhold consent—for example, when another blood sample was required. At that point, the protections of the Bill would apply to the person without capacity, because that person does not have the capacity to withhold consent. That means that if a long-term study such as UK Biobank wished to continue to take samples from those without capacity it would need fresh approval from the REC and to take steps to identify and consult the carers, as required in Clause 32. They will also have to comply with all the safeguards in Clause 33, as we have just debated. So those additional protections are necessary even where consent may have been given before loss of capacity, and consultations with carers are also important.
Other relevant points raised in Committee include how the Bill might dovetail with other relevant legislation and how it might affect a project started before the Bill came into force. My noble friend Lord Warner was mindful of the fact that the Human Tissue Act does not apply to existing holdings of human tissue; that is, those collected before April 2006. It also anticipated the need for regulations that provide for material lawfully obtained from people who lack capacity.
So, with all those considerations in mind, this new clause, after Clause 33, gives a limited transitional regulation-making power that will allow proper time for consultation and reflection on the range of possible situations involving people who lose capacity in the course of a research project. Our aim is to ensure that a research project can continue in relation to samples or data obtained from people before they lost capacity, subject to certain specified safeguards.
The regulations will define what types of research may safely continue to involve people after they lose capacity and what steps will be needed to protect the person in such research. Subsection (1) makes it clear that this power applies only to research projects beginning before the Bill came into force and involving those who consented to take part when they had capacity and who then went on to lose it; for example, people in studies into long-term health. The regulation-making power in subsection (2) allows for regulations made by the appropriate authority to prescribe that research of a prescribed kind may be carried out on or in relation to the person despite his loss of capacity if certain requirements are met. Subsection (2) will also ensure that any information or material obtained meets certain requirements and was obtained before the loss of capacity. Subsection (2)(c) says that the regulations will include specified safeguards to protect the person's interests.
That is further expanded on in subsection (3), which provides the most important safeguard; namely, that the regulations will include safeguards similar to those already set out in Clauses 31, 32 and 33. 1 make it very clear that the regulations will indeed replicate many of the safeguards set out in Clauses 32 and 33. but with some allowance for altering the precise wording where it is necessary to take account of the need for a smooth transition.

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I hope that that is clear. As I indicated in Committee, we do not want to take the regulation-making power as a means of diluting these very important safeguards. That is not our intention at all.
The regulations will require the affirmative procedure, so it will be necessary to seek agreement in both Houses of Parliament. However, I hope that the House accepts that there is a need to clarify the different safeguards that apply to the different types of research project already taking place.
I can also promise the House that we will ensure that the regulations are extensively consulted upon before being laid. We will take the views of research groups, ethics committees and those who speak for people who lack capacity. We will ensure by doing so that we take only minimum powers necessary to avoid stopping research.
It is important also to spell out who the regulations will not affect. As I said, the regulations affect only those who lose capacity in the course of a research project. They will not affect people without capacity who were enrolled in the research project before the Bill—those instances will be covered already by Clauses 30 to 33—and the regulations will not affect researchers who plan to go back to a person who has subsequently lost capacity in order to take more samples or measurements. They do not mean that researchers can evade having to seek agreement from carers for new research and interventions that might fall into the definition of intrusive research. They have to comply with the protections of the Bill.
This is a technical provision. I admit that I have gone through it rather fast. I hope that it has been clear to noble Lords that their concerns have been met. I hope that the noble Lord will feel that the concerns of the research community have been met. We have listened. I can again give the House an assurance that this will not diminish the protections. We have got the balance right between providing necessary protections and avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy. We want a system that respects what people have previously said about their wishes and feelings which they had expressed in their original consent to participate in the research. We are very grateful to people who participate in research. We need their co-operation and participation. I hope that the House will accept that this is a necessary amendment. I beg to move.
Lord Turnberg: My Lords, I wish to say how much I value these government amendments. I am very pleased with them. I know that the research community at large is also very pleased with them. This is, indeed, a listening government. I am delighted to welcome these amendments.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I apologise for having had to be absent for much of today's proceedings. However, I also thank the noble Baroness. I thank her, too, for answering the two questions I had jotted down about positive procedures and consultation. I do not think that anyone in this House is under any illusion about how controversial this subject is. I hope that the time period for the consultation will be sufficiently
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extensive to enable those who have been extremely critical and sceptical of the research provisions in the Bill to make their views known. I firmly believe that this provision, like the others on research, is the best way of proceeding to benefit people who lack capacity and their carers. However, the intent must be shown through an absolutely transparent process. Therefore, I hope that the timetable for consultation will be extensive. That is always my concern with regard to consultation.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 34 [Appointment of independent consultees]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 68:
Page 19, line 41, leave out from ""independent" to end of line 42 and insert "mental capacity advocates") to be available to represent and support persons to whom acts or decisions proposed under sections 35, 36 and 37 relate"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, we now move to an issue about which the House was very concerned. I hope that the next groups of amendments that I shall move will demonstrate that we are, indeed, a listening government, as my noble friend said. We have listened to the views of Parliament. We have also listened very carefully to the views of stakeholders. We understand that the current wording requiring the decision-maker to,
"seek advice from an independent consultee as to P's best interests"
does not properly reflect the intended role.
We want to change the name to "Independent Mental Capacity Advocate" or IMCA. I shall come on to that in discussion on the next group of amendments.
These amendments make clear that the role of the IMCA is primarily to support the person lacking capacity, not the decision-maker and does not make best interests judgment. It is important that we get this right because this service for very vulnerable people must be well defined and clearly understood.
It was always our intention that the role of the IMCA is to support the individual by making representations about their wishes, feelings, beliefs and values, at the same time as bringing to the attention of the decision-maker all factors that are relevant to the decision. The IMCA can also challenge the decision-maker on behalf of the person if appropriate. Amendments in another place did not go far enough in making that clear.
The amendments here: systemically remove reference to advising on best interests; make clear it is the decision-maker who decides on best interests; refer instead to the IMCA supporting and representing the person; and set out the intended functions of the IMCA.
We believe that the role goes further than that of traditional advocacy. We have, therefore, given it a distinct name so that we can clearly specify the functions. It is right that the scope of this government-funded service for very vulnerable people should be clearly defined for the purposes of this Bill. I beg to move.
Lord Rix: My Lords, I warmly support particularly government Amendment No. 80, and all the associated

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amendments which change the name and function of what was once the Independent Consultee Service and will now be the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate service.
I am sure that I was not alone in my surprise and—it has to be said—frustration that the Government initially appeared to be sticking with their original plans around the Independent Consultee Service. Like others of your Lordships, I am pleased to say that, as on so much of this Bill, the Government have shown that they are prepared to listen, they are prepared to reflect and they are prepared to change their mind. I think the amendments today show the relationship between the Government, Parliament and stakeholders at its best and I commend the Minister again for her excellent work behind the scenes to find a way forward.
In supporting the Government's approach to public consultation, disability rights campaigners are trusting that the Government, within the recognised budgetary constraints, will in the end deliver what people with impaired capacity want, which is to be empowered to have their own wishes and feelings fully reflected in best interest decisions.
There are 37 major voluntary organisations, many and varied, in the Making Decisions Alliance, among which are Age Concern, the Alzheimer's Society, Help the Aged, the Down's Syndrome Association, Leonard Cheshire, Mencap, Mind, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Scope, the Stroke Association and many others, all of which wish this Bill to reach the statute book. The amendments today are a clear demonstration that the Government are listening to the disability sector and are serious about delivering on their promise. I stress again how important it is that this vital Bill should reach the statute book as soon as possible.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 69:
Page 20, line 1, leave out paragraphs (a) and (b) and insert "as to the appointment of independent mental capacity advocates"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, the purpose of the amendments in the group is to change the name of the service from "independent consultee" to "independent mental capacity advocate" or IMCA. We have listened to views both within Parliament and of stakeholders. We understand that the name did not reflect the intended function. This amendment, together with the amendments that I have already moved on this, seeks to make it clear that the role is primarily to support the person lacking capacity and not the decision-maker.
We need to keep a specific name rather than simply change it to "independent advocate" to reflect that it is a specific role that goes further than traditional advocacy, and that will avoid confusion. It is also a good way of ensuring that one is able to get the resources that the noble Lord, Lord Rix, spoke of. In commenting on the previous group, the noble Lord was clear about the importance of advocacy. The Government are committed to supporting independent advocacy. In
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particular, the noble Lord will know about the recently published Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report, Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People, which is the basis on which the Government will seek to support and strengthen advocacy in general.
We have agreed to consult on the idea of supporting existing advocacy services as part of implementing the Bill. It will be possible to issue guidance and advice to local authorities and the NHS. emphasising the value of independent advocacy in helping to deliver the Bill's purposes and expand references to involving independent advocates in the code of practice. I beg to move.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 70 to 79:
Page 20, line 5, leave out "consultee" and insert "mental capacity advocate"
Page 20, line 7, leave out "consultee" and insert "mental capacity advocate"
Page 20, line 10, leave out from "that" to "by" in line 11 and insert "a person to whom a proposed act or decision relates should, so far as practicable, be represented and supported"
Page 20, line 17, leave out "consultee" and insert "mental capacity advocate"
Page 20, line 18, leave out from "person" to", and" in line 19 and insert "whom he has been instructed to represent"
Page 20, line 27, leave out "consultee's" and insert "mental capacity advocate's"
Page 20, line 28, after first "section" insert ", section (Functions of independent mental capacity advocates)"
Page 20, line 29, leave out "consultees" and insert "mental capacity advocates"
Page 20, line 31, leave out "consultees" and insert "mental capacity advocates"
Page 20, line 33, leave out subsection (8).
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 80:
After Clause 34, insert the following new clause—
"FUNCTIONS OF INDEPENDENT MENTAL CAPACITY ADVOCATES
(1) The appropriate authority may make regulations as to the functions of independent mental capacity advocates.
(2) The regulations may, in particular, make provision requiring an advocate to take such steps as may be prescribed for the purpose of—

(a) providing support to the person whom he has been instructed to represent ("P") so that P may participate as fully as possible in any relevant decision;

(b) obtaining and evaluating relevant information;

(c) ascertaining what P's wishes and feelings would be likely to be, and the beliefs and values that would be likely to influence P, if he had capacity;

(d) ascertaining what alternative courses of action are available in relation to P;

(e) obtaining a further medical opinion where treatment is proposed and the advocate thinks that one should be obtained.

(3) The regulations may also make provision as to circumstances in which the advocate may challenge, or provide assistance for the purpose of challenging, any relevant decision."
On Question, amendment agreed to.

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Clause 35 [Duty to seek advice in connection with serious medical treatment]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 81 to 83:
Page 20, line 41, leave out "about" and insert "in determining what would be in"
Page 21, line 1, leave out from "must" to end of line 3 and insert "instruct an independent mental capacity advocate to represent P"
Page 21, line 7, leave out subsection (5) and insert—
"(5) The NHS body must, in providing or securing the provision of treatment for P, take into account any information given, or submissions made, by the independent mental capacity advocate."
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Clause 36 [Duty of NHS body to seek advice before arranging accommodation]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 84 to 88:
Page 21, line 24, leave out "about" and insert "in determining what would be in"
Page 21, line 27, leave out from "must" to "unless" in line 29 and insert "instruct an independent mental capacity advocate to represent P"
Page 21, line 34, leave out "seek advice from an independent consultee" and insert "instruct an independent mental capacity advocate to represent P"
Page 21, line 42, leave out "seek advice from an independent consultee" and insert "instruct an independent mental capacity advocate to represent P."
Page 21, line 43, leave out subsection (5) and insert—
"(5) The NHS body must, in deciding what arrangements to make for P, take into account any information given, or submissions made, by the independent mental capacity advocate."
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Clause 37 [Duty of local authority to seek advice before arranging accommodation]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 89 to 93:
Page 22, line 22, leave out "about" and insert "in determining what would be in"
Page 22, line 31, leave out from "must" to "unless" in line 33 and insert "instruct an independent mental capacity advocate to represent P"
Page 22, line 38, leave out from "not" to "before" and insert "instruct an independent mental capacity advocate to represent P"
Page 22, line 45, leave out "seek advice from an independent consultee" and insert "instruct an independent mental capacity advocate to represent P"
Page 23, line 1, leave out subsection (6) and insert—
"(6) The local authority must, in deciding what arrangements to make for P, take into account any information given, or submissions made, by the independent mental capacity advocate."
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Clause 38 [Exceptions]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 94:
Page 23, line 5, leave out "36(3) and 37(4)" and insert "36(3) and (4) and 37(4) and (5)"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
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Clause 39 [Power to adjust role of independent consultee service]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 95:
Page 23, line 14, leave out "consultees" and insert "mental capacity advocates"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 96:
Page 23, line 19, leave out from "which" to", and" in line 21 and insert "an independent mental capacity advocate must, or circumstances in which one may, be instructed by a person of a prescribed description to represent a person who lacks capacity"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, we have committed to consult on extending the IMCA service, as it now is, where there is a clear need and consensus within available funds. Clause 39 provides the regulation-making power, and we have made those subject to affirmative resolution. The amendments would create a permissive power to allow local authorities and primary care trusts some discretionary power in deciding when to use the IMCA beyond the minimum requirements.
The Bill currently says that regulations may be drawn up to extend the service to other,
"circumstances … in which advice must be sought from an independent consultee".
We want to change the word "must" to "must, or … may" for two reasons. First, concerns have been expressed about extending the service compulsorily to situations where there are family members. We agree that that is not necessarily desirable or helpful. It is fair to say that family carers are at the heart of decision-making in many circumstances. We would not wish to get in the middle of that relationship, particularly when we know what a critical and crucial role family members play in supporting their loved ones.
5 p.m.
We will ensure that the code of practice refers to the central role at the heart that unpaid carers play, and makes it clear that they will very often be the best people to speak up for the person lacking capacity. In addition, we believe that where people have successful, loving and supportive relationships, the obligatory use of an independent mental capacity advocate would be neither helpful, nor an effective use of resources, frankly. Also, we want to ensure the maximum flexibility to enable us to accommodate all possible outcomes of the consultation on extending the service. Following the consultation, consensus may or may not favour the use of a discretionary power. By tabling the amendment, we are simply allowing for that possibility.
We have received correspondence from family groups concerned that rogue authorities might displace "difficult" family members with an IMCA. We certainly do not intend that the IMCA should be used to displace supportive family members, who have a legitimate role in working with local agencies. Clause 4 places a duty on decision-makers to consult,
"anyone engaged in caring for the person",

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when determining best interests. We are all aware of the valuable contribution that many families make in the caring process. They are clearly very important carers who are likely to know the person best. I beg to move.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch: My Lords, I briefly thank the Minister for the amendment and for her introduction of it. I assume that the intention to place family carers at the heart of decision-making would apply also to the amendments that we have just discussed, particularly Amendments Nos. 68 and 72. That said, we shall as usual read her words in Hansard with the attention that they always deserve, but it seems that what she said should be of great comfort to the many thousands of honourable family carers who, too often at the moment, have to fight long and exhausting battles against the serried ranks of officialdom, the agenda of local authorities and so on, to secure what they know is best for their relative.
If those families are indeed to be put at the heart of decision-making by the regulations, as I think that I heard the noble Baroness say, much of that effort and the suffering that goes with it will be alleviated. With the possibility offered by the Bill that family carers can also become deputies, their future should be very much less difficult when the Bill becomes law. On their behalf, I thank the Minister and the Government for the amendment.
Earl Howe: My Lords, I very much endorse everything that my noble friend said. The amendment is warmly to be welcomed. However, I want to bring to the Minister's attention a concern raised with me by members of the Mental Incapacity Consultative Forum. It is that the proposed amendment could give a local authority of an autocratic disposition a licence to displace family advocates whom it considered difficult. I have been asked to draw her attention to such a situation—I am sure that it is not intended, if it is an effect of the amendment—and to ask her what safeguards will be put in place to prevent misuse of local discretion and powers of the kind to which I have referred.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I want to take the opportunity to ask the noble Baroness something about this amendment to Clause 39. In her introduction to it, she said that it would extend the scope for local authorities and primary care trusts to go beyond what is now the minimum. Am I right to assume from her comments that that is the power that will enable local authorities to extend the independent mental capacity advocacy services to people who are not, in the words of the Bill, "the unbefriended", but who may find themselves caught in an extremely difficult situation—perhaps as a result of their relationships with their families or with organisations such as those that are involved in their care?x
Am I right in assuming that she is enabling local authorities to use some judgment if it appears that that may be the right course of action in the best interests of
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that person? I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, that, in the majority of cases, family carers will work in the best interests of the person—I have no doubt about that. But even in families where people do not lack capacity, there are tensions and so on and it is always important to have the advocacy service there as a safeguard which, I hope, will not be needed. If my understanding of the noble Baroness's words is right, I very much welcome them.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, is absolutely right. It is about extending the services to which we are already committed. The phraseology was perhaps less elegant than it might have been. It is right to look at that and do that in consultation, because, as the noble Baroness knows, within the 37 organisations referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Rix, there are slightly differing views. We must ensure that we use the service and the £6.5 million that we have available in the best way we possibly can.
Regarding the point raised by the noble Earl, Lord Howe, it is important that we consult properly and understand all the sensitivities, particularly where local authorities might be seen to be "autocratic", as he suggested. We also recognise that it is important that the appropriate complaints procedures are also used. The noble Earl knows better than I that nowadays, in healthcare that means people can approach the Commission for Healthcare, Audit and Inspection and, finally, the health service ombudsman, with complaints of this nature; and, through social care, ultimately up to the Court of Protection.
So, we are clear that we should use the proper dispute mechanisms that already exist. However, in the consultation, we shall be mindful to ensure that we get this right to capture the people whom we need to support while not getting in the way either of family relationships or, in a sense, supporting authorities to do things that would be unsatisfactory at best. I hope that, on that basis, noble Lords will feel comfortable.
Lord Pearson of Rannoch: My Lords, with reference to the comments of the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, might it be worth thinking of a mechanism whereby, if an authority or PCT wished to impose an IMCA on a good family with obviously good family care and there was a dispute about that, could that go to the Court of Protection for adjudication? I think that the noble Baroness said that this would happen, anyway.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, certainly in a social care context it could end up at the Court of Protection, but I was trying to say that there are very well-established dispute resolution procedures that one would go through, because this would be part of that. However, I shall take the noble Lord's comments back to the Department of Health, where this policy belongs, and obtain a letter of clarification for the noble Lord, which might help. They are meant to use those procedures properly and formally in this context.
On Question, amendment agreed to.

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Clause 40 [Codes of practice]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 97 to 100:
Page 23, line 32, at end insert—
"(da) for the guidance of persons carrying out research as part of a research project approved for the purposes of this Act (and otherwise with respect to the provisions of sections 30 to 33)."
Page 23, line 33, leave out "consultees" and insert "mental capacity advocates"
Page 24, line 5, at end insert—
"(ba) as a person carrying out research as part of a research project approved for the purposes of this Act (see sections 30 to 33),"
Page 24, line 6, leave out "consultee" and insert "mental capacity advocate"
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Clause 41 [Codes of practice: procedure]:
Lord Goodhartmoved Amendment No. 101:
Page 24, line 23, at end insert—
"( ) The Lord Chancellor may not issue a code prepared under section 40 unless—

(a) a draft of the code has been laid by him before both Houses of Parliament, and

(b) has been approved by a resolution of each House."

The noble Lord said: My Lords, I shall also speak to Amendment No. 102. They both relate to the parliamentary process for the codes which are to be made by the Lord Chancellor under Clause 40. Clause 40(1) states:
"The Lord Chancellor must prepare and issue one or more codes of practice".
I think it is common ground in this House that those codes of practice will be of very great importance—indeed, that they are central to the whole process envisaged by the Bill. They will be documents that have legal effect because they have to be taken into account, and they will need very careful preparation. They will no doubt be documents of considerable length when taken all in all and when considering the issues with which the codes have to deal. Clause 40 then provides for the Lord Chancellor from time to time to revise any code. So a distinction is drawn between the preparation and revision of a code.
Clause 41 lays down the procedure. It states:
"Before preparing or revising a code, the Lord Chancellor must consult … the National Assembly for Wales, and … such other persons as he considers appropriate".
It then goes on to state in subsection (2):
"The Lord Chancellor may not issue a code unless … a draft of the code has been laid by him before both Houses of Parliament, and … the 40 day period has elapsed without either House resolving not to approve the draft".
So what is envisaged here is something very similar, although not quite identical, to the negative resolution procedure. For documents of such importance as this, that seems to me to be inadequate.
I am aware that the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee—of which I was for some years a member and so am familiar with the way in which it works, although I have ceased to be a member—did not
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recommend that the affirmative resolution procedure should be used. In fact, the committee did not mention Clause 41 at all in its report, but Clause 41 was referred to in the memorandum produced for it by the department. The department said:
"Clause 40 requires the Lord Chancellor to prepare and issue"—
it actually says "an issue" but it should be "and issue"—
"a code or codes of practice for the guidance of persons or with respect to matters set out in Clause 40(1). Clause 41 sets out the procedure for issuing and revising any codes of practice. The Lord Chancellor will have to consult with the National Assembly for Wales and other appropriate persons before preparing or revising a code".
It then goes on to say:
"A higher level of parliamentary scrutiny is not considered appropriate, given that the draft code must meet the requirements of consultation set out in Clause 40(1)".
That of course is an obvious error because it should read "Clause 41(1)". But given that, apart from the National Assembly for Wales, the Lord Chancellor is entirely the master of whom he consults on this subject, it does not seem that that, in itself, justifies any reduction in the standard of parliamentary procedure.
Of course, the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee does a very good job, but from time to time—as I am aware because we made mistakes from time to time when I was a member—it makes mistakes. That happens, in particular, when no members of the committee are closely familiar with the issues that arise out of the Bill that they are considering. The root of the trouble may well be that the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee did not contain anyone who realised, and was able to point out, the great significance of these codes in the context of this Bill.
Therefore, it seems to me appropriate that whenever a code is initially prepared and issued, it should receive the affirmative resolution procedure. Although of course the code could not be amended, it would give an important opportunity for discussion. I believe that matters of this importance should not come into effect without an opportunity for proper parliamentary discussion. It would be inappropriate to say, "Oh well, you can get your discussion if you move a Motion asking the House to resolve not to approve the draft" simply as a way of obtaining a debate.
Any revision may be relatively infrequent and relatively minor. I have therefore drafted the amendments in a way which ensures that it is only when a code of conduct is prepared, as opposed to revised, that the affirmative resolution procedure, or its equivalent, would be necessary. I believe that we should have a guarantee that your Lordships' House will be able to debate the codes when they are prepared and issued. I beg to move.
5.15 p.m.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, my speaking note states that we do not disagree with the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee. We are going to come to a much bigger issue on which we have been discussing matters with that committee. The

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Government's usual modus operandi is to state that we will do what the committee did or did not recommend, and I do not quite accept that the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee might not have had the right people on it at a particular point in a particular Bill. Where could we go with that thought except to say that we will just ignore it? I do not think we should do that.
My main argument with the noble Lord—apart, perhaps, from the desire not to spend even longer debating the issues around the Bill than Parliament already has done—is twofold. First, the code of practice is an important document for the professionals, organisations and families for whom the code of practice and its interpretation is everything but who will not be reading this legislation on a wet Friday afternoon. I am very keen to have the kind of debate and consultation that will ensure that the code of practice is absolutely right.
There is no big surprise in that. In producing the draft code we have made sure that people have received copies and we have been open, honest and straightforward about what it will be. But the amendments seek to provide that the code has validity only if there is discussion in your Lordships' House and another place; that we will have to wait for parliamentary time to do that; and that that is paramount. That is not how I see the issue.
The other argument, as the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, quite rightly said, is the fact that there will be codes. One of the issues we have discussed throughout the course of the Bill is the specific parts of codes which are relevant to particular people. Whether they be researchers, doctors or family members, the voluntary sector has a huge interest in this.
We could reach a position where we have six or seven codes—I am not suggesting that this will happen, but let us assume for a moment that it does—waiting for parliamentary time, which, as the noble Lord knows, is incredibly difficult to find in your Lordships' House, to debate each code separately. This could take place in a dinner hour when there may be no more —I will be frank about it—than three or four noble Lords in the Chamber to debate it.
So my issue with the amendment is not that I object to coming to your Lordships' House and debating the matter. The negative procedure enables the House to debate the matter if someone feels very strongly that we have got it wrong. But I do not accept the idea that the code will have validity only when it goes through the affirmative process.
I also do not accept that there is a bigger consultation to be had out there. Once we have done that, once we have got a good code and put it through the negative procedure, we can get on with it. That is what I would prefer to do, notwithstanding what the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee has said.
In the best possible spirit, I shall resist the amendment. It is not strictly necessary because we have been very open about this matter. Nothing will be introduced that will be a big surprise. As I have already indicated, every
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single Member of your Lordships' House or another place who has participated or been interested in the Bill will, as is right and proper, receive a copy of the code and be invited to comment on it.
Lord Christopher: My Lords, before my noble friend sits down, can I ask whether she is willing to add a sentence? I accept entirely what she did about the initial code. It would be helpful to know that there will be wide consultation on supplementary codes. I am sure there will be; I have no doubt in my mind that that will be the case. It would be unbelievable if it were not the case, but it would help to have that confirmed.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, of course, I am happy to confirm that. As the codes come into being, I am sure that they will need amendment from time to time. That is right and proper. They will be living documents. Of course we would ensure that there was consultation.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, I am sorry that the Minister feels unable to be helpful on this matter. I find her arguments not particularly convincing. Good as the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee is, it is not infallible. This is one occasion when it appears to have made a mistake.
I also feel that time is not a serious problem now that debates on such matters can be taken in the Moses Room. That should make it relatively easy to find time. Although I do not believe that a long period would be necessary, we have had four days in Committee, two days on Report and we have another day, or part of one, to come. It is appropriate that your Lordships' House should have an opportunity, not simply to send the Bill out into the public arena, but to follow it through by having a chance to debate and consider the terms of what will be, as the noble Baroness said, for most people, even more important than the Bill itself. I do not believe that it should pass out of parliamentary oversight altogether.
However, as the Minister knows, I am extremely reluctant to do anything that will cause any further problems to the passage of this extremely important Bill which we very strongly support. Therefore, I do not intend to divide the House on the amendment, either today or at Third Reading. I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
[Amendment No. 102 not moved.]
Clause 56 [Functions of the Public Guardian]:
Baroness Greengrossmoved Amendment No. 102A:
Page 31, line 10, at end insert—
"( ) in conjunction with the Department for Work and Pensions, establishing and maintaining a register of appointees appointed by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, in moving Amendment No. 102A, I shall speak also to Amendment No. 105A. These amendments aim to put in place further safeguards to protect vulnerable people. Specifically, the

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amendments follow up debates in Committee about improving safeguards between the Office of the Public Guardian and the Department for Work and Pensions. It is about appointees from amendments tabled by the noble Earl, Lord Howe, and the noble Baroness, Lady Barker.
The amendments seek to clarify how information held by the DWP can be made available to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) in cases where the powers of an appointee have been revoked because they have not acted in the best interests of the person lacking mental capacity.
At present, the intention is for the DWP to continue to administer appointeeships, but, as we heard in Committee, organisations like Age Concern, for example, believe that it would be better to bring the two systems—DWP appointeeships and the Office of the Public Guardian register—together as that would be more effective, simpler to understand and a better way to protect older people who lack mental capacity from abuse, particularly financial abuse.
I understand why the Minister may say that the Bill is not the right vehicle to do that, and perhaps not at this late stage—perhaps a future DWP Bill might deal with it.
However, these amendments are perhaps a compromise that the Minister could consider accepting. They would require the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to hold a register on behalf of the DWP of all the appointeeships. They seek to ensure that appointees, monitored by the DWP, have to follow the code of practice which the Mental Capacity Bill will introduce.
Cross-referencing is important because at present it would be perfectly possible for a person to have his or her appointeeship revoked on the grounds of misspending benefit income and later to become the receiver for someone else. As the noble Earl, Lord Howe, said in Committee, the OPG would not necessarily know of any problems identified by the DWP. The same could also follow for the DWP appointing people who have had their powers revoked by the OPG.
The OPG would be in the position of either investigating cases itself, where the individual is a registered donee or deputy, or informing the DWP of the need to investigate cases of appointeeship. That would give the OPG—the body charged with protecting people who lack capacity—a much fuller picture of cases of abuse. It would also mean that the OPG would be able to cross-reference easily to ensure people whose powers were revoked because of concerns were not put in a similar position with another individual.
The other point relates to monitoring. It is welcome that the DWP recognises that some kind of monitoring system is necessary. That was agreed on 27 January in this House. But that will cost both money and time. The amendment would require such monitoring to take place.
Finally, it is essential that appointees should be required to adhere to the code of practice, in the same way as deputies and lasting power of attorney donees will be required to do. Appointees should know that although they have been appointed to deal with the person's claims and payments for benefits, they should
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still help the person retain as much control as possible over his or her money and decisions about how he or she wishes to spend it.
All too often appointees make assumptions about the capacity of someone and take control of all the financial aspects of that person's life, which means that the individual has personal decisions made about him or her, perhaps unnecessarily. Many of the appointees, as we have previously said, will be carers of the individuals and as such should be working to the principles of the Bill. However, where the carer has been given the extra responsibility of managing the person's benefits, it would be an excellent opportunity to make clear to him or her that there is a code of practice that should also be followed.
I have been advised by Age Concern that an amendment to the Social Security Claims and Payment Regulations on appointeeship placing a condition on appointees to follow the Mental Capacity Bill's code of practice would be sufficient, thereby ensuring that such people are placed on a par with anyone else who has a donee or a deputy. I beg to move.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I support the noble Baroness, Lady Greengross, on these amendments. As she said, they not only provide the Minister with a workable solution but they also reflect what happens in real life.
I was privileged the other week to sit with a representative from the Office of the Public Guardian with some information and advice workers. I have to say that the very clear distinction between what the Office of the Public Guardian can do and the position of older people who have appointees was a distinction that the information and advice workers simply did not recognise. Many of the people they deal with perhaps do have some property and perhaps do come within the remit of the Office of the Public Guardian but may also have benefits as well. Therefore, I think there is a very strong practical case for aligning the two systems.
In Committee, the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, gave some reassurances about how the DWP was beginning to think about the matter. I was not particularly convinced by her statement, because the DWP appears to be pursuing its own track, which is not particularly aligned with this Bill.
The noble Baroness, Lady Greengross, has come up with a very elegant solution, which I hope the Minister will find favourable. I support it.
5.30 p.m.
Earl Howe: My Lords, I hope that the House will allow me to support the noble Baroness, Lady Greengross, in introducing the amendments. I, too, regard them as a very neat way forward. I hope that these amendments or some like them will commend themselves to the Government.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I commend the noble Baroness, Lady Greengross, for continuing to

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work with this matter. As she will know, I arranged for a meeting between the Making Decisions Alliance and Maria Eagle at the DWP to consider this dialogue.
I shall start by saying why I cannot accept the amendment but shall end on a more positive note by explaining what we will do. I hope that that will be helpful, so I ask noble Lords to bear with me during the negative part of my response.
Our biggest difficulty with getting the OPG to register appointees is that there are about 7,500 receivers and 500,000 appointees so it is a very big, impractical step. The MDA, when it wrote to me recently, said that it now thinks it,
"more appropriate for them to continue to be administered by the DWP".
However, the DWP is considering the feasibility of setting up a central register of revoked appointees and one of all appointees. I know that that will be expensive because of the numbers involved, so it cannot happen overnight, but it is actively under consideration and we will work with the department on it.
I understand the point about investigating concerns but the DWP already investigates concerns at how appointees are acting and appointments can be revoked. Again, it would not be practical as things stand to expect the OPG to investigate when there are many more appointees than receivers and deputies.
I shall deal with the more positive aspects. We are trying to develop co-operation between the OPG and the Department for Work and Pensions so that if somebody is contacted via the OPG with a concern about an appointee, the DWP could be asked to investigate. I am sure that that dialogue is already there in part, but those involved in it would want to think about how to make it even better. It is also important to remember the role of social services in that regard.
If a register of appointees is established, we can then look properly at the best way of information-sharing and cross-checking the registers between the OPG and the Department for Work and Pensions. That will be critical; however, I cannot include that in the Bill because we do not yet have the answer to when, how and if it will happen.
I can make the following commitments. We have started to consider with the Department for Work and Pensions how we can work together. It is considering whether it can set up the register that people want, what it would cost, and when it would happen. On the basis that that work will take place, we can ensure that it dovetails with that of the Public Guardian. We can also consider other ways of working together. That is happening now, not least because of pressure as a result of this Bill, which is very helpful. Carrying out checks with each other on a case-by-case basis might be very helpful.
Quite a lot of work is happening. We will work with the department to ensure that the relevant parts of the code of practice are drawn to the attention of all appointees. There is a much closer working relationship but not in a sense that I can express in a Bill. I hope that I
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have made a commitment in your Lordships' House that that work will be ongoing, that we are looking to see how we can mesh the activities more productively and that we will keep noble Lords informed of its progress. We intend to make it work as effectively as possible. I know that my response will not satisfy all noble Lords' objectives, but we are not there yet, and therefore 1 am not in a position to make provision in the Bill.
Baroness Greengross: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. While she has not said "yes" to what I hoped might be feasible, she certainly agrees in spirit and is working towards a solution to the concerns that I, and other noble Lords who have spoken on this issue, expressed. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
[Amendment No. 103 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 104:
Page 31, line 27, at end insert—
"(i) publishing, in any manner the Public Guardian thinks appropriate, any information he thinks appropriate about the discharge of his functions"
The noble Baroness said: Amendment No. 104 and those grouped with it cover the functions of the Public Guardian and the vital importance of ensuring his accountability. I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, for his continued attention to this matter and for the time that he has spent with me and representatives from the Office of the Public Guardian to talk us through those issues.
Amendment No. 104 is in response to the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Barker. The Public Guardian will provide information about the discharge of his functions. It was not included originally because we took it for granted that the Public Guardian would provide information, for example, on how to make a lasting power of attorney. I accept what the noble Baroness said in Committee; namely, that providing information will be important in order to let people know that the Public Guardian is there to act as a focal point on incapacity issues.
Government Amendment No. 106, in this group, is in response to an amendment tabled in Committee by the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, and tabled today as Amendment No. 106B. The Public Guardian is to produce annual reports and the Lord Chancellor is to lay them before Parliament. The existing Public Guardianship Office already does that, but we are very happy to put it in the Bill in order to ensure continuing accountability.
It is not necessary for the Lord Chancellor to report on how well the Public Guardian discharges his function because that will necessarily form part of the Public Guardian's report. The Public Guardian will have to report against performance targets that will have been agreed with the Lord Chancellor and with its non-executive board. I beg to move.
Lord Kingsland: My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Baroness for her generous remarks about my

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amendments. The noble Baroness will recall that we had an extensive debate on those issues in Committee with—dare I say—a productive result. The noble Baroness has not only tabled one amendment which reflects exactly a concern that I had, but is also contemplating, in the light of the debate today, tabling a further amendment at Third Reading. In those circumstances, there is no need for me to repeat all of the arguments that were deployed at that stage. I need simply to comment on those of my amendments that appear in this group.
I accept entirely the need for Amendment No. 104 and I am very pleased that the noble Baroness has felt able to table it. Amendment No. 105B was tabled by me to ensure that the detailed regulations for the functioning and the supervision of the Office of the Public Guardian saw the light of day before they finally became etched in glass. I am satisfied, however, that other regulation-making powers in the Bill will meet that concern. For those reasons I see no reason to retable that amendment at Third Reading, and I shall not move it when the moment comes.
Amendment No. 105C, which I shall also not move, raises a very important general issue about the operation of the Office of the Public Guardian. As those of your Lordships who attended the Committee debate are perhaps aware, the previous public guardianship regime has been through—to put it mildly—a fairly testing time. The reasons for this are complex; but one of the ingredients was the failure to institute proper financial control systems. I am pleased to say that that problem has now been largely resolved and that, in future, we can look forward to an organisation which has proper financial procedures at its disposal.
My reason for suggesting that the Public Guardian ought to be fixed with the responsibility of a trustee in law was based on what I think is described in the legislation as the Public Guardian's "responsibilities of last resort". It is increasingly the case that the Public Guardian delegates to deputies the responsibility for distributing resources to clients. However, there has always been an irreducible minimum of clients who have remained the direct responsibility of the Public Guardian Office. It was to those clients that I felt the duty of trusteeship ought to be owed.
It was my understanding from our debate in Committee that it is the intention of the legislation to remove this category altogether; so that, in future, all deputy functions will be carried out by deputies who are entirely separate from the Office of the Public Guardian. The Office of the Public Guardian will become, for all intents and purposes, a supervisory authority. In those circumstances, it is clearly superfluous to bind the Public Guardian with the duty of trusteeship and therefore I shall withdraw that amendment.
The closest analogy one can make in law to the position of a deputy is that of an agent. I was concerned that this was not sufficiently demanding; but, through certain helpful interventions in Committee, the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton, assured me that, in the
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subsequent regulatory process, the rules about ensuring that the deputies meet their responsibilities properly will be carefully thought through and subsequently made. Noble Lords will have a chance to look at those and, if necessary, pray against them. I believe that that gives your Lordships' House sufficient control.
One of the most telling criticisms of the ombudsman in the case of Miss Laurence, which we discussed at some length in Committee, was the danger of the Public Guardian looking at each client as if their needs were in some way indistinguishable. I have forgotten the exact expression used, but it was something along the lines of, "One cap fits all". However, I am satisfied from what the noble Baronesses, Lady Ashton and Lady Andrews, said in Committee—and from a very helpful subsequent meeting—that the department is absolutely determined to ensure that, through the deputy system and through the system of visitors who will be, essentially, the grass-roots monitors of what is happening, each individual client will be given proper, tailor-made consideration. I repeat that this is a matter which can be dealt with by regulation and therefore for all those reasons I do not need to press Amendment No. 105C.
Finally, the noble Baroness has very helpfully tabled Amendment No. 106, which in substance mirrors a similar amendment I tabled in Committee and which I have tabled again at this stage, not having seen the amendment of the noble Baroness. However, having now seen it, I am perfectly content to withdraw mine.
5.45 p.m.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I thank the Minister for the amendments that she has tabled in response to the points that were made in Committee. I welcome in particular Amendment No. 104.
As I said a few moments ago, I was privileged to take part in a meeting the other week with a representative of the OPG and some front-line information and advice workers. We concluded during that meeting that if one is a regular and avid listener to "Money Box" on Radio 4, the chances are that one will understand what the Office of the Public Guardian is; if one is not, one will not. My own performance target for the OPG is that it regularly turns up in women's magazines and the like, and it becomes an office which people know about and understand long before they have to have any recourse to its services.
I am wholly convinced that, for the office to do that, the job cannot be done by the OPG alone. It has to work with all sorts of organisations, statutory and voluntary, to begin the whole process of ensuring that, at least among front-line care workers, there is an understanding of what it is about, if not in the public's consciousness.
The amendment is welcome, but in order for people really to understand what the OPG is about, there is a huge job to be undertaken. I hope that Government do not underestimate that. Nor should they underestimate the resources of time, apart from anything else, that it will take to do that. But this is a very welcome first step, and I look forward with great interest to the annual reports

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that will come back to us. I shall spend many happy hours looking at them to see to what extent the office becomes more than just a technical entity known only to a select few, as it is at the moment.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, for his comments. He was absolutely right in everything that he said with reference to Amendment No. 105C and in his analysis of the role of the Public Guardian and the future role of the Office of the Public Guardian. 1 am grateful to him also for withdrawing his proposed new clause in favour of mine.
I agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, that the test of whether the office works is in its execution. To that end, an implementation team has been working on the Bill for some time and beginning to think about all the different aspects of how we implement it, not least all the different stakeholders and groups who need to know and understand better what the Bill means; what the information means; what the sharing of information means; and how best to support the most vulnerable people that we have identified.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendments Nos. 105 to 105C not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 106:
After Clause 56, insert the following new clause—
"ANNUAL REPORT

(1) The Public Guardian must make an annual report to the Lord Chancellor about the discharge of his functions.

(2) The Lord Chancellor must, within one month of receiving the report, lay a copy of it before Parliament."

Lord Kingsland: My Lords—
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendment No. 106A not moved.]
Lord Kingslandmoved Amendment No. 106B:
After Clause 57, insert the following new clause—
"THE BOARD OF PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP SUPERVISION
(1) For the purposes of this Act, there is to be a non-executive board known as the Board of Public Guardianship Supervision.
(2) The Board is to be appointed by the Lord Chancellor.
(3) The Board is to consist of no less than nine members.
(4) The Board must consist of at least two—

(a) registered medical practitioners; and

(b) certified or chartered accountants.

(5) It is the duty of the Board to supervise the Public Guardian in—

(a) the exercise of his functions with regard to this Act; and

(b) on any matter relating to or arising out of the exercise of those functions.

(6) The Public Guardian must make monthly reports to the Board on matters which the Board thinks are relevant and must provide them with such other information as they may reasonably require.
(7) The Board must prepare an annual report on its activities and that report must be included in the annual report of the Lord Chancellor to Parliament."
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The noble Lord said: My Lords, I apologise for my premature intervention. I am still living in the world of last week's ping-pong, where Amendment No. 106A would be an amendment to Amendment No. 106 and therefore taken before it. I had forgotten that we were back to our normal procedures.
Amendment No. 106B has been the subject of discussions between the Minister and myself between Committee and Report, and I think the Government are very close to formulating an amendment of their own which I earnestly hope will appear at Third Reading.
The logic behind introducing a board of non-executive experts between the Lord Chancellor on the one hand and the Public Guardian on the other flows from the manner in which the Public Guardian has been supervised over the past six or seven years.
I am the first to admire the way in which the two most recent Lord Chancellors have carried out their political and judicial duties, but I have on occasion concluded that the management of the Office of the Public Guardian did not feature particularly prominently in their concerns. I know that the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton of Upholland, has made it her task, since she took office, to pay a great deal of attention to how the new system is being formulated, and I pay tribute to her for doing that. Nevertheless, I have concluded that there is too stark a difference, or too big a gulf between the Lord Chancellor and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary or Minister of State in the Lord Chancellor's office, on the one hand, and the Public Guardian on the other. I believe that there needs to be an intermediate body which can help to bring those who are politically responsible for the operation of the office in touch with what is going on at the grass roots. That is the thinking behind the proposal of a board.
I readily accept the observations of the noble Baronesses, Lady Ashton of Upholland and Lady Andrews, that I have been over-prescriptive in setting out the qualifications for being a member of the board. I am extremely happy to adopt a much looser formulation to give wider discretion to the Lord Chancellor in selecting its membership. I also recognise that the word "supervision" might pose problems in connection with the Lord Chancellor's overall political responsibility for the operation of the Public Guardian. I am hoping that at Third Reading we can all swarm around the expression "scrutinise", which would provide sufficient powers to the board but at the same time not compromise the political responsibility.
There are other matters of detail in the amendment which I trust will be resolved between now and Third Reading, in a week's time. But I am in no doubt that a board of this sort is needed, and I am reasonably confident that the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton, has also come to that conclusion and that it is just a matter of establishing the details. If we can get that into place, with the other amendments that the Government have tabled, we have a real chance of providing at the beginning of the 21st century a fine system which will

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give these extremely vulnerable people, who are its subject, the care and sensitive attention that they deserve. I beg to move.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I shall just anticipate the Minister's answer. On the basis that the Government are to propose a revised version of what I believe is an excellent suggestion from the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, I shall make two points.
The noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, seeks to have practitioners influence the OPG in a more formal way, which is extremely important.
I would make a plea that, however the board is constituted—and I accept that it will be done by regulation; it will not be on the face of the Bill—there should be within it a place for representatives of carers, because they are the ones who work these things out on a daily basis.
Secondly, I admire the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, regarding rigour and the need for monthly reports. In the sorts of cases we are dealing with—which, after all, frequently involve lawyers—the pace of change may be somewhat slower. I rather think that one could have constructive, useful and sensible reporting on a quarterly basis.
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, although I have not been able to be here all afternoon, I have specifically come back to support the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, on this amendment. This stems from my own personal experience as a member of a non-departmental public body—and, indeed, a non-ministerial department—the Food Standards Agency, and CAFCASS, but it is to CAFCASS that I particularly want to refer.
I support the noble Baroness's comments on the importance of ensuring that we have on the board people who understand what it is about. The great difficulty that was experienced by CAFCASS—we now call ourselves New CAFCASS to distinguish ourselves—was that many people there did not understand the nature of the work.
The point of principle I wanted to make was that I think that a body such as this would give accountability to the office. We have some offices where I find that accountability is not clear. One thing a board will do is ask the specific and pointed questions. One hopes that it will represent a range of interests that will meet the requirements of those whom the office of the registrar is attempting to serve.
I simply wanted to support the amendment. On the board's constitution, I hope that the lessons of the past are learned.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, wants a board and so do I. The prevailing events of the past week have prevented us reaching the final wording, but I suspect that, given another half hour, we would be there. Hence, an amendment has not been laid properly before your Lordships' House; but I shall indeed table one at Third
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Reading. The amendment belongs to the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, although I shall lay it. It is to his credit that we are at this point.
On membership, I agree about the practitioner role. I agree that we need to look carefully at timescales. It is always my wont not to put too much on the face of the Bill because, as times change, we may want to jiggle the membership or the timescales. What matters is that it is a board that we feel will do a good piece of solid work for us and achieve the ambition that the noble Lord, Lord Kingsland, has for it.
So, on the basis that the noble Lord will withdraw this amendment, I will bring forward at the end a provision that will be agreeable to all of us.
Lord Kingsland: My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Baroness. In those circumstances, of course, I am very happy to beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 107:
After Clause 59, insert the following new clause—
"PROTECTIVE CARE FOR CERTAIN PERSONS LACKING MENTAL CAPACITY
(1) The appropriate authority may make regulations authorising the detention, in prescribed circumstances, of prescribed descriptions of persons who lack capacity, for the purpose of providing them with treatment or care which is determined, in accordance with the regulations, to be in their best interests.
(2) A person who is detained in accordance with the regulations is, for the purposes of this section, in protective care.
(3) The regulations may, in particular, include provision—

(a) as to the premises in which protective care may be provided;

(b) requiring prescribed conditions to be complied with in relation to the provision of protective care;

(c) as to safeguards to be provided for, or in relation to, persons in protective care;

(d) for a person's protective care to be reviewed at prescribed intervals or in prescribed circumstances;

(e) as to the circumstances in which a person's protective care must, and those in which it may, be referred, to a prescribed court (or tribunal) for a decision as to whether it should continue;

(f) as to the circumstances in which a person is to be discharged from protective care;

(g) as to the persons by whom powers conferred by the regulations may be exercised;

(h) as to rights of persons in protective care to appeal to such court (or tribunal) as may be prescribed;

(i) as to the powers and functions of a court (or tribunal) to which a reference or appeal is made.

(4) The regulations may also—

(a) include provision similar to that made by section 139 of the Mental Health Act (protection for acts done in pursuance of that Act);

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(b) provide for any provision of this Act not to apply for the purposes of the regulations or to apply with prescribed modifications.

(5) "Appropriate authority" means—

(a) in relation to the provision of protective care in Wales, the National Assembly for Wales;

(b) in any other case, the Secretary of State.

(6) "Detention" includes any deprivation of liberty within the meaning of Article 5(1) of the Human Rights Convention."
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I am moving Amendment No. 107 in slightly odd circumstances. This was the amendment that I tabled to introduce a new Bournewood regulation-making power. As noble Lords will know, a number of noble Lords spoke in Committee, and indeed on Second Reading, about the issue of the Bournewood judgment and the need for us to move at some speed to try to resolve it. As noble Lords will also know, I made it clear in your Lordships' House that it was very important that the process was done properly. That meant a serious consultation to ensure that we dealt with the issue appropriately.
The Select Committee on Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform has been extremely helpful. I am extremely grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Dahrendorf, for his formal advice as well as for the formal work that the committee has done on this. We produced a very wide regulation-making power, but the committee, in its wisdom, has said that it is not an appropriate delegation. I completely understand why it reached that view. Since the regulations need to await the outcome of the full consultation, they are unusually wide powers.
6 p.m.
The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee is concerned that the powers have little in the way of limitations; that it is inappropriate to use secondary legislation in relation to powers to deprive someone of his liberty, especially when equivalent powers under the Mental Health Act are in primary legislation; and that there are likely to be a significant number of policy issues that warrant full scrutiny and amendment via primary legislation.
However, I wanted to move the amendment to enable us to have a short debate about what will now happen and to try to assure noble Lords of the Government's good intentions in this area. We wish to resolve the matter. I am very keen to hear how noble Lords feel about this measure. However, as I have already indicated, I respect the comments of the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee and I shall withdraw the amendment. I beg to move.
Lord Carter: My Lords, I have tabled Amendment No. 107A. It is extremely detailed and I am quite sure that my noble friend the Minister has a speaking note which says that it is much too prescriptive, is probably unworkable and that it needs some redrafting. However, one thing that my noble friend will not be able to say is that the amendment is unnecessary on the ground that there is a Bournewood gap and a solution
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has to be found. I hope that when my noble friend responds to this debate she will be able to tell us how and when the Government will fill that gap.
As regards government Amendment No. 107, I believe I suggested at Second Reading that we should see whether it was possible to draft a new clause which would put all the criteria on the face of the Bill and leave it to regulation to deal with the detail given problems regarding the time for consultation and so on. However, as my noble friend said, the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee did not consider that that was appropriate.
Amendment No. 107A brings together important safeguards for people who lack capacity and receive serious medical treatment or care and/or who are effectively detained for such treatment or care.
Those who lack capacity often accept what others require them to do because they lack the ability to understand or to choose alternatives. I believe that these are known as compliant incapacitated patients. That is why safeguards are so important.
Treatment safeguards already extend to patients lacking mental capacity under the Mental Health Act and there is a belief that similar safeguards should be repeated in legislation which deals with mental capacity.
The amendment specifies four points that the Government have already said they wish to consult on. These are, first, the procedure for validating detention; secondly, the procedure for independent review; thirdly, representation; and, fourthly, a legal forum to test the legality of the detention.
The amendments set out to achieve two things. First, the qualification of acts of restraint in the patient's best interests, so that those acts cannot be transformed into full-scale detention (by means of repeated or prolonged restrictions on liberty and the like), or be used to justify wholesale changes in the circumstances of a patient (such as admission to hospital or a care home, or the provision of certain medical treatments). Secondly, they seek to achieve a scheme of safeguards that meet the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights. I am sure that my noble friend will wish to comment on the problem which faces the Government with regard to the convention.
Such a scheme of safeguards should include an admission check-list concerning the capacity of the patient. Are they incapable of indicating their own view on their admission? If a decision is taken to admit them for care or treatment on a "voluntary" basis—that is, not under the compulsory powers of the Mental Health Act 1983—a number of conditions should then apply. I suggest that admission procedures should specify the following. For example, who can propose admission and for what reasons and on the basis of what kind of medical and other assessments and conclusions? There should be consultation with the patient's representative within 72 hours of the decision to admit. There should be continuing clinical assessment or review of the care plan and persistence of a condition or disorder requiring the detention

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conditions. I suggest that a first care plan should be completed within 28 days of admission, with a review at 28 days thereafter, and from then on, reviews at six monthly intervals.
Further, there should be a legal forum to review the legality of detention in accordance with Article 5(4) of the convention, and taking full account of Article 6 rights as to a fair trial of the issue. There should be a means of ensuring that the person concerned or their representative is provided with access to a legal adviser able to bring proceedings in any relevant court or forum within two days of notice of a challenge to the detention.
Various clauses in the Bill give statutory force to an existing common law power to permit the use of restraint, including the use or threat of force and restriction of liberty, where necessary as a proportionate response to the likelihood of the patient suffering harm; which is the principle of necessity. In so doing, the clauses are extending the principle to restrictions that could go much further than the current common law allows. Where the conditions of detention are thereby created, use of such provisions could put carers, the donees of lasting powers of attorney, and deputies appointed by the court in breach of the European Convention. A further case decided by the Court of Appeal in December 2004, after the Bournewood case, MH v the Secretary of State for Health, further strengthened the requirement for such safeguards and for the availability of legal representation for a review of the legality of conditions of detention.
That is a brief résumé of a complicated subject. I understand the problems faced by the Government, and I sympathise with them. We have discussed it at length, both in this forum and also in the Joint Committee on the draft Mental Health Bill, on which I also served. There is a problem of resources. The number of people who would be affected is still unclear. I am sure that the drafting that the Government wish to do will be affected by their best calculation of the numbers involved. There is a principle here, involved with the detention of compliant, incapacitated patients and their rights to liberty. That must be dealt with as a matter of principle. If there is a problem of principle, whether it is 20 people, 20,000 people, or 200,000 people, it must be dealt with. We must get the principle right in such an important matter as detention and the removal of liberties.
If it is not possible to amend the Bill, there has been talk of the use of a future Mental Health Bill. My experience on the Joint Committee on the draft Mental Health Bill indicates that the 2006–07 Session is the earliest in which we are likely to see it, and even then it will have to find its place in the usual clamour for parliamentary space. Perhaps the other way to do it, and I am sure that this is in the mind of the Government, is free-standing legislation some time later this year if time can be found.
I sympathise with the Government's dilemma. This is not the only area of policy where principles conflict with resources. I have tabled the amendment—and I
1548
shall listen with interest to what my noble friend says—precisely to allow my noble friend the Minister to tell the House how and when the Government propose to close the Bournewood gap.
Earl Howe: My Lords, there is no doubt that the amendments place the House in considerable difficulty. The Government are to be warmly commended for having responded to the concerns raised by many noble Lords on Second Reading and in Committee about the absence in the Bill of any provisions designed to address the issues raised in the Bournewood judgment. As the Minister explained, the amendments before us represent the Government's response to those concerns. Nothing would give me more pleasure at this stage in our proceedings than to give the amendments the green light, but I respectfully agree with the Minister that it would be wrong for us to do that.
The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee has reported on the amendments in categorically negative terms. It pointed out that the proposed clause contains little by way of limitation in the Bill. It describes it as little more than a skeleton power. The seriousness of the matter at issue makes that an observation to which we should pay particular heed.
The report goes on to say:
"Detention of someone who has committed no offence is a difficult and serious issue requiring the closest scrutiny … we do not consider it appropriate for subordinate legislation alone to determine the whole range of issues covered by the proposed clause … It is our view that as far as the appropriateness of the delegation of power is concerned, the new clause 'Protective care for certain persons lacking mental capacity' is not an appropriate delegation".
I do not see how the House can reasonably disregard such an unequivocal opinion from your Lordships' committee, so I have come to the conclusion—albeit most reluctantly—that we should ask the Minister to withdraw the amendments, while at the same time urging her to use her best endeavours to make sure that appropriate primary legislation addressing the issues in Bournewood is brought before Parliament at the earliest possible opportunity.
I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Carter, on his brave attempt to address the issues in Amendment No. 107A. Impressive as it looks, I am not sufficiently expert to assess its merits in the round, so we should defer to the Minister in that regard and await the observations that she is about to make on it.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I do not wish to prolong the debate at this hour. I agree strongly with the noble Lord, Lord Carter, that the issue is desperate for a solution within a short space of time. Much in the Government's amendment is to be commended. I found myself reading it again the other night and thinking back to an argument that has raged ever since I have been in this House about "may". I wondered whether the Government might not have done themselves a favour to have used "must", particularly in relation to proposed new subsection (3).

1549
That subsection sets out a list of issues—many of which are mirrored in the amendment tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Carter—which will have to be addressed to meet Bournewood. The Government do not have an option on that. Whether or not the Government miraculously manage to address the issue in this Bill or not, it is clear from the mental health committee's work that it will have to be addressed. The noble Lord will not be surprised if I say that I would be fairly astonished if mental health legislation came in even within the dates that he mentioned. To be fair, I think that he would be astonished as well, as both he and I have had the privilege of seeing the report of the committee because we are both members of it.
I agree with the noble Earl that the comments of the Delegated Powers Committee cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, there is an urgency to the matter. The report of the Joint Committee on mental health will be available very shortly. As soon as it is, perhaps the Government ought to seize the opportunity to follow the advice of the noble Lord, Lord Carter, and to undertake to bring in a piece of stand-alone primary legislation that will address what is an undeniably serious problem. We are talking about the deprivation of liberty of incapacitated people with no means or ineffective means of redress.
Although there is much to commend the noble Baroness's amendment—it is more of a kite than an amendment—I agree with comments made around the House.
Baroness Howarth of Breckland: My Lords, I know that the House is anxious to get on, but I want to add my voice to those who are disappointed that the amendment is not going forward. Not being a procedural expert, I am always totally impressed when the noble Earl tells us that it is not possible for an amendment to do so. We do not want other incidents like Bournewood to happen. We need something in place that gives guidance. I would like to press the Minister for some idea on when and how that might be brought forward.
6.15 p.m.
Baroness Ashton of Upholland: My Lords, I am grateful for the kite-flying expedition. I feel that it has been worth the process, so I have to pay tribute to the officials and parliamentary counsel who drafted this. It was a huge piece of work, because it is so broad. In a sense, its purpose was to resolve the matter by secondary legislation. The procedure is that the Government do not go against the Delegated Powers Committee—the House can choose to, if it wished, but it is clear that the House does not.
It was also important to demonstrate commitment. What we have been searching for between the Department for Constitutional Affairs and, particularly, the Department of Health, who have responsibility in this area, is the best legislative route to deal with this issue. Again, I pay tribute to the officials who worked incredibly hard, under impossible timetables from me, to make this happen.
1550
The consultation, which is the critical element of this, will be launched before the Easter Recess, which gives noble Lords a fair time. It is imminent, but not today. That will happen and it will be a good and important first step.
I can tell my noble friend Lord Carter that it is not so much a question of the principles conflicting with the resources, as being uncertain at present about the scope and resources implied within the judgment. We want to use the consultation to find out more about the actual position on numbers and resources, because it is important to get this right. In a sense, that has been the difficulty. It was an important judgment and we must ensure that we deal with it properly and effectively, therefore we have to go through a process.
I know that the Department of Health listened carefully when my noble friend Lord Carter has spoken before about the possibility of a stand-alone piece of legislation, and I know that that is being actively considered. There might also be the opportunity to add it to what I would call a "passing health Bill", although I do not refer to any particular Bill.
So there is no desire to delay. Consultation will be announced within the next week. When the consultation is finished, we will find the right vehicle as quickly as we possibly can. I hope that noble Lords feel that we were right to try to do something within the Bill, because that was the message that I very much took away from Second Reading, and that was the message that I conveyed to officials.
My noble friend will forgive me for not going through what is wrong with his amendment. Yes, he is right, everything is wrong with it except that it is not unnecessary—it is necessary, but it is not the right amendment. I am grateful to my noble friend for dealing with it.
I should say that I have to withdraw some other amendments alongside this and move others. There will now be a bit of interesting and nifty footwork, which will demonstrate whether or not I and my noble friend Lady Andrews are still awake. Please bear with us, because it will make sense: it is to withdraw the amendments that went with the main Bournewood amendment and replace them with other amendments that do not have that regulation-making power within. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
[Amendment No. 107A not moved.]
Schedule 3 [Cancellation of registration]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 108:
Page 45, line 38, leave out paragraph 7.
On Question, amendment agreed to.

1551
Clause 60 [Interpretation]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 109 and 110:
Page 33, line 28, at end insert—
""the Human Rights Convention" has the same meaning as "the Convention" in the Human Rights Act 1998 (c. 42),"
Page 33, line 29, leave out "consultee" and insert "mental capacity advocate"
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 111:
Page 33, line 40, at end insert—
""prescribed", in relation to regulations made under this Act, means prescribed by those regulations,"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, in response to concerns raised with us in Committee, by the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, and the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, and by the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee in its report, published on the 20 January 2005, I undertook to make regulations made under paragraph 33(1)(b) of' Schedule 3 subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.
These regulations provide us with flexibility, allowing us to amend the Bill in the light of developments with the Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults, once the convention has come into force.
Amendments Nos. 114 and 116 were tabled to make this change and to make regulations about transitional provisions for research projects and regulations responding to the Bournewood judgment, subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. In addition, they change the reference to "independent consultee" to "independent mental capacity advocate" following earlier amendments today.
I have already indicated that I will not move Amendments Nos. 114 and 116. Amendments Nos. 114A and 116A will replace these. They fulfil the commitments I made about the other regulation-making powers I have just mentioned, but do not refer to "protective care".
I would now like to turn to Amendments Nos. 111 and 115. Amendment No. 111 simply defines the use of the word "prescribed" in the Bill. We have used this term in relation to several regulation-making powers in the Bill, and the amendment clarifies that "prescribed" means in relation to the regulation-making powers in the Bill rather than prescribed by any other procedure.
Amendment No. 115 will make any Order in Council subject to the negative resolution procedure. An Order in Council can confer on the Lord Chancellor, the court or another public authority, authority for enabling the Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults to be given effect in England and Wales.
The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee thought that this power was already subject to the negative resolution procedure. The committee has confirmed that it considers the negative resolution procedure to be the appropriate level of scrutiny to apply
1552
here. We have ensured that the negative resolution procedure applies in line with the views of the committee. I beg to move.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 112:
Page 34, line 2, at end insert—
""public authority" has the same meaning as in the Human Rights Act 1998 (c. 42)."
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendment No. 113 not moved.]
Clause 61 [Rules, regulations and orders]:
[Amendment No. 114 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 114A and 115:
Page 34, line 27, leave out from "than" to "is" in line 29 and insert"—

(a) regulations under section (Loss of capacity daring research project) (loss of capacity during research project),

(b) regulations under section 39 (adjusting role of independent mental capacity advocacy service),

(c) regulations under paragraph 33(1)(b) of Schedule 3 (private international law relating to the protection of adults),

(d) an order of the kind mentioned in section 63(6) (consequential amendments of primary legislation), or

(e) an order under section 64 (commencement),

Page 34, line 30, at end insert—
"( ) A statutory instrument containing an Order in Council under paragraph 32 of Schedule 3 (provision to give further effect to Hague Convention) is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament."
On Question, amendments agreed to.
[Amendment No. 116 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 116A:
Page 34, line 32, leave out "section 39" and insert "section (Loss of capacity during research project) or 39 or by the Lord Chancellor under paragraph 33(1)(b) of Schedule 3"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 62 [Existing receivers and enduring powers of attorney etc.]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 117 and 118:
Page 34, line 39, leave out "this Act" and insert "subsection (1)(b)"
Page 34, line 41, leave out "this Act" and insert "subsection (1)(b)"
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Clause 63 [Minor and consequential amendments and repeals]:
[Amendment No. 119 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendments Nos. 120 and 121:
Page 35, line 12, after first "Act" insert "or Measure".

1553
Page 35, line 15, at end insert "or Measure"
On Question, amendments agreed to.
Schedule 6 [Minor and consequential amendments]:
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 122:
Page 73, line 31, leave out "Seeking advice from independent consultee" and insert "Instructing independent mental capacity advocate"
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendments Nos. 123 and 124 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 125:
Page 77, line 37, at end insert—
"Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986 (No. 1)
(1) The Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986 (No. 3) is amended as follows.
(2) In section 5 (rights of patronage exercisable otherwise than by registered patron), after subsection (3) insert—
"(3A) The reference in subsection (3) to a power of attorney does not include an enduring power of attorney or lasting power of attorney (within the meaning of the Mental Capacity Act 2005)."
(3) In section 9 (information to be sent to designated officer when benefice becomes vacant), after subsection (5) insert—
"(5A) Subsections (5B) and (5C) apply where the functions of a registered patron are, as a result of paragraph 10 of Schedule 2 to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (patron's loss of capacity to discharge functions), to be discharged by an individual appointed by the Court of Protection.
(5B) If the individual is a clerk in Holy Orders, subsection (5) applies to him as it applies to the registered patron.
1554
(5C) if the individual is not a clerk in Holy Orders, subsection (1) (other than paragraph (b)) applies to him as it applies to the registered patron.""
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Clause 64 [commencement and extent]:
[Amendment No. 126 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 126A:
Page 35, line 19, after "Act" insert", other than sections 30 to 39,
On Question, amendment agreed to.
[Amendment No. 127 not moved.]
Baroness Ashton of Uphollandmoved Amendment No. 128:
Page 35, line 20, at end insert—
"( ) Sections 30 to 39 come into force in accordance with provision made by order by—

(a) the Secretary of State, in relation to England, and

(b) the National Assembly for Wales, in relation to Wales."

On Question, amendment agreed to.

Constitutional Reform Bill [H.L.]
Bill returned from the Commons with the Lords disagreement to certain Common amendments not insisted on but with amendments proposed in lieu thereof and with consequential amendments; it was ordered that the Commons amendments be printed.
House adjourned at twenty-three minutes past six o'clock.

  Northern Ireland: Ards and Down Area Plan
  Northern Ireland: Ards and Down Area Plan
  British-Irish Council
  British-Irish Council
  Northern Ireland: Agriculture and Fisheries
  Northern Ireland: Agriculture and Fisheries
  Irish Republican Army Council
  Irish Republican Army Council
  Law Officers' Advice: Distribution to Cabinet
  Law Officers' Advice: Distribution to Cabinet
  Police Service of Northern Ireland: Gender Action Plan
  Police Service of Northern Ireland: Gender Action Plan
  Northern Ireland Civil Service
  Northern Ireland Civil Service
  Northern Ireland: Sudden Infant Deaths
  Northern Ireland: Sudden Infant Deaths
  Waterways Ireland
  Waterways Ireland
  Northern Ireland: Government Property
  Northern Ireland: Government Property
  British Citizenship
  British Citizenship
  Iraq: Civilian Casualties
  Iraq: Civilian Casualties
  Overseas Corruption
  Overseas Corruption
  Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Intercept Material
  Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001: Intercept Material
  Firearm Incidents
  Firearm Incidents
  Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
  Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
  Blasphemy
  Blasphemy
  Prisons: Female Remand Population
  Prisons: Female Remand Population
  Police Commanders: Political Statements Guidance
  Police Commanders: Political Statements Guidance
  National Offender Management Service
  National Offender Management Service
  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  NHS: Audit Arrangements
  NHS: Audit Arrangements
  Road Bridges
  Road Bridges
  Left-hand Drive Coaches
  Left-hand Drive Coaches
  A303: Stonehenge
  A303: Stonehenge
  Ministers of the Crown: Financial Interests
  Ministers of the Crown: Financial Interests

  Offshore Patrol Vessel
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
  My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  I am pleased to announce that the Ministry of Defence has approved the award of a contract with VT Maritime Affairs Ltd for the charter and logistic support of a new 1,854 tonne patrol vessel for use in the Falkland Islands.

  The new ship will be a modification of the highly-successful River class ships, also chartered from VT, currently employed for fishery protection. Like them, the new patrol vessel will also follow an innovative public/private partnership arrangement for the provision of maritime capability. While manned by the Royal Navy, the department will pay a set monthly fee for the provision of the ship and a guaranteed level of availability, with an incentivised payment structure to ensure that any shortfalls are dealt with promptly and effectively.

  The vessel will thus provide a significant increase in availability compared with the old, and increasingly difficult to maintain, Castle class ships that have provided the Falkland Islands patrol capability for the past two decades.

  It is planned that the ship will enter service in 2007, and be chartered for an initial period up to 2012. Over this period, she will generate in excess of £2 million savings compared with continuing to run the old ships, while providing at least as good an overall capability at a much lower level of risk.

  Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  The Government's response to the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering report Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: Opportunities and Uncertainties, has been published today.

  The report was commissioned by Lord Sainsbury in June 2003 to, summarise current scientific knowledge on nanotechnology, identify applications of nanotechnology, both current and potential, with indications of when they might be developed, identify what environmental, health and safety, ethical and societal implications or uncertainties may arise from the use of the technology, both now and in the future and identify areas where additional regulation should
  WS 2
  be considered. The report was published in July 2004 and has 21 recommendations to government.

  Our response sets out the Government's agenda on nanotechnologies to ensure that the Government have clear policies and regulation, informed by good research, in place to ensure the responsible development of nanotechnologies in the UK.

  The response includes:

  A review of current safety regulations to make sure that safeguards for workers' health and the environment are robust;

  A new cross-government group to co-ordinate all aspects of research into nanoscience to underpin safety assessments;

  A consultation with industry and the EU on how companies could disclose their safety testing methods and label consumer products; and

  The Government will facilitate a dialogue with the science community and the public to explore both aspirations and concerns around the development of nanotechnologies.

  Our programme will be reviewed by the Council for Science and Technology after two and five years (i.e. 2007, 2010).

  The Prime Minister, the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology and the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology will be sent copies of this report, and I have placed copies in the Libraries of both Houses. An electronic version of the report has been placed on the Office of Science and Technology website at www.ost.gov.uk/ policy/issues/index.htm.

  Low Pay Commission
  Lord Sainsbury of Turville
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  Last summer the Government asked the Low Pay Commission to produce its next report on the national minimum wage by the end of February 2005. We asked the commission to monitor and evaluate the impact of the minimum wage and make recommendations on the need for any change.

  The Government arc today publishing the commission's 2005 report and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chair of the commission, Adair Turner, and its other members for their work on this very important issue.

  The main recommendations put forward by the commission concern the rates of the minimum wage.

  The commission has first recommended increasing the adult rate of the minimum wage from the present £4.85 to £5.05 in October 2005, and to £5.35 in October 2006, subject to confirmation by the commission in February 2006, to check that the macroeconomic conditions continue to make it appropriate, and in light of the implementation of forthcoming age discrimination legislation.
  WS 3
  The final key commission recommendation is that we should introduce interest charges on arrears of underpayment of the minimum wage and impose financial penalties for seriously non-compliant employers. The great majority of employers are either compliant or pay minimum wage arrears without the need for any formal enforcement action. However, the Government understand the underlying point that the commission makes about the need to tackle seriously non-compliant employers more effectively. We are already considering a number of options for improving enforcement and intend to make a Statement on this in early summer. We will consider the point about interest charges in this context.

  I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that the Government have decided not to pursue employers where workers are paid below the minimum wage in some pay periods, but above the minimum wage overall. Such action will enable us to concentrate our resources on employers deliberately seeking to pay workers below the minimum wage.

  I have placed copies of this Statement, the report from the Low Pay Commission, the Government's individual response to the commission's recommendations and our draft regulatory impact assessment in the House Libraries.

  Equalities Review
  Lord Sainsbury of Turville
  My right honourable friend the Deputy Minister for Women and Equality (Jacqui Smith) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  The Minister for the Cabinet Office (the Member for South Shields) and I are today announcing a review of the persistent social, economic and cultural factors that combine to deny individuals the opportunity to make the best of their abilities and contribute to society fully.

  The Equalities Review, which will report to the Prime Minister by the summer of 2006, will look at barriers to opportunity and will make practical recommendations on key policy priorities for the Government and public sector, employers and trades unions, civic society and the voluntary sector. Its findings will inform the modernisation of equality legislation and the development of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR).

  In the Queen's Speech, the Government announced that they intend to bring forward a Bill to establish the CEHR as soon as parliamentary time allows. The CEHR will bring together existing expertise from the current equality commissions on gender, disability and race and make provision for the new equality strands on sexual orientation, religion and belief and age, as well as promoting human rights. The Bill will also introduce provisions to outlaw discrimination on grounds of religion or belief in the provision of goods, facilities, services and public functions; and a general framework to introduce a duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity between women and
  WS 4
  men and prohibit sex discrimination in the exercise of public functions.

  It is widely recognised that in many cases the root causes of disadvantage go beyond discrimination and cannot therefore be rectified by anti-discrimination legislation alone. Earlier consultation on the CEHR also demonstrated considerable support for modernising equality legislation and creating a simpler, fairer, legal framework.

  In response to this and in conjunction with the equalities review, the Government will also now begin a review of discrimination legislation. led by the Department of Trade and Industry, which will benefit from the background and analysis that will be provided by the equalities review. This will assess how the equality legislative framework can be modernised to fit the needs of Britain in the 21st century. Specifically, proposals will aim to minimise the burdens on business and on public services while leading to demonstrably better outcomes for minority groups. This work will be the foundation for the development of a clearer and more streamlined legislative framework.

  The Prime Minister has asked Trevor Phillips to chair the equalities review in a personal capacity. He will be joined by a small panel of leaders from the fields of business, the public sector and the social policy arena. The review panel will draw advice from a reference group co-chaired by Bert Massie (chair, Disability Rights Commission) and Julie Mellor (chair, Equal Opportunities Commission) whose members will include key equality, human rights, business and trade union stakeholders and other experts. The equalities review will be supported by a Secretariat based in the Cabinet Office and will be overseen jointly by DTI and Cabinet Office Ministers.

  Work and Families
  Lord Sainsbury of Turville
  My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  I am today publishing a consultation document Work and families: choice and flexibility. Through the consultation, we are seeking views on the details of commitments set out by my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2004 Pre-Budget Report. These commitments will help us to deliver the Government's vision for families: to ensure that all children have the best start in life, respond to changing patterns of employment and give parents more choice about how to balance their work and family responsibilities.

  The Government have already introduced a number of measures to support working families, including longer maternity leave, increases in both statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance plus extending the payment period, new paid paternity and adoption leave and the right to request flexible working for parents of young or disabled children. However we recognise that families still face challenges in balancing

  WS 5
  their work and home responsibilities. There is a continuing evolution in family life and working patterns. In most families it is no longer the case that the father works and the mother stays at home to look after the children; instead both parents work.

  At the same time, many employers have found that greater flexibility suits their business very well, enabling them to attract and retain good quality staff, match their business needs with the needs of individuals and encourage a more committed and productive working environment.

  The measures we are proposing respond to these changes and will help us to deliver our vision for families. Through the consultation we will be asking for views on a number of commitments. We will extend statutory maternity pay, maternity allowance and statutory adoption pay from six to nine months from April 2007, towards the goal of a year's paid leave by the end of the next Parliament. Through the consultation, we will also be seeking views about how to simplify the maternity leave and pay arrangements.

  Improved communication between parents and employers during maternity and adoption leave is important for employers, helping them to plan their business more successfully, and for mothers who often want to keep in touch with what is going on at work. Through consultation, we are asking for views on whether we should place a new requirement on mothers to confirm their return date with their employers in advance and on increasing the period of notice that a mother must give if she wants to return earlier than originally planned. We would also like to hear suggestions about ways to improve communication between employers and employees during maternity leave and support women returning to work after time out because of caring responsibilities.

  We want to give more choice to parents about who cares for their child during the first year of their life and so we intend to introduce a new right for mothers to transfer a proportion of their statutory maternity leave and pay or allowance to fathers or between adopters. We are seeking views on options for how much leave and pay may be transferred from the mother to the father and how best to handle the administrative effects on the employers of the mother and the father, including managing the respective absences and ensuring that adequate notice is given of intended absence and return to work.

  Evidence has suggested that the right to request flexible working is operating successfully. Through the consultation, we will look at options for extending this right to carers of adults and to parents of older children. We also want to know if there is more the Government can do to assist employers handling requests for flexible working and help employees make requests.

  The consultation will enable us to firm up the details of our commitments to ensure the practical arrangements operate as smoothly as possible for parents, carers and business.
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  Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and will be available on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/ workandfamilies.

  Food Products: Sudan 1
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
  My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health (Miss Johnson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

  I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that on 18 February the agency issued advice to consumers not to eat foods that had inadvertently been contaminated with an illegal dye, Sudan 1. This advice follows previous action by the Food Standards Agency to ensure the withdrawal of a range of products containing contaminated chilli powder since July 2003.

  Sudan 1 could contribute to an increased risk of cancer and it is sensible to avoid eating any more. However, at the levels present the risk is likely to be very small and there is no risk of immediate ill-health.

  The Food Standards Agency, at the earliest practicable date, obtained an initial list of affected products (on the evening of 17 February) and published it together with its advice to consumers on 18 February. Further updates were published on 21 and 24 February, bringing the list of affected products to 474. The agency has taken the view that waiting for a single total list would provide less protection for consumers. The agency acted with all possible speed to inform consumers which products were affected so retailers and consumers could act on this advice.

  The agency has contacted the major catering suppliers and they have withdrawn affected products and these are included in the lists on the website. More than 150 smaller companies that received contaminated products have also withdrawn products from their customers and these products will be listed on the agency website as soon as information becomes available.

  Most of the products have now been withdrawn. Local authorities are pursuing this to ensure any remaining products are removed from sale as a matter of urgency. The agency is considering with local authorities what enforcement action may be necessary.

  Since July 2003 all dried and crushed or ground hot chilli and hot chilli products entering the EU must have been tested for Sudan 1. The risk has been widely publicised in the UK food industry and affected products were withdrawn from sale. The Food Standards Agency and local authorities routinely test over 1,000 products a year for Sudan 1.

  Food companies have a legal obligation to remove from sale products that do not meet food safety requirements and to inform the Food Standards Agency and local authorities, and advise consumers about the withdrawal.

  Written Statements

    Northern Ireland: Victims' and Survivors' Commissioner
    The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

    The troubles have left their mark on the people of Northern Ireland and all those affected by the conflict. Almost 4000 lives were lost, each one an individual loved and mourned by family and friends. And the human cost extends beyond these victims, to their families and friends, to all those who survived their ordeals, and to the wider community which struggles still to heal the divisions that were created and became entrenched.

    The pain of loss is still keenly felt by those who lost loved ones. The Government cannot hope to change that. But there is a sense in which we in Northern Ireland need to come to terms with what has happened over the past 35 years: to tackle the legacy in a way that respects the suffering and loss that has been experienced; but which also allows the community as a whole to build a future that is not overshadowed by the events of the past.

    Last spring, the Prime Minister said that he hoped that the Government could find a way to deal with Northern Ireland's past. Since then I have been reflecting on how we might begin this process. I have visited South Africa, to see at first hand how a very different society has sought to address its own particular legacy. I have talked privately to experts and opinion formers to hear their views. And in parallel with that process the Minister for Victims, Angela Smith, has been engaged in a detailed consultation with groups representing victims and survivors of the troubles on the future shape of services to meet their needs. I have drawn a number of lessons from these experiences.

    My view remains that Northern Ireland needs its own tailored approach to dealing with the past. That is not to say that we cannot learn from the experiences of other societies that have faced a difficult and turbulent period in their recent history. But any process for dealing with Northern Ireland's past will require an approach that acknowledges and respects its unique features as well as its similarities to situations elsewhere.

    I also believe that the scope and aims of any process need to be widely understood and agreed, and must be capable of commanding support and credibility right across the community. Government have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that an appropriate mechanism is found for dealing with the past to the satisfaction of all sections of the community. But I recognise too that, for some, the Government's role in past events is itself seen as an issue; and it is hard for some sections of the community to see us as a genuinely
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    neutral party. Neither do the Government have a monopoly on wisdom, and I recognise the major contribution that many practitioners and other bodies are already making in this field.

    These considerations have led me to conclude that any process for dealing with the past in Northern Ireland cannot be designed in isolation, or imposed by government. There will need to be broadly-based consultation that allows individuals and groups across the community to put their views on what form any process might take. And that consultation process itself will need broad cross-community support if the ideas it generates are to be constructively received.

    In the light of recent events, I am clear that now is not the right moment to launch such a broadly-based consultation process. And I think that we need to be realistic about what can be achieved in advance of a political settlement. But that is not to say that nothing can be done or that political considerations should forever stand in the way of meaningful progress. There are important steps that the Government can take now to address issues that are at the heart of how we can all deal with Northern Ireland's difficult legacy.

    I am therefore announcing today that the Government intend to put in place a new Victims' and Survivors' Commissioner. I believe that this is necessary both to ensure a real focus on the needs of victims and survivors of the troubles in Northern Ireland and to ensure that their voices continue to be heard and respected. So I am publishing alongside this announcement a consultation paper on the future of victims' and survivors' services for those victims, which includes the Government's initial proposals for the commissioner's detailed remit. The document sets out proposals for a comprehensive approach to the provision of services, with the commissioner playing a pivotal role in ensuring effective service delivery and in promoting the interests of all those who have suffered as a result of Northern Ireland's troubled past. One of the commissioner's responsibilities will be to take forward the establishment of the Victims' and Survivors' Forum envisaged in the Joint Declaration to represent their views in a structured way. That consultation will continue until the end of June this year.

    For many victims and survivors, the possibility of coming to terms with what has happened in the past is made more remote because there remain significant unanswered questions, for example about the fate of their loved ones. For many families, the difficulty of not knowing certain details surrounding their loved one's death continues to be a significant issue many years on. The Government recognise that there is a need to address in a systematic way all of the unresolved deaths in Northern Ireland's recent troubled past. As I announced last September, I have been in discussions with the Chief Constable about how the groundbreaking work of the Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT) within the Police Service of Northern Ireland might be expanded to help meet this need. I hope that both we and the PSNI will soon be in a position to say more about the next steps on this.
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    We need to consider carefully and collectively how best to deal sensitively with the needs and expectations of all sections of the community in dealing with the legacy of the past. The creation of a Victims' and Survivors' Commissioner is intended as a major contribution to that work. But it does not mark the end either of the process or the Government's contribution to it.

    Reservists: Support for UN Operations
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

    I have today signed a new call-out order made under Section 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 so that Reservists may continue to be called out to support UN operations in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The current order has expired and this new order takes effect from 1 March 2005. There are no plans to call out Reservists compulsorily under this order as it is expected that the small numbers needed will be met through voluntary mobilisation.

    Osnabruck Court Martial
    Lord Bach
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

    The conclusion of the recent court martial in Osnabruck. and the lifting of reporting restrictions on an earlier court martial about the same incident enables me to say more about the outcome of both trials, although I must take into account that both cases are still subject to the statutory process of review and potential appeal.

    I was profoundly disturbed when I first saw the photographs. I do, however, share the Chief of the General Staff's view that the incidents depicted do not reflect typical behaviour and standards of the British Army. We also agree that it is right to apologise on behalf of the Army to the victims and the people of Iraq.

    On Friday the Chief of the General Staff issued a statement on this and future cases. He explained that this was the first in a possible five cases which might come to court where the allegation against members of the British Army is that they committed acts of deliberate abuse against Iraqis. These cases involve up to 22 soldiers.

    The CGS announced on behalf of the British Army that he has asked a senior officer to assess what lessons we need to learn in light of this and the other cases that might come to court, and to make recommendations for action. We will publish the findings from this work when the Army is no longer constrained by the legal processes. I fully support this statement.
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    The Army sets high standards and demands that they are met. The recent courts martial have demonstrated that those who fail to meet those standards are called to account. The vast majority of servicemen and women do, however, perform to the very highest standards. Their service in Iraq has been outstanding and we are right to be proud of this.

    Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
    Lord Bach
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

    I am pleased to report to the House the latest developments in our plans to provide the Royal Air Force with a modern replacement air refuelling capability. Last year I reported our decision to take forward single bidder negotiations with AirTanker Ltd for the provision of the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme which is planned to replace the RAF's fleet of VCIO and TriStar aircraft. Today I can report that significant progress has been made in those negotiations and that AirTanker has been selected as the preferred bidder.

    We continue to believe that the provision of the capability through a service-based contract with industry under the private finance initiative (PFI) offers the best prospect of a value for money solution that fully meets the needs of our Armed Forces. Through a PFI contract, industry would own and maintain the aircraft and provide training services, infrastructure and some personnel, while the RAF would undertake military operations.

    The negotiations over the last 12 months have resulted in agreement on key commercial terms such as pricing structure, measurement of service performance, commercial use of the aircraft and the compensation that would be paid in the very unlikely event that the contract is terminated.

    This programme will present UK industry with important opportunities. I expect that several hundreds of jobs will be created to support this programme throughout the United Kingdom. Several thousand skilled UK individuals will undertake work in support of the service.

    We will now continue to take forward negotiations with AirTanker Ltd, aimed at agreeing the detail of the complete PFI contract as soon as possible. I should stress that this remains a complex and challenging F'FI programme and that issues remain to be resolved before a value for money arrangement can be concluded. At £13 billion, it is the largest to be considered by the MOD to date. A final decision on whether or not to proceed with a PFI contract will not be taken until all negotiations, including an assessment of the finance ability of the deal, have been satisfactorily concluded. I will of course ensure that the House is kept fully in touch with significant developments.

    Civil Registration Reform
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    My honourable friend the Financial Secretary (Mr Stephen Timms) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

    The House will wish to be aware of developments in the Government's plans for modernising civil registration.

    On 29 March 2004, my predecessor Ruth Kelly announced that a draft regulatory reform order containing provisions relating to the registration of birth and deaths in England and Wales would be presented to Parliament during that Session and that presentation of the proposals relating to marriage would be postponed until the present Session.

    The Regulatory Reform (Registration of Births and Deaths) (England Wales) Order 2004 was presented to Parliament on 22 July 2004. The Commons' Regulatory Reform Committee and the Lords' Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee published their
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    reports towards the end of last year concluding that use of the order-making powers of the 2001 Act is inappropriate for modernisation of the registration service in respect of births and deaths. In the light of those reports, I am no longer planning to bring forward a draft regulatory reform order to reform marriage law.

    This Government remain committed to the modernisation of the registration service in England and Wales. This service, with its roots in the 19th century, touches everyone during their lives and it is important that it reflects the needs of society, families and individuals. Modernisation will provide more choice for the public in how they deal with the service, improved service delivery and easier public interaction with government on a wider range of services.

    I am actively looking for ways of delivering the key elements of civil registration modernisation and will be working with stakeholders over the coming months to agree a way forward. I will seek Parliamentary approval at appropriate times. In the meantime, new and more modern technology is planned to be introduced that will make it easier for members of the public to deal with the local registration service.

  Written Statements

    Poverty Reduction
    The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development has made the following Statement.

    I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses a copy of a new UK policy paper, Partnerships for poverty reduction: rethinking conditionality.

    The policy has been developed jointly by DfID, the Treasury and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It is the result of substantial consultation over the past year with the UK public, NGOs, the World Bank and other donors.

    The UK Government believe that an effective aid partnership is based on shared commitment to poverty reduction, human rights and strong financial management. The policy outlines four changes in our approach to conditionality:

    Developing Country Ownership—the UK will use aid to support developing countries' own poverty reduction plans—based on solid evidence and wide consultation, and taking account of the views and concerns of poor people. We will not use conditions to influence the policy choices made by partner countries. We will instead agree benchmarks with partners to assess progress in reducing poverty.

    Predictability—developing countries can use aid most effectively if they can rely on it as part of their long-term budget plans; for example, to recruit more teachers and health workers, or to put more people on anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS. The UK will move to long-term aid commitments, and will seek to make aid more predictable by being clear in advance about how much aid will be given and the basis on which funds will be reduced or interrupted; for example, if countries move away from agreed poverty reduction programmes, abuse human rights or misuse the funds through corruption.

    Accountability—this changed approach to aid, with transparently agreed benchmarks rather than conditions imposed by donors, means that developing countries and donors will be accountable to each other, and to their own citizens, for their contribution to the shared effort on poverty reduction. The UK aims to increase transparency around the conditions and the decision-making process relating to aid. We will publish our conditions on the DfID website.

    Harmonisation—the UK will press the World Bank and the IMF to monitor and streamline their combined terms and conditions, and will work with donors to limit the overall burden of conditions.

    The "Make Poverty History" campaign is calling on donors to provide "more and better aid" to help developing countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. I see the principles in this paper as
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    central to both objectives. By supporting policy leadership in developing countries, donors will make their aid more effective. And by ensuring that aid is effectively used for reducing poverty, donors will give their own countries confidence that more aid will be worth while.

    Israel and Palestine: London Conference
    The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
    The purpose of the London meeting, on 1 March, was to help the Palestinian leadership strengthen the institutions needed for a future Palestinian state. This work was also aimed at supporting Palestinian efforts to prepare for Israeli disengagement as a step towards achieving the two-state vision envisaged by the road map.

    The London meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister. Delegations from 23 nations and institutions attended including the UN Secretary-General Koff Annan, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, EU Secretary General Solana, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, G8 foreign ministers and others from the region and beyond, along with the World Bank and IMF.

    President Abbas outlined an ambitious but realistic plan for strengthening the Palestinian Authority's (PA's) institutions in the areas of governance, security and economic development. In the area of governance, President Abbas committed his authority to completing the programme of local elections across the West Bank and Gaza in accordance with democratic values; strengthening the public sector and civil service and building a strong and independent judiciary. On security, President Abbas committed his authority to ensuring effective security implementation consistent with the PA's national security plan, in accordance with phase I of the road map; streamlining the existing security and intelligence services; and reviving lines of communication with the Israeli security establishment. On economic development, President Abbas, committed his authority to working to ensure the financial management of the PA is of the highest international standard; implementing a Unified Pensions Law; and stimulating private sector investment as the essential precondition for long-term economic growth.

    In response to these plans, the international community committed itself to providing financial and political support. On governance, the international community committed itself to support the programme of elections and the strengthening of the public administration and judiciary. In order to take these commitments forward, the European Commission agreed to develop and implement a short-term strategy for action on governance, supporting progress by the Palestinian Authority and ensuring engagement of the international community. The World Bank agreed to lead efforts to enhance the international community's assistance for economic preparation for Israeli disengagement. This includes exploring opportunities to promote increased private sector investment in the West Bank and Gaza. The participants asked the chair of the AHLC, the World Bank and the European

    WS 15
    Commission to develop plans to streamline the international effort and enable the international community to respond more flexibly to Palestinian needs, and to present these to the quartet, as soon as possible.

    On security, the international community committed itself to providing financial support to re-equip the security services; establishing a fund for early retirement of security personnel; and helping to address the cost of pensions for security officers. The US agreed to form a co-ordinating group to provide significant practical support to the Palestinians in the area of security to fulfil the objective set out by the quartet in May 2004 to establish a US-led oversight committee on security. US security co-ordinator General Ward would play a leading role. The security group will work closely with the PA to oversee the restructuring and retraining of the Palestinian security services. In doing so, it will help the PA fulfil all of its security-related obligations under phase I of the road map.

    On economic development, the international community committed itself to providing expertise and financial support for the PA's economic programme. It also offered assistance for activities related to Israeli disengagement and economic revival including working with Israel and the PA to develop a reliable link between the West Bank and Gaza and to dismantle the closure regime and increase freedom of movement. The international community agreed to hold a consultative group meeting of international donors later in the year to consider an increase in funding to the PA and to establish a mechanism under World Bank leadership to encourage increased international private sector investment into the Palestinian economy.

    The participants recognised that the implementation of the commitments made by the Palestinian Authority at the London meeting would constitute a major step in implementing its road map commitments. At the same time participants urged and expected action by Israel in relation to its own road map commitments.

    The participants at the London meeting also condemned the terrorist bombing in Tel Aviv on 25 February and stressed that such acts must not be allowed to derail the peace process.

    The conclusions of the London meeting are being placed in the Library of the House. A copy is also available through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk

    Civil Legal Aid
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)
    My honourable friend David Lammy, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, has made the following Written Ministerial Statement in the other place today.

    With the agreement of the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, I am pleased to announce a package of measures, some of which come into effect
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    from 1 April 2005, that will encourage early and effective resolution in civil dispute cases, including family cases.

    These measures give effect to proposals for reform of civil legal aid set out in the July 2004 Legal Service Commission (LSC) consultation paper A new focus for civil legal aid—encouraging early resolution; discouraging unnecessary litigation. The main theme of the paper was to refocus the civil legal aid scheme to encourage early resolution and the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) measures such as negotiation or mediation and away from contested litigation.

    We have taken account of detailed and considered representations received during the consultation in finalising the measures announced today to deliver a reform package that acknowledges and addresses the key concerns expressed in consultation. I believe this represents a positive move forward for civil legal aid that we can build on in future years.

    Following the consultation. I confirm that we will not be making reductions in financial eligibility except the aligning of levels described below or reducing the scope of services covered, save for minor amendments to the personal injury exclusion. We will also remove cost protection in family cases to deter unreasonable conduct by publicly funded clients, and introduce stricter controls over multiple and repeat applications in private law family cases. These controls will be enforced through improvements to processing systems that provide a reliable means of identifying previous legal aid applicants.

    The consultation paper proposed significant changes to the funding of cases concerning financial provision in divorce (ancillary relief), including a power for the LSC to refuse legal aid for legal representation if private funding, by means of a loan or otherwise, is available and affordable in an individual case.

    In principle, we believe that such a power would be appropriate, but we will only introduce it if satisfied that a good range of private funding arrangements is accessible to clients currently within legal aid eligibility limits. We will undertake further work on the availability and conditions of finance, in conjunction with our key stakeholders. I should emphasise that any new funding arrangements along these lines would apply only to those cases that do not reach any resolution during the financial dispute resolution hearing, but continue to full contested court proceedings.

    To discourage unnecessary litigation, in clinical negligence cases and actions against the police most applicants will be expected to pursue any available complaints system before they are funded to take proceedings. This will give the potential defendant public body the opportunity to respond to the matters raised and provide an explanation or apology if appropriate before it is decided whether litigation is the appropriate remedy for the client. The LSC will consult further on when such an approach would not be appropriate and on guidance to further encourage the use of mediation in non-family disputes.
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    As urged by many respondents, we will also be improving the operation of the statutory charge, to encourage early repayment of legal aid costs. Our reforms package includes increasing the interest rates as an incentive to pay off the charge as soon as practicable. We also intend to introduce a discretion for the LSC to be able to decide whether the statutory charge should be postponed, subject to assessing the client's means. This will also include the power to review postponed charges at regular intervals. The LSC will also adopt a firmer approach when deciding whether a charge can be transferred to a new property. Finally, we propose to remove the exemption for the first £3,000 of money or value from property recovered, from the statutory charge.

    We propose to strengthen the cost/benefit criterion when assessing applications for funding in claims against the police to ensure that the benefits obtained from a case are proportionate to the costs involved, and to improve general handling of police cases. We will also raise the minimum cost benefit requirements for clinical negligence damages claims to match those for other categories of case.

    We will also be restricting the very high cost civil cases budget to ensure that disproportionately expensive cases do not preclude access to justice for smaller cases. In terms of the overall legal aid budget, the need to achieve substantial savings remains. If the Community Legal Service does not remain in budget, there is a very real risk that funding will have to be reduced in future, and consequently that the most deserving cases may not receive the assistance they need. With a limited budget, we need to ensure that legal aid funding is targeted on the most needy cases and to the priority areas.

    These proposals are fully consistent with the Fundamental Legal Aid Review (FEAR) and represent the first phase of a co-ordinated continuing legal aid reform programme to achieve an appropriate long-term settlement for legal aid.

    We propose to implement the eligibility changes in April and the remaining changes in July. A copy of the consultation response paper and the final regulatory and equalities impact assessment will be available shortly on the DCA website at www.dca.gov.uk.

    Defence Information Infrastructure (Future)
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
    My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Defence (Mr Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I am pleased to announce that the preferred bidder for the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) contract is the Atlas consortium. This group of companies has international experience of delivering first-class IT systems and we look forward to working in partnership with it over the coming years. We have conducted a rigorous competition and are confident that provision of an effective, efficient and value-for-money service, vital to the modernisation of defence, has begun today.

    Adoption and Children Act 2002
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Lord Filkin)
    My honourable friend the Minister for Children (Margaret Hodge) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I am pleased to set out the Government's detailed plans for full implementation of the adoption and special guardianship provisions in the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

    The Adoption and Children Act 2002 received Royal Assent in November 2002 and modernises the whole existing legal framework for domestic and intercountry adoption. It also introduces a new legal order, special guardianship, which offers legal permanence for children for whom adoption is not suitable.

    We have already implemented some key provisions of the Act. These include:

    1 June 2003—restrictions on intercountry adoption;

    31 October 2003—the first phase of the adoption support services framework for adoptive families;

    1 December 2003—giving parental responsibility to unmarried fathers who jointly register the birth of their child with the mother;

    1 April 2004—advocacy services for children and young people making a complaint under the Children Act 1989;

    30 April 2004—the first phase of the independent review mechanism, which will cover prospective adopters whose adoption agency is minded not to approve them;

    27 September 2004—independent reviewing officers;

    31 January 2005—amendment to the definition of "harm" in the Children Act 1989 to make clear that harm includes any impairment of the child's health or development as a result of witnessing the ill treatment of another person.

    During 2003 and 2004 we consulted extensively on a range of draft regulations, court rules and guidance and ran over 25 workshops, seminars and focus groups to ensure that we had heard from all those with an interest in this fundamental reform of adoption law. We have reviewed the consultation drafts and the implementation timetable in great detail in the light of the comments received.

    We will be laying all the core sets of regulations to implement the adoption and special guardianship provisions in the next few weeks, starting today with the Adoption Agencies Regulations, the Adoptions with a Foreign Element Regulations and two statutory instruments which are subject to the affirmative resolution procedure. These are the Suitability Regulations and the Restriction on the Preparation of Adoption Reports Regulations. The regulations covering access to information, adoption support

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    services and special guardianship will follow this month. The court rules are being considered by the Family Procedure Rule Committee and will be in place and available to support training well in advance of implementation.

    We planned for the legislation to come fully into force in September 2005. However, following concerns expressed by those who will be required to put these important changes for children and their families into effect about the need to allow sufficient time for training and preparation once the regulations, court rules and guidance are in place, we now intend to bring the legislation fully into force on 30 December 2005. This will allow a nine-month preparation period for the field from the laying of the core regulations and
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    will enable training to take place in the autumn, after the summer holidays and immediately prior to implementation.

    We remain committed to providing an extensive communication and training programme to ensure that those working in the adoption field and more widely in children's services are fully up to speed with the new legislation. The DfES is currently developing this programme, and is continuing to involve stakeholders closely through an advisory group representing the interests of those in the adoption field. The Department for Constitutional Affairs is separately organising training for the judiciary and courts service staff which will be closely aligned with the DfES training programme.

  Written Statements

    Northern Ireland: Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice
    The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    The Government have received the first report from the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Kit Chivers. The report is on the management of sex offenders in Northern Ireland and has today been published.

    The Government warmly welcome this report which recognises the excellent work in this field being done by those agencies involved in public protection and identifies a number of areas for possible future development. I shall be considering very carefully the inspection's key recommendations. I have no doubt that the report will be of value in informing and reassuring the public about the steps already being taken to manage the risks posed by sex offenders in the community. and in helping managers and staff who are involved in this challenging area of work.

    Hong Kong: Sino-British Joint Declaration
    The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
    The latest report on the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong (Cm 6484) was laid before the House today and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. A copy of the report is also available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk. The report covers the period from 1 July to 31 December 2004 and includes a foreword by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary. I commend the report to the House.

    Iraq: Statement of Intent
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
    My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    On 14 February 2005, my honourable friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (Lord Bach) signed a statement of intent with the Secretary—General of the Iraqi Ministry of Defence which lays the foundation for co-operation on defence equipment matters in areas such as requirement definition, exchange of information, supplier identification, and the availability of commercial training.

    It is HM Government's aim to assist the Iraqi Government and Armed Forces to rebuild their country and to improve security and stability. In support of this, a non-legally binding statement of intent will be mutually beneficial for both Governments.

    All such activities in connection with potential defence exports continue to adhere fully to national and international export control obligations.

    Copies of the statement of intent will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

    Welfare Agencies
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    My right honourable friend the Paymaster-General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement

    In parliamentary Answers on 4 and 26 March 2003 and in letters to several honourable Members, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury explained changes that have been made to the rules governing the VAT treatment of state-regulated welfare agencies such as domiciliary care and independent fostering agencies. He explained that the changes would take effect from the date that the regulatory system and standards for welfare providers was implemented or, in the case of independent fostering agencies, on 1 April 2003. Following representations from a small number of businesses, Customs has issued a business brief clarifying the circumstances determining the time at which an agency becomes exempt. Copies are available in the House Library.

  Written Statements

    Finance Act 2004: Pre-owned Asset Regulations
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement

    Schedule 15 to the Finance Act 2004 provides for an income tax charge on the benefit that taxpayers gain, in certain circumstances, from the continuing enjoyment of assets they formerly owned. The primary legislation leaves some matters—the operative date for valuations, and the rates of return which apply for purposes of the schedule—to be specified in secondary legislation. They also allow regulations to provide for assets to be valued less frequently than annually. More generally, they enable regulations to make further exemptions from the charge set out in Schedule 15.

    The Inland Revenue issued a consultative document on 18 August 2004 Taxation of Pre-Owned Assets: Further Consultation seeking views on the matters to be covered by regulations. There was a full and constructive response and I am grateful to all who took part. We propose to make regulations as follows, having regard to the responses received.

    Valuation date

    As proposed in our consultation document, the valuation date for a tax year will be 6 April in the year or, if later, the beginning of the "taxable period" for which the asset in question first becomes chargeable.

    The "prescribed rate"

    The "prescribed rate" (to be applied to the values of chattels and intangible assets when quantifying the cash value of the benefit enjoyed) will be equal to the "official rate" of interest, as defined in Section 181 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003. The rate is currently 5 per cent.

    Valuations at extended intervals

    Regulations will provide, broadly, that land and chattels will be valued every five years. That is to say, a valuation will be made as prescribed in the primary legislation for the first tax year in which a particular asset becomes chargeable under Schedule 15. That valuation will also be used in any of the four succeeding years in which a charge arises.

    If a charge arises in the fifth year after the first chargeable year, a fresh valuation will be made which will apply in the next four succeeding years, and so on for years 10, 15 and subsequent five-year anniversaries. If no charge arises for the fifth year, or any later five-year anniversary, no valuation need be
    WS 24
    made until the next tax year (if any) for which a charge arises, and a fresh series of five-yearly valuations will start from that year.

    Valuations will be carried forward in cash terms without adjustment (e.g. for indexation against asset price inflation, as the enabling power would permit).

    Equity release

    Schedule 15 provides exemption for any case where the former owner continues to enjoy an asset they have sold, so long as they have disposed of their whole interest in it (apart from the right of continuing enjoyment) and have done so either at arm's length or on arm's length terms.

    It became clear in consultation that this was not sufficient to accommodate all open-market equity release transactions, under which homeowners often sell only a part share in their property. I made clear last autumn that regulations under Schedule 15 would cover the full range of bona fide equity-release schemes with arm's length providers, while continuing to bear down on schemes aimed at avoidance. With that in mind, we do not in general think it is appropriate to provide exemption for sales of a part interest which are made otherwise than at arm's length. If one member of a family needs to raise cash and another member of the family is willing and able to provide it, there are other and more straightforward ways of structuring this than adopting the form of an equity release transaction.

    The point was, however, made in consultation that some intra-family part disposals can arise from patterns of behaviour adopted for good family or business reasons: for example, where a child moves in to care for an aged parent and acquires an equitable interest in their shared home as a corollary of that, or where younger members of a family take over the active role in a family partnership, and in doing so acquire an interest from the partners who preceded them. We also accept that any cases where asset owners have already sold a part interest within their family are unlikely, given the law as it stood at the time, to have chosen that approach primarily for tax avoidance purposes.

    Bringing together these different considerations, the regulations will extend the existing exemption (described above) to all sales done at arm's length where they involve the whole or a part of the vendor's interest in their asset. They will extend this exemption to any part sale, even if not at arm's length, so long as it was made before today and on arm's length terms. This will also apply to future disposals if they are made for a consideration other than money or readily realisable assets.

    Regulations to this effect will be made shortly, in time to take effect from the commencement of the new charge on 6 April. The Inland Revenue will also be publishing its guidance on the interpretation and operation of Schedule 15, it will be announced and made available at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk

    Financial Transparency Directives
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    My department today published a consultation document on the implementation of Directive 2000/52/ EC amending the directive on the transparency of financial relations between member states and public undertakings. The objective of the directive as amended is to increase the transparency of funding given by government and other public sector bodies to other bodies operating in the market place and which may be in receipt of state aid. The directive's provisions will improve the Commission's ability to investigate potentially illegal state aid, including allegations of over-compensation for performing a public service obligation or the cross-subsidisation of public funds into other commercial activities.

    A key objective of the consultation exercise is to gather information on which organisations are likely to be caught by the directive and whether and to what extent there may already be provisions in place that would meet the requirements of the directive, so that we can best judge how to implement it. However, the department's initial conclusion is that legislation may well be necessary to ensure full implementation of the directive. The consultation document therefore also seeks views on draft regulations.
    WS 26
    It is estimated that the directive will affect less than 0.5 per cent of UK businesses i.e. approximately 8,000 businesses out of a total of about 1.6 million, since it does not apply to entities with an annual turnover below 40 million, i.e. approximately £27.5 million (as at 02/03/05). According to statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics approximately 99.5 per cent of UK businesses have an annual turnover of less than £25 million.

    Copies of the consultation documents will be laid in the Libraries of both Houses and made available on the departmental website at www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/ stateaid

    Coronary Heart Disease
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health (Miss Johnson) made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    The Coronary Heart Disease National Service Framework (CHD NSF), published in March 2000, set out a blueprint for provision of fairer, faster, high quality services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, based on 12 national standards.

    A new CHD NSF chapter, on cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, and the 2005 CHD NSF progress report Leading the Way were published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Written Statements

    Iraq: C130 Hercules Crash
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Geoff Hoon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    The RAF board of inquiry (BOI) has produced its interim report into the crash of the C130 Hercules in Iraq on 30 January 2005 with the tragic loss of all 10 personnel on board.

    I should emphasise that the BOI is not yet in a position to establish the cause of the crash. There is a great deal of detailed evidence that has yet to be analysed and a number of lines of enquiry that need further investigation.

    Based on the evidence currently available, the BOI has ruled out a number of possibilities. These are bird strike, lightning strike, mid-air collision, controlled flight into the ground, wire/obstacle strike, restriction in the aircraft's flying controls, cargo explosion, engine fire, sabotage (including the use of an improvised explosive device) and aircraft fatigue. These interim findings are supported by the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB).

    There remain a number of other possible causes that require further investigation. The BOI is continuing its work, assisted by the AAIB which is also working independently from the BOI to ensure every possible avenue is explored. We will not be commenting or speculating further on the possible causes of the crash until the BOI has concluded.

    The families of those killed in the crash are being informed personally of the BOI interim findings.

    Armed Forces: Kosovo Deployment
    Lord Bach
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    NATO has requested the deployment to Kosovo of the United Kingdom spearhead land element (SLE), which currently provides the ready battalion for the NATO Balkan-wide over-the-horizon operational reserve force. The battalion currently fulfilling the role of SLE is the lst Battalion the Royal Green Jackets.

    The deployment, which was requested by NATO late in the evening of Friday 4 March, was made in order to demonstrate the alliance's resolve and capability in the run-up to a number of important local anniversaries, including that of violent demonstrations last year on 17 March. The Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, has also announced today that he is to resign following his
    WS 28
    indictment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. We welcome his decision to go voluntarily to The Hague.

    Following the request from NATO, troops began to deploy to Kosovo over the weekend. A total of around 500, in all, should deploy by early this week. We anticipate recovering the battalion back to the UK within 30 days, as we did with the UK element of the operational reserve force that was deployed last March, unless there are compelling operational reasons to consider leaving this capability in Kosovo for longer.

    I shall keep the House updated of any significant developments when they occur.

    Finance Act 2004: Pre-owned Asset Regulations
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    This Statement announces regulations under Section 104 of the Finance Act 1986 to provide relief from double inheritance tax (IHT) charges in situations caught by the pre-owned assets provisions at Schedule 15 to the Finance Act 2004, and is in addition to extended relief from income tax under Schedule 15 which I announced in a Written Statement on 7 March (Official Report, col. WS 23).

    The pre-owned assets legislation in Schedule 15 provides for taxpayers to make an election so that they do not have to pay income tax in respect of a pre-owned asset but instead have the asset treated as part of their estate for IHT purposes. If the taxpayer dies within the next few years after making the election there is a possibility of two IHT charges on the same underlying asset value.

    In particular, many taxpayers have used a "double trust" structure; one trust is created to buy the settlor's asset in exchange for an IOU, and this IOU is gifted into a second trust to take it out of the settlor's taxable estate. If the settlor dies within seven years, the estate will be liable to IHT on the IOU; and if they have made an election under Schedule 15 to the Finance Act 2004, their estate will be also liable on the underlying asset. It is clear from responses in consultation that this prospect is preventing some people making an election which they would otherwise find attractive.

    The regulations will eliminate this double IHT charge so that people who wish to make an election under Schedule 15 can be assured that only one IHT charge will be due whatever the timing of their death.

    The regulations will be announced and made available on the Inland Revenue's website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk.

    Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Bill: Taxes and Customs Department
    Lord McIntosh of Haringey
    My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    In response to one of the recommendations of Gus O'Donnell's review of the revenue departments in 2004, the Government have introduced the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Bill. In line with the review's recommendations, the Bill will create a new integrated taxes and customs department to supersede the existing departments of the Inland Revenue and H M Customs and Excise. This restructuring will aid the efficient and effective management of taxation, and the provision of a more effective service to the public and businesses.

    Subject to parliamentary approval, the new department will be launched in April 2005. It is important to have an integrated Internet site in place immediately, to provide a single point of contact for online customer information. An integrated internal Intranet site, providing a single point of reference for staff, will be launched at the same time.

    Urgent work is required in advance of the legislation receiving Royal Assent to allow those sites to be developed, tested and presented as new unified HM Revenue and Customs sites, both to enable the new sites to be launched on time, and avoid later costly duplication of development and testing work.

    Parliamentary approval for additional resources and cash of £11,750 for this new service has been
    WS 30
    sought in the Inland Revenue's Spring Supplementary Estimate. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure of £11,750 on work to develop and test the new logo on the IT systems will be met by a repayable cash advance from the contingencies fund.

    Legal Deposit Advisory Panel
    Lord McIntosh of Haringey
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I wish to announce the establishment of a new advisory non-departmental public body: the Legal Deposit Advisory Panel.

    The Legal Deposit Advisory Panel will have a crucial role in the implementation of the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003. The key tasks of the advisory panel will be to advise the Secretary of State on the content of regulations for the deposit of particular classes of non-print media, making recommendations for future secondary legislation as appropriate. This will ensure that the substantial archival resources in the legal deposit libraries keep pace with contemporary publishing trends.

    Following extensive consultation with publishers, legal deposit libraries and other interested parties we have formulated the terms of reference and membership specifications of the panel. We will now be seeking to appoint members to the panel in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments regulations.

  Written Statements

    Army Restructuring: Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

    On 16 December 2004 I announced changes to the future structure of the Infantry, including a decision on how we would achieve a reduction by one in the number of battalions in the Prince of Wales's Division. The antecedent components of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (RGBW) were to merge with, in the case of the Gloucestershire element, the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (which would also transfer to the Light Infantry) and, in the case of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment element, the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

    However, following my announcement, there was a widespread perception that the plan to split the RGBW along the lines of its antecedent parts amounted to the disbandment of the RGBW and the abandonment of its own heritage. In view of this, I asked the Executive Committee of the Army Board (ECAB) to review its original recommendation in relation to the future of the RGBW. In the process of this review, ECAB noted that in formulating its original recommendation on the RGBW it had given insufficient weight to the sense of identity that has evolved during the 10 years since the RGBW was created.

    ECAB concluded that although the substance of the original recommendation—that the RGBW will form the basis of the reduction by one battalion of the Prince of Wales's Division—should not change, more could be done to preserve the identity and heritage of the RGBW itself, and not just of its antecedents. ECAB now recommends that this should be achieved instead through an amalgamation of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment with the RGBW. The resulting new regiment will become 1st Battalion the Light Infantry (reflecting the original decision for the D and D to join the Light Infantry).

    I have accepted the need for this adjustment to the original recommendation. The details of how the amalgamation will be taken forward will be a matter for the Army to manage and will be worked out by those concerned over the coming months.

    Armed Forces and Veterans: Administrative Support
    Lord Bach
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence WS 32
    (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

    I am announcing today that I have asked the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff for Personnel to explore whether there is scope for further service improvement through the greater integration of services delivered by the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency and the Veterans Agency. This is consistent with our overall policy at the Ministry of Defence to continue to improve the administrative support we provide to the Armed Forces and veterans.

    This study will build on the opportunities offered by the joint personnel administration programme that will go live progressively during 2006. This review will take full account of the Government's intent to maintain a sharp focus on the delivery of services to all veterans. Trade unions, staff and customers including veterans' groups will be consulted before any conclusions are reached. I expect to report on the outcome of the study before the Summer Parliamentary Recess.

    British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements: "Go Live" Date
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
    My honourable friend the Minister for Energy and E-Commerce (Mike O'Brien) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I have announced that the "go live" date for the British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements (BETTA) will be 1 April 2005. BETTA will bring together Scotland's transmission networks and the network in England and Wales to create a single GB electricity market.

    I have also announced our intention to limit the charges renewable generators on the Scottish islands, and potentially in the far north of the Scottish mainland, will have to pay to the National Grid to transmit electricity to customers across Britain. I am doing this under a power taken in the Energy Act 2004. Exercise of this power will ensure that remote location is no bar to renewable development, which can make an important contribution to the Government's target of having 10 per cent renewable energy by 2010. We will be consulting on the details of the scheme in the summer.

    Health Delivery Plan and Action Plans
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health (Miss Johnson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    The Government's Public Health White Paper Choosing Health: making healthier choices easier, launched in November 2004, set out commonsense steps to prevent unnecessary deaths and help people to make healthier choices.
    WS 33
    The delivery plan for choosing health, published today, explains how government will put these plans into practice. It includes 45 "big wins" which the evidence suggests will make the greatest impact on health. It also covers policies and programmes which will be developed and implemented, targets to improve health, partnerships between industry, the voluntary sector and professional groups, and services delivered by local authorities and the NHS.

    Delivering Choosing Health is backed up by two action plans: Choosing a Better Diet: a food and health action plan; and Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan also published today.

    Choosing a Better Diet: a food and health action plan, brings together, in one place, all the White Paper commitments relating to food and nutrition as well as further activity across government. This includes action to improve information to enable healthier eating, restrict further the advertising and promotion
    WS 34
    of foods to children, increase access to healthier food, simplified food labelling, and improve school food.

    Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan sets out, for the first time, co-ordinated cross-government action on promoting physical activity and sport. It highlights the leadership role of the NHS and the importance of close partnership working across sectors, particularly with local authorities, to bring about positive change in activity levels across the whole population. The plan outlines a national framework to complement and support work at a regional and local level. It details an extensive range of departmental commitments such as action to promote active travel through increased walking and cycling, work to improve the physical environment of communities to encourage more active living, and programmes to increase participation in sport and leisure activities.

    Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Written Statements

    Courts Service: Performance Targets 2005–06
    The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)
    On 1 April 2005, I will launch Her Majesty's Courts Service. The new agency brings together 43 organisations: the Court Service and the 42 magistrates' courts committees.

    The following table sets out the key performance targets which I have set for her Majesty's Courts Service for 2005–06.

    Relevant PSA

    Headline targets criminal courts

    Performance required by March 2006

    PSA 1(SR 2002 and 2004)

    Increasing offences brought to justice: Reducing the proportion of ineffective criminal trials

    Not more than 17 per cent in the Crown Court Not more than 23 per cent in magistrates' courts

    PSA 1 (SR 2002 and 2004)

    Ensuring cases are disposed of promptly

    78 per cent of cases start on time in the Crown Court

    PSA 1 (SR 2002 and 2004)

    Average case length for persistent young offenders

    Not more than 71 days

    PSA 1 (SR 2002 and 2004)

    Maintain the number of sitting days in the Crown Court

    104,200 sitting days

    PSA 2 (SR 2002 and 2004)

    Improve enforcement of fines and execution of community penalty breach warrants

    A Payment rate of 81 per cent or above The different individual area targets for warrant execution are met

    Relevant PSA

    Headline targets Civil and Family Courts

    Performance required by March 2006

    PSA 3 (SR 2002)PSA 5 (SR 2004)

    Hearings and orders

    Increase the proportion of contact and ancillary relief orders made by consent to 73.4 per cent Reduce by 5 per cent the proportion of disputed claims in the courts that are ultimately resolved by a hearing

    PSA 4-PSA 5 (SR 2002 PSA 5 (SR2004)

    Claims

    Increase by 2 per cent the number of small claims that are heard within the target time

    PSA 4 (SR 2002)

    Increase the level of user satisfaction in key areas

    User satisfaction with: knowledge of court staff at public counter 85 per cent knowledge of staff on telephone service 80 percent speed of resolution of complaints 60 per cent helpfulness of written communication 80 per cent

    WS 36

    Relevant PSA

    Headline targets criminal courts

    Performance required by March 2006

    PSA 4 (SR 2004)

    Public Law Children Act Cases (Vulnerable children)

    To improve performance in the time taken to complete care cases heard in the courts against the 40 week target (ultimately by 10 percentage points by 2010)

    PSA 4 (SR 2002)

    Adoptions

    Complete 70 per cent of cases in County Courts within 20 weeks

    Copies of the HM Courts Service framework document and the Business Plan for 2005–06 have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

    Afghanistan: Counter-narcotics
    The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
    The United Kingdom, as lead nation, salutes the determination of President Karzai and his government in implementing the 1384(2005) Counter-narcotics Implementation Plan. The plan is a framework for action to accelerate all our efforts over the coming year and sets out counter-narcotics (CN) activities ahead under eight pillars:

    building institutions

    information campaign

    alternative livelihoods

    interdiction and law enforcement

    criminal justice

    eradication

    demand reduction and treatment of addicts

    regional co-operation.

    The adoption of this plan follows the successful holding by President Karzai in December 2004 of the first counter-narcotics national conference in Afghanistan. At that conference and since then, President Karzai has delivered powerful messages to reinforce his strong determination to act against all aspects of the narcotics trade.

    The UK welcomes this renewed commitment and joins with the wider international community in pledging our collective, increased support for the 2005 plan. There are some early signs that this year may see an overall reduction in opium poppy cultivation levels. However, as it is still early in the harvest cycle, we need to wait for the UN assessments later in the year on levels of cultivation and on how much of the crop in the fields has been destroyed.

    The UK has increased its spending to $100 million this year on counter-narcotics activities in Afghanistan. Specifically, we are stepping up activity in support of the 2005 plan in the following ways:

    On creating alternative livelihoods for farmers who currently grow opium poppy

    Following the visit of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development

    WS 37
    to Afghanistan in January 2005, the UK has pledged $125 million of support for alternative livelihoods in 2005–06; our alternative livelihoods commitment has more than doubled annually from 2002–03 to 2005–06. The UK is also leading the way in pressing some of the larger multilateral donors, such as the World Bank, to include counter-narcotics objectives in their programmes. Activities include:

    substantial support to activities to bring short term, visible impact in 2005, building on the $5 million already made available for "cash for work";

    support to a wide range of agricultural and off-farm income-generating activities in poppy-growing provinces;

    increasing access to credit to rural areas, and developing products to address the specific problem of opium debt;

    assessing opportunities to promote alternative products to opium poppy, and more favourable terms of trade for those products; and

    improving the co-ordination and implementation of development and counter-narcotics programmes in Badakhshan, where the UK has already committed more than $7.5 million.

    On law enforcement

    The UK has mapped out and is co-ordinating the development of the Counter-narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA), working with other lead nations to establish the counter-narcotics capacity of all Afghan law enforcement institutions. As part of the CNPA development plan, the UK is establishing a further nine mobile detection teams (over 100 officers) in the next 18 months, capable of interdicting drug traffickers in Kabul and the provinces. We are also providing mentoring for intelligence and investigation units. We are looking to international donors to contribute to the CNPA development plan. We also welcome the recent results of the Afghan Special Narcotics Force (ASNF), for which the UK has provided advice and funding. The force has seized over 75 tonnes of opiates, destroyed 80 drugs labs and disrupted two drugs bazaars during the past year.

    On developing the criminal justice system

    The UK. working with the UN, has set up and completed the first phase of training and mentoring of the Counter-narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force of investigators, prosecutors and judges. The task force will be 80 strong by mid-2005. We have also funded UNODC (nearly $2 million) to establish a secure court and prison facility for counter-narcotics.

    On eradication of the opium crop

    This will be carried out in 2005 by the US-supported Central Poppy Eradication Force (CPEF) and by governors and police chiefs at local level. The UK is working closely in both these areas and has established a planning and monitoring cell to ensure that eradication by CPEF is targeted in a way which takes account of alternative livelihoods. We are also helping CPEF with salaries and equipment and are the major
    WS 38
    donor for verification and assessment of the eradication campaign to ensure it is carried out: over $1 million to establish 30 ground-based verification teams (240 people) and satellite imagery. The first 15 verification teams should produce preliminary results by March.

    On building the institutions necessary to support long-term Afghan commitment

    The UK is helping to build central and provincial capacity in a number of key government institutions, including the new Counter-narcotics (CN) Ministry under Minister Qaderi, the counter-narcotics function within the Ministry of the Interior, the Rural Reconstruction Ministry, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Civil Service Commission and the Cabinet Secretariat.

    On lobbying

    My right honourable friends the Foreign Secretary and the development Secretary have now launched a substantial lobbying campaign to encourage international partners, including the G8, the EU, the US, neighbouring countries of Afghanistan and other Berlin conference participants, to support the plan and help establish the new Counter-narcotics Trust Fund. The aim of this fund will be to pull together donor support for the Afghan Government's counter-narcotics priorities. The April 2005 Afghan Development Forum will be an important opportunity for the Afghan Government to seek additional support for alternative livelihoods.

    The UK is also working with Afghan and international partners:

    to raise public awareness of the risks to Afghanistan of the drugs trade and the dangers to health from addiction associated with growing opium poppy through proactive and comprehensive information campaigns and drug treatment activities; and

    to increase regional co-operation to tackle the drugs trade across borders through implementation of the April 2004 Berlin Declaration on Counter-narcotics within the framework of the Kabul Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration of December 2002. In 2004–05, the UK provided around $2.5 million of assistance to increase counter-narcotics capacity on Afghanistan's borders with Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan, the three main routes for opiates being smuggled out of Afghanistan. Further such assistance is planned for financial year 2005–06.

    My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary (Mr Jack Straw) visited Kabul on 16 February, the day President Karzai launched the 2005 CN implementation plan. They agreed on the crucial importance of working together in support of the plan to mobilise international assistance so that narcotics do not destroy Afghanistan's potential for stability, reconstruction and a thriving licit economy. The 2005 plan therefore represents an important opportunity. We share the resolve of the Afghan Government to achieve the sustainable elimination of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2005 and beyond.
    WS 39
    Copies of the plan are being placed in the Library of the House.

    Ministry of Defence Estate
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

    PriDE, a joint venture between Interserve (Defence) Ltd and Southern Electric Contracting (SEC) has been awarded the regional prime contract covering the Ministry of Defence's estate in the south-east. This follows the successful conclusion of discussions with the consortium, which was appointed as preferred bidder in August 2004.

    The seven-year contract, worth in the region of £400 million, is the third in a series of five such regional arrangements to cover the estate and provide for capital works, property maintenance and facilities management services throughout the south-east of England.

    The MOD has undertaken to make significant improvements in the overall condition of its estate by changing its organisational structures and introducing prime contracting methods. Encouraging innovation and efficiency, regional prime contracting is a key initiative that aims to provide a better quality of service and greater value for money through suitably incentivised contracts conforming to the principles of smart acquisition.

    Iraq: Interrogation Techniques
    Lord Bach
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    Since May 2004 Ministers have made Statements in both Houses of Parliament and in Written Answers to the effect that the use of hooding in Iraq by the British Armed Forces ceased at the end of September 2003. These Answers referred to conventional forces and remain true with respect to them. It has been drawn to Ministers' attention, however, that UK Special Forces from time to time used hooding as a temporary measure for the safe arrest and transit of detained persons until May 2004. For the sake of completeness the parliamentary record should be corrected to reflect this.

    Most of the criticism about the use of hooding has related to the obscuring of vision during interrogation. This practice is contrary to the instructions given by the then Prime Minister in 1972 and was ceased by UK military interrogators thereafter. UK military interrogators are made fully aware of this as part of
    WS 40
    their training and there have been no reported incidents where UK military interrogators have interrogated individuals while they have been hooded.

    Our legal advice remains that the practice of temporarily obscuring the vision of a detained person, for the purposes of initial detention and transit, by the use of a hood is not contrary to the law. In Iraq, the initial circumstances on the ground were such that it was judged by certain military commanders that its use was appropriate given the numbers of detainees and in some cases the need to obscure the identities of particular detainees for their own protection.

    I can, however, confirm that no UK forces are currently authorised to use hooding in any circumstances.

    Ministry of Defence: Aircraft Support Logistics
    Lord Bach
    My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    On 1 November 2004, I informed the House that there would be a series of announcements relating to the Defence Logistics Transformation Programme. On 25 November 2004, following a period of trades union consultation, I announced the implementation of changes arising from the recommendations of the end-to-end review of the logistics process for military aircraft support. I indicated that, in addition to changes arising from air depth support, the application of end-to-end logistic principles would result in a reduction of around 1,500 RAF uniformed personnel and some reductions in MOD civilian posts at some RAF stations.

    As part of this continuing process, I am announcing today how the overall reductions in both RAF uniformed personnel and MOD civilians as a result of the application of the end-to-end logistic principles are expected to affect individual RAF stations. The civilian reductions will be subject to TU consultation. These efficiency reductions, together with the increase to the defence budget, will ensure that the department can modernise its Armed Forces to meet tomorrow's challenges.

    Further work to identify efficiencies has now estimated that the reduction in the number of RAF uniformed personnel posts will be in the region of 2,000. With regard to MOD civilian posts, I anticipate that a net additional 70 posts will no longer be required. These changes will form part of the service and civilian manpower reductions of 7,500 and 10,000 respectively that were announced on 21 July last year.

    The effect on individual stations of these efficiencies are detailed in the table below. I expect the changes to be implemented by April 2008.
    WS 41

    Service

    Civilian

    RAF Station

    Changes relating to aircraft depth Support1

    Other changes

    Total

    Changes relating to aircraft depth support1

    Other changes

    Total

    Brize Norton

    180

    120

    300

    0

    0

    0

    Cottesmore/Wittering

    0

    325

    325

    0

    0

    0

    Kinloss

    35

    145

    180

    0

    20

    20

    Leeming

    0

    215

    215

    0

    20

    20

    Leuchars

    0

    160

    160

    0

    +10

    +10

    Lossiemouth

    340

    360

    700

    50

    +15

    35

    Lyneham

    130

    100

    230

    0

    0

    0

    Marham

    + 340

    370

    30

    0

    30

    30

    St Mawgan

    90

    85

    175

    40

    0

    40

    Waddington

    0

    125

    125

    0

    25

    25

    Total

    435

    2,005

    2,440

    90

    70

    160

    Note:

    All figures are reductions unless otherwise indicated. All numbers are rounded.

    1 Announced subject to Trades Union consultation 16 September 2004. Confirmed 25 November 2004.

    Inquiries Bill
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor has today published the Government's response to the Public Administration Select Committee's first report of Session 2004–05 on Government by Inquiry which was published on 3 February 2005. The Government's response includes comments on each of the 22 recommendations of the committee.

    The Government welcome the committee's report on the use and effectiveness of independent inquiries into matters of public concern. The committee's response is of immediate relevance to the current parliamentary debate on the Inquiries Bill, which has now entered the House of Commons having completed its passage through the House of Lords.

    The Inquiries Bill is designed to provide a comprehensive statutory framework for inquiries set up by Ministers into events that have caused, or have the potential to cause, public concern.

    The Government believe that government amendments brought forward in the House of Lords address many of the issues raised in the committee's report. However, the Government are keen that the recommendations in the report, and our response published today, should both help to inform the debates on the Inquiries Bill as it continues its passage through Parliament.

    I have placed copies of the response in the Libraries of the House and it has also been published on the Department for Constitutional Affairs website at www.dca.gov.uk.

    Television Licence Fees
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport WS 42
    (Tessa Jowell) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    On 18 November last year (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 99WS), the Government announced that, from 1 April 2005, the fee for a colour television licence would rise to £126.50 and the black and white licence fee to £42.00. I am today laying before the House the regulations necessary to bring these new fees into force.

    The new regulations also increase the fee for a duplicate licence, to replace one that has been lost or destroyed, from £3.25 to £4.50.

    Oil and Gas: Licensing
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
    My honourable friend the Minister for Energy and e-commerce (Mike O'Brien) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I am pleased to inform the House that I am today inviting applications for petroleum licences for unlicensed seaward blocks which will form the 23rd round of offshore petroleum licensing. These blocks are located in the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) areas 1–5 (a map of the SEA areas can be found on the website indicated below).

    Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA )—Post Adoption Procedures

    The DTI's draft plan to offer licences for offshore oil and gas exploration and production through a 23rd licensing round was the subject of a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) initiated in 2003. The SEA is documented on a dedicated website (www.offshore-sea.org.uk) I and includes commissioned reports on various components of the natural environment, cultural features and socio-economic considerations. In addition, as part of the SEA new information was collected, for example, on selected seabed features through sea-floor mapping, sampling and photography, and on the offshore behaviour of seals by means of satellite tagging. The draft plan for the 23rd licensing round included offering blocks within the area

    WS 43
    to the east of Scotland, and also in those areas that had been subject to earlier DTI SEAs (SEAs 1, 2, 3, and 4) which covered the remaining parts of the UK North Sea exclusive economic zone and the UK EEZ to the north and west of Orkney and Shetland.

    The potential implications of the exploration and production activities which could follow if the draft plan was adopted were considered at an expert assessment workshop and a stakeholder workshop. The results of these workshops were assessed further and documented in an environmental report which then formed the basis for consultation with the consultation bodies and the public. The initiation of a three month consultation period on the DTI's draft plan and environmental report was advertised in a number of local and national newspapers and by e-mail notification to a wide range of individuals and organisations.

    All responses received from statutory and other consultees on the draft plan and the environmental report have been considered by the DTI and a post-consultation report for SEA 5 has been prepared and placed on the SEA website. This summarises consultee comments and DTI responses to them. The full texts of consultee comments have also been placed on the SEA website.

    In deciding to proceed with a 23rd offshore licensing round the DTI has considered the conclusions and recommendations of the SEA 5 environmental report together with feedback received from consultees. As a result of the SEA process, a number of blocks are being withheld from licensing for the present on environmental grounds. These blocks are:

    15/20c, 15/25d, 34/6, 34/7, 34/8, 34/12, 34/13, 34/17, 34/18, 40/15, 41/29, 41/30, 47/11, 47/27, 47/28, 47/29, 47/30, 48/26, 51/3, 51/4, 51/5, 52/1, 52/28.

    Licensing of these blocks may be revisited in the future; for example, as more information on the features of interest becomes available. In addition, a number of blocks may be licensed but with conditions attached restricting or prohibiting marine activities. It should be noted that the Offshore Petroleum Production and Pipe-lines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1999 and the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 variously require that all major activities undertaken in connection with UK offshore hydrocarbon exploration and production include environmental assessment as part of consenting.

    In addition, 34 blocks will not be offered for licensing in these SEA areas at the request of the Ministry of Defence

    The DTI has established an offshore oil and gas environmental monitoring committee which is charged with co-ordinating the monitoring of significant environmental effects of the industry, including those that could arise from the implementation of the plan to hold a 23rd round of offshore licensing. The results of this monitoring will be made publicly available, including through the SEA website.
    WS 44
    In addition to the website above, a copy of the SEA report can be reviewed free of charge at:

    Department of Trade and Industry

    1 Victoria Street

    London

    SW1H 0ET

    Arrangements to view the report can be made by telephoning 020 7215 5032.

    EU: Corporate Governance
    Lord Sainsbury of Turville
    My right honourable friend the Minister for Industry and the Regions (Jacqui Smith) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I have today placed in the Libraries of the House copies of a consultation document entitled European Company Law and Corporate Governance—Directive Proposals on Company Reporting, Capital Maintenance and Transfer of the Registered Office of a Company. This document is available on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/c1d/current.htm. The consultation period ends on 3 June 2005.

    The consultation covers three proposals which form part of the European Commission's Action Plan on Company Law and Corporate Governance published in May 2003. The Commission has formally published two of the proposals. These are a directive amending the fourth and seventh accounting directives and a directive amending the second Company Law Directive on Capital Maintenance. The Commission is expected to publish the third proposal shortly, a directive on the cross-border transfer of the registered office of a company.

    By covering all three proposals in one single consultation we hope to give stakeholders the opportunity not only to consider all proposals at the same time but also to understand how they relate to the overall framework of modernising company law and corporate governance in the EU.

    Amendments to the Fourth and Seventh Accounting Directives

    This proposal seeks to enhance confidence in financial statements and annual accounts published by European companies. It would introduce an annual corporate governance statement for publicly traded companies, tighten up accounting disclosure requirements and clarify the collective responsibility of directors towards the company for the annual report and accounts. The Government support the broad principles behind the directive and believe that light touch common standards for disclosure should contribute to EU market confidence, encourage cross-border investment and facilitate cross-border access to capital. They are of the view that the requirements of the directive are broadly consistent with existing UK law and practice.

    The consultation seeks views on the extent to which the proposed disclosure requirements will place additional burdens on companies and whether they

    WS 45
    will be of value to users of company accounts. It also asks for views on the nature of the information the Commission is proposing to be contained in the corporate governance statement.

    Amendments to the Second Company Law Directive ( Capital Maintenance)

    This proposal seeks to simplify the second Company Law Directive so that it is easier for public limited liability companies to take measures affecting the size, structure and ownership of their capital. It contains provisions to simplify procedures for valuation of non-cash consideration for allocation of shares, acquisition of own shares, financial assistance and waiving of pre-emption rights. It also aims to enhance standardised creditor protection for reductions of capital and introduces "squeeze-out" and "sell-out" rights of majority and minority shareholders respectively. The Government support the objective of streamlining measures to reduce burdens for business behind this proposal but have reservations about the real deregulatory benefits it will bring in practice.

    The consultation seeks views on a number of issues to determine whether the changes in the proposal will have a significant beneficial impact for companies wanting to change their capital structures. It raises a number of areas where the proposals could lead to uncertainty on whether and how certain provisions will apply. It also seeks views on the proposed introduction of "squeeze-out" and "sell-out" rights in situations other than takeovers.

    Additionally, later this year the Commission intends to start a study to look at more radical reform of the capital maintenance regime and the Government invite views on the overall merits of reform of this nature.

    Proposal far a Directive on the Cross-Border Transfer of Registered Office

    This proposal will establish a legal framework for companies registered in the EU to transfer their registered office from one member state to another without having to be wound up. In Great Britain both public and private companies registered under the Companies Act 1985 would be able to utilise the proposed transfer structure. The Government support the measure as one which should extend the opportunities for corporate restructuring across the EU.

    This consultation is based on the proposals contained in the Commission's e-consultation carried out in spring 2004. It explores whether the overall proposal will be useful to UK companies and seeks views on the details of the procedures to be followed.

    Prescription Charges
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
    My honourable friend the Minister of State (Ms Rosie Winterton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
    WS 46
    We shall lay before the House regulations to increase National Health Service charges in England from 1 April 2005. There will be a cash increase in the prescription charge of 10 pence from £6.40 to £6.50 for each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed.

    The cost of prescription prepayment certificates will rise from £33.40 to £33.90 for a four-month certificate and from £91.80 to £93.20 for an annual certificate. These offer savings for those needing more than five items in four months or 14 in one year.

    Some 86 per cent of prescription items are dispensed in the community free of charge with another five per cent of items dispensed to holders of prepayment certificates at no additional charge at the point of dispensing.

    Around 50 per cent of the population are entitled to free prescriptions including:

    Men and women aged 60 and over

    Children under 16

    Young people aged 16, 17 and 18 who are in full-time education

    Pregnant women and women who have had a child in the previous 12 months and who hold a valid exemption certificate

    People who hold a valid exemption certificate for a war disablement but only in respect of medication for the disablement

    People suffering from certain medical conditions and who hold a valid exemption certificate

    People or their partners who get:

    Income support

    Pension credit guarantee credit

    Income-based jobseeker's allowance

    Tax credit where income is £15,050 per year or less and meets qualifying conditions.

    People on low incomes who qualify under the NHS low income scheme

    Prescription charges are expected to raise some £452 million for the NHS in 2005–06.

    Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and fabric supports supplied through the hospital service will be increased similarly.

    The maximum patient charge for a single course of dental treatment begun on or after 1 April 2005 will increase from £378 to £384. Only around two in every 1,000 dental courses of treatment incur the maximum charge.

    The prescription charge increase is the same as in the previous six years and is well below the current level of inflation. The other increases are in line with this percentage increase.
    WS 47
    In order to continue to provide help with the cost of spectacles or contact lenses to children, people on low incomes and individuals with complex sight problems, optical voucher values will rise by 2.5 per cent.

    NHS charges and optical voucher values in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved administrations.

    Details of the revised prescription, maximum dental charge and optical voucher values have been placed in the Library.

    NHS: Long-term Conditions
    Lord Warner
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Community (Dr Ladyman) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    In February 2001, my right honourable friend the then Secretary of State for Health (Mr Alan Milburn) announced that the department would be developing a new national service framework (NSF) with a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological conditions. I am pleased to announce that the long-term conditions NSF is today being published. It is an integral part of this Government's overall strategy to improve services for people with long-term conditions.

    This NSF covers the full range of issues for people with neurological conditions across health and social care. It has been developed through active consultation with key stakeholders, including people who use services and their carers, and the direct participation of experts and practitioners from the field.

    Although the NSF focuses on people with neurological conditions, much of the guidance it offers can apply to anyone living with a non-neurological long-term condition. Commissioners will therefore be encouraged to use the NSF in planning service
    WS 48
    developments for people with other long-term conditions.

    The long-term conditions NSF is an evidence-based, 10-year strategy, which advocates a cultural shift in the provision of care, with services being designed and delivered around the needs of people and their families. It highlights the need for high-quality services that offer choice and are prompt, convenient and responsive and that look at the "whole person", rather than at a presenting illness or problem.

    The broad remit of the NSF is covered in 11 quality requirements, which are:

    A person-centred service

    Early recognition, prompt diagnosis and treatment

    Emergency and acute management

    Early and specialist rehabilitation

    Community rehabilitation and support

    Vocational rehabilitation

    Providing equipment and accommodation

    Providing personal care and support

    Palliative care

    Supporting family and carers

    Caring for people with neurological conditions in hospital or other health and social care settings

    The long-term conditions NSF has been developed in line with this government's wider public sector reforms, to devolve power and responsibility to local agencies. While the NSF sets out the levels of service quality which we expect to be available by 2015, the pace of change is to be left to local National Health Service and social care discretion to determine, and will be balanced against other priorities. The costs of implementing the NSF will be met from the additional resources announced in the 2004 spending review for the NHS and adult personal social services.

    Copies of the NSF for long-term conditions have been placed in the Library.

  Written Statement

    Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Bill
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    Section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998 requires the Minister in charge of a Bill in either WS 50
    House of Parliament to make a statement, before Second Reading, about the compatibility of the provisions of the Bill with the convention rights (as defined in Section 1 of that Act).

    I am the Minister in charge of the Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Bill in the House of Lords.

    On 9 March 2005 I made the following statement under Section 19(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998.

    "In my view the provisions of the Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Bill are compatible with the convention rights".

  Written Statements

    St Helena
    The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Gareth Thomas) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    On 19 April 2004 (Official Report, Commons, col. 1 WS) I announced in a Written Statement that the Government would be undertaking feasibility and other investigatory work to determine how best to ensure access for St Helena when St Helena's passenger and supply ship, the RMS "St Helena", is withdrawn from scheduled service in or around 2010.

    That work is now completed. We have looked not only at issues relating directly to access, but also at the potential of various access options to encourage the development of a vibrant island economy. This reflects our aim, shared with St Helena, to achieve economic growth for the island.

    We have decided that, subject to satisfactory contract bids and a rigorous environmental impact assessment, we will establish air access for St Helena. This will entail providing an airport, with a 2,250 metre runway, near the eastern coast at Prosperous Bay Plain. It will be capable of supporting the safe operation of long-haul jet aircraft, such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737–800. We will also provide advice to help establish regular air services; and we will support the St Helena Government in taking advantage of the economic benefits that the new investment should bring to the island. All private sector investment interest will be considered on an equal footing.

    For their part, among other supporting work, the St Helena Government will review local legislation on inward investment, immigration and taxation. Our shared aim with St Helena will be the creation of a policy environment, against a transformed background of good access, that will encourage sustainable economic development and progress for St Helena and its community.

    Iraq: UK Service Personnel Prosecutions
    The Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith)
    In June 2004 I advised of my superintendence over the Army Prosecuting Authority and undertook to inform the House of criminal proceedings against soldiers arising out of incidents in Iraq. I also superintend the RAF and Naval Prosecuting Authorities and am accountable to Parliament for any prosecutions decisions.
    WS 52
    It is therefore appropriate that I advise the House that senior aircraftman James Alexander Bowskill of 2 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at Royal Air Force Station Honington, has been charged with an offence contrary to Section 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

    The charge reads that Bowskill drove a vehicle dangerously on a road, causing the deaths of five Iraqi civilians. The incident occurred in the vicinity of Basra, Iraq, on 3 February 2004. The court martial will take place on 4 April 2005 at the Military Court Centre in Colchester.

    Fundraising: Voluntary Sector Self-regulation
    The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)
    We are today publishing proposals for consultation on the principles on which the Government will base their assessment of the success of the self-regulation of voluntary sector fundraising.

    Self-regulation of fundraising was a recommendation of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit review of the charitable and wider not-for-profit sector, Private Action, Public Benefit. The Government accepted the Strategy Unit's recommendation for self-regulation of fundraising, and have made provision in the Charities Bill for statutory regulation should self-regulation fail.

    The draft Charities Bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament. The report of the Joint Committee on the draft Charities Bill endorsed the self-regulation of fundraising initiative and recommended that the Government publish for consultation the criteria in accordance with which my right honourable friend the Home Secretary will judge whether self-regulation is working effectively.

    Proposals for a "regulation of fundraising scheme" have recently been published by the Institute of Fundraising. The main aim of the scheme is to maintain and build on the high levels of public trust and confidence in the voluntary sector's fundraising activities. The scheme will help the sector guard against future threats to the high levels of public confidence, and to provide the sector with a platform to defend itself against criticism.

    The principles in accordance with which the Government propose that the success of the "regulation of fundraising scheme" should be assessed include: measures of participation, comprising of the number of participating organisations, the proportion of fundraised income covered by scheme membership, and the range of organisations in the scheme's membership; and other measures such as the effectiveness of complaints handling, public awareness of the scheme, the promotion of best practice, the scheme's independence, effective sanctions for non-compliance, the impact of the scheme on non-members and effective liaison with other regulators.

    In the scheme's initial years the focus would be on measuring the take-up of the scheme within the sector as it develops its membership. It is envisaged that a

    WS 53
    formal assessment of the success of self-regulation would take place as part of the review of the impact of the Charities Bill which is due to take place within five years of enactment, and would report to Parliament.

    We are very grateful to all those who have contributed to the development of the proposals for the self-regulation of fundraising. I would particularly like to thank the Institute of Fundraising for taking the lead in developing the scheme, Rodney Buse for considering and consulting on an appropriate model for self-regulation to adopt, and the members of the steering committee for their work in taking the proposals forward.

    Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Library and will also be available on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/comrace/ active/charitylaw/index.html.

    Details of the proposed self-regulation scheme are available on the Institute of Fundraising website at www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk.

    Comments are requested by 3 June 2005 and a further Statement will be made in due course.

    Homelessness
    The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)
    I am pleased to announce that the Government's new homelessness strategy Sustainable Communities: Settled Homes; Changing Lives has been launched.

    Settled Homes; Changing Lives follows on from our five-year plans, Homes for All and People, Places and Prosperity. It builds on our achievements to date in tackling the worst forms of homelessness. This has resulted in meeting challenging targets to significantly reduce rough sleeping since 1998 and put an end to the scandal of homeless families having to raise their children for long periods in cramped bed-and-breakfast hotels. It also sets out our plans for reducing homelessness further and halving the use of temporary accommodation by 2010.

    I have placed copies of our strategy for tackling homelessness in both House Libraries. The Government response to the ODPM Select Committee report on homelessness will be laid before Parliament today. Both documents are also available on the ODPM's website at www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/ odpm_ control/documents/contentservertemplate/
    odpm_index.hcst?n = 865&1 = 2.

    Asylum and Immigration: Statutory Instruments
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)
    On 7 March the Lord Chancellor made the following statutory instrument:

    The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) Order.
    WS 54
    The order, is made in accordance with Section 48(3)(a), (4), (5) and (6) of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004, hereafter referred to as the 2004 Act. This order commences Section 26 (unification of appeal system) of, and Schedules 1 and 2 to the 2004 Act on 4 April 2005. This order also contains transitional provisions in relation to pending appeals which were made to an adjudicator before 4 April 2005, and in relation to farther appeals and applications in such cases. Copies of the order have been made available to Members and Peers in the votes and printed pages office.

    On 10 March, the Lord Chancellor also laid before Parliament the following statutory instruments.

    The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Fast Track Procedure) Rules 2005, and the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Fast Track Time Limits) Order 2005.

    The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Fast Track Procedure) Rules 2005 are made in accordance with Sections 106(1)–(3) and 112(3) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and Section 40A(3) of the British Nationality Act 1981, after consulting with the Council on Tribunals in accordance with Section 8 of the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1992. These rules prescribe a "fast-track" procedure for appeals and applications to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, where the appellant is in detention under the Immigration Acts at the locations listed in Schedule 2 to the rules. The rules come into force on 4 April 2005.

    The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Fast Track Time Limits) Order 2005 is made in accordance with Sections 26(8) and (9) of the 2004 Act, after consulting with the Lord Chief Justice in accordance with Section 26(10) of the 2004 Act. This order shortens the time limits for review applications made by parties to "fast-track" appeals to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. These are referred to as Section 103A applications.

    For a transitional period, Section 103A applications will initially be considered by a member of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. If the tribunal member does not make an order for reconsideration or grant permission for the application to be made out of time, the applicant may notify the appropriate court, under Paragraph 30(5)(a) of Schedule 2 to the 2004 Act, that he wishes the court to consider the application.

    This order reduces to two days the time limits for making the Section 103A application and for giving notice under Paragraph 30(5)(a), in cases where the fast-track procedure rules apply, so long as the appellant remains in detention when the application is made or notification is given. It comes into force on 4 April 2005.

    Genetics and Insurance
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
    WS 55
    We are publishing today a new concordat and moratorium on genetics and insurance, which has been agreed between the Government and the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Copies have been placed in the Library. An electronic version has been placed on the Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk/ publications.

    The new framework, which comes into force today, provides that the use of genetic information by insurance companies will be transparent, fair, and subject to independent oversight. It will help to reassure patients who may be deterred from taking predictive genetic tests for fear of the insurance consequences, and is flexible enough to respond to fast-moving technological and clinical developments in genetic testing.

    The concordat balances the interest of patients and insurers. Those seeking insurance should not withhold information relevant to underwriting, and insurers should not treat people who have an adverse predictive genetic test result less favourably than others, except as provided for in the concordat.

    The moratorium on the use by insurers of predictive genetic test results is extended for an extra five years until 1 November 2011. No one will be required to disclose the results of a predictive genetic test unless it has been approved by the Genetics and Insurance Committee (GAIC) and is for insurance of more than £500,000 for life insurance or £300,000 for other health insurance. This means that for the vast majority of insurance policies genetic tests results will not be used at all.

    The concordat clarifies the broad types of insurance for which predictive genetic test results may be relevant. They are life, critical illness, and income protection insurance policies. Insurers will not use the results from predictive genetic tests for travel insurance, private
    WS 56
    medical insurance, or any other one-off or annual policy, or for long-term-care insurance.

    The concordat also clarifies the circumstances when patients need not disclose genetic information, and how information will be handled by insurers. For example, genetic tests taken as part of a research study will not need to be disclosed to insurers. This is good news for United Kingdom clinical researchers, as it specifically rules out the use by insurers of the results of genetic tests taken during participation in clinical trials, removing a potential obstacle to patient recruitment in the development of diagnostic tests, treatments, and medicines.

    These commitments are backed up by independent oversight of the use of predictive genetic tests by GAIC together with the ABI's code of practice and an impartial complaint and arbitration process.

    The Government would like to thank the Human Genetics Commission, GAIC, patient groups including Breakthrough Breast Cancer, CancerBACUP and the Alzheimer's Society, and other research groups and individuals who have provided valuable contributions that have helped shape this new concordat and moratorium on genetics and insurance.

    The new framework means that insurance will continue to be available for people who take predictive genetic tests. They will need to disclose only the adverse results of predictive genetic tests for a limited range of unusually high-value insurance polices—and then only if the predictive genetic test has been approved by the GAIC. It is the Government's view that this approach is good news for individuals and insurance companies as it will ensure that the rights, safety and well-being of those taking predictive genetic tests are protected whilst also ensuring a viable and fair insurance market.

  Written Statements

    Northern Ireland: Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
    The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    As a consequence of additional allocations made to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety since Parliament's approval of Estimates in July 2004, the department has an additional cash requirement in respect of Health and Social Services boards and trusts.

    Parliamentary approval for additional cash to finance these services is currently being sought in a supplementary estimate for DHSSPS. Pending that approval, urgent cash needs, estimated at £143 million, will be met by repayable advances from the NI consolidated fund.

    Land Registry: Key Performance Indicators and Targets 2005–06
    The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (Lord Falconer of Thoroton)
    The following list sets out the key performance targets* I have set for Her Majesty's Land Registry for 2005–06.

    CUSTOMER SERVICE

    Speed:

    Percentage of official copy and search applications processed within two working days: 98 per cent

    Percentage of all registrations processed within 18 working days: 80 per cent

    Accuracy:

    Percentage of registrations processed free of any error: 98.5 per cent
    Overall Satisfaction:

    Percentage of customers who, overall, are very satisfied/satisfied with the full range of services provided by Land Registry: Better than 95 per cent

    FINANCIAL:

    Percentage return on average capital employed: 3.5 per cent
    WS 58
    Efficiency:

    Cost per unit in cash terms2 (real terms3): £30.011 (£21.75).

    1 This is a milestone towards the HM Treasury agreed cost per unit target for 2006–07 of £28.81 in cash terms (£20.27 in real terms).

    2 Based on the GDP deflator issued by HM Treasury on 23 December 2004 (base year 1992–93).

    3 The real term unit cost in the base year of 1992–93 was £30.65.

    CRITICAL ACTION POINTS

    Customer service:

    Make scanned deeds referred to on the register available electronically via land register online;

    Land registration:

    Register for the first time an additional 5 per cent of the area of freehold land in England and Wales;

    Electronic service delivery:

    Provide a further data centre for business continuity purposes; and

    Other business development:

    Complete electronic document authentication prototyping.

    * More information on these and other key targets is published in the strategic and business plans

    National Enforcement Service
    Lord Falconer of Thoroton
    I am pleased to announce today plans for the introduction of a National Enforcement Service to take forward my commitment to ensuring the fullest possible compliance with court orders. For too long enforcement of court orders has been patchy and flawed. We have made real improvements in enforcement. The payment rate of fines now at 80 per cent compared to just over 50 per cent two years ago. But there is more to be done. The time has come for the next stage of reform

    My proposals involve the introduction of a robust national framework to deliver a single consistent enforcement process for the whole of England and Wales, and to deal robustly with offenders who fail to attend court, default on fine payments and breach community penalty orders. The launch of the new unified Her Majesty's Court Service next month will allow us to put in place a cross-criminal justice system enforcement team that is more distinct, professional and better skilled. The specific remit of the National Enforcement Service will be to bear down on the hard core of offenders who consistently attempt to flout their obligations to the courts. This does not mean a new agency or department, but a better, more collaborative approach to tackling enforcement, which builds on the lessons learned from national initiatives including the recent "Operation Payback". Enforcement staff in the magistrates' courts together with the police, the National Probation Service and other criminal justice agencies will form the core of the service.
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    Improving sentence compliance is key to building public confidence in the criminal justice system and the National Enforcement Service will do just that. The National Enforcement Service framework will be tested first across a region from April 2006 with the aim of full national rollout in 2007–08.

    Veterans Agency: Performance Targets 2005–06
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Ivor Caplin) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I am announcing today that the key targets that have been set for the chief executive of the Veterans Agency (VA) for the financial year 2005–06 are as follows:

    Service

    Key target 1: To issue decisions on claims to war pensions in an average of no more than 59 working days. This is an improvement of four working days on the agency's 2004–05 target; and it represents a cumulative improvement of 41 per cent against the agency's 2000–01 baseline level of 100 working days.

    Key target 2: To issue decisions on war widows claims in an average of no more than 23 working days. This is an improvement of two working days on the agency's 2004–05 target; and it represents a cumulative improvement of 36 per cent against the agency's 2000–01 baseline level of 36 working days.

    Key target 3: To achieve an externally-validated war pensions scheme claims accuracy rate of at least 97 per cent.

    Key target 4: To achieve an externally-validated AFCS claims accuracy rate of at least 97 per cent.

    Key target 5: To achieve an externally-validated medical adjudication accuracy rate of at least 97 per cent.

    Working in Partnership

    Key target 6: To work with the Department for Constitutional Affairs Court Service to reduce the average time it takes an appeal to pass through the war pensions appeals process. By 31 March 2006 the average time should reduce to no more than 225 working days. This is an improvement of 15 working days on the agency's 2004–05 target; and it represents a cumulative improvement of 60 per cent against its 2000–01 baseline level of 565 working days.

    Iran: Body Armour
    The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)
    In March 2005, after consultation with the Ministry of Defence and the export control organisations, the DTI, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office donated WS 60
    armoured vests and body armour plates to the Iranian Anti-Narcotics Police (ANP). This gift was to provide an element of protection for the ANP in their work of countering drugs smuggling from Afghanistan. We are satisfied that these goods would be used only for anti-narcotics operations and are therefore prepared to make an exception to the UK national embargo announced in 1993, as amended in 1998.

    We are fully committed to implementing the UK embargo on Iran. However, we are, in limited circumstances, prepared to make exceptions where denying an export or a gift would be contrary to the intention of the embargo. As the UK has been active in encouraging and assisting Iran with combating the smuggling of drugs from Afghanistan, I am confident that granting this exception is fully consistent with this responsible approach of supporting the ANP while respecting the aims of the embargo.

    A departmental minute announcing the intention to make the gift was laid before Parliament on 22 February.

    All export licences, F680s and Crown immunity gifts are considered on a case by case basis judged against the consolidated and national arms export licensing criteria.

    Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2005
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    My right honourable friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Paul Boateng) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    Following the announcement that the Budget will take place on 16 March, HM Treasury plans to publish the public expenditure statistical analyses 2005 on Thursday 7 April 2005.

    Patient and Public Involvement in Health: Support Arrangements
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
    My honourable friend the Minister of State (Ms Rosie Winterton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement today.

    The Government have today published their response to the recent consultation exercise on the future support arrangements for patient and public involvement in health.

    The main features of the response include

    combining patients' forums in primary care trust areas into single forums but not reducing the number of forum members;

    requiring forums to have chairs who will be appointed by the NHS Appointments Commission. These appointments will be made with the full involvement of forum members; and
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    the development of a national resource centre in patient and public involvement that will assist both the NHS and patients' forums in their respective responsibilities in relation to patient and public involvement.
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    Copies have been placed in the Library.

    Copies of the consultation findings as well as the Government's response are also available on the department's website.

  Written Statements

    Northern Ireland: Magilligan Prison
    The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    The Government have received a report from the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, Kit Chivers. The report is on an announced inspection of Magilligan Prison and has today been published.

    The Government warmly welcome this report, which recognises not only areas of good practice but, helpfully, identifies a number of areas for improvement. I shall be considering very carefully the report's recommendations. I have no doubt that the report will be of value in informing and reassuring the public, and is helpful to the managers and staff who are involved in this challenging area of work.

    Debt and Reserves Management Report 2005–06
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    My honourable friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Stephen Timms) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    The Debt and Reserves Management Report 2005–06 is being published today. Copies will be available in the Library of the House at the conclusion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget Statement.

    Invest To Save Budget
    Lord McIntosh of Haringey
    My right honourable friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr Paul Boateng) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I am pleased to announce that 37 bids from across the public and voluntary sectors have been successful in round 7 of the Invest to Save Budget at a cost of £37 million in total over the three years to 2007–08 for England. The allocated sum rises to £43 million to include consequential funding for the devolved administrations. Details of the winners of this round have been placed in the Library of the House.

    The Invest to Save Budget (ISB) provides support for projects that increase the extent of joint working between different parts of government; identify innovative ways of delivering public services; and reduce the cost of delivering the services and/or improve the quality and effectiveness of services delivered to the public.
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    This, the seventh round of the ISB, concentrates on the priority areas of:

    Health and social care for older people;

    Employment for people from black and ethnic minority communities;

    Correctional services;

    Hostel provision for homeless people;

    Support for parents and learning services for adults; and

    Integration for people from ethnic minorities.

    Winning projects must agree an implementation plan with the sponsor departments. Each project must provide six-monthly progress reports and carry out an evaluation of its success once it has been completed. Wider dissemination of the good practice from completed projects is then fed back into the whole spectrum of public service providers.

    Premature Deaths: People with Learning Disabilities
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Community (Dr Ladyman) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I am announcing today the first stage of a confidential inquiry into premature deaths among people with learning disabilities. The Department of Health has asked the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), which is taking responsibility for confidential inquiries from April 2005, to carry out a scoping study to establish the best way to conduct the inquiry.

    The Government's White Paper Valuing People, published in 2001, included as one of its main objectives improvements in the health of people with learning disabilities. In particular, it highlighted the need to address evidence of health inequalities. The Government have taken action to address this, primarily through asking learning disability partnership boards to develop plans for health action planning in their local areas. But Valuing People also noted that there was cause for concern about evidence of avoidable illness and premature deaths, and included an undertaking to look at the feasibility of establishing a confidential inquiry into mortality among people with learning disabilities.

    The department has held wide-ranging discussions with experts and stakeholders and has determined that an inquiry would not only be practicable but would also provide valuable information about the healthcare of people with learning disabilities. Healthcare for this group has also continued to be raised as a matter of concern for organisations such as Mencap and the Disability Rights Commission.

    Professor Sir John Lilleyman (Medical Director, NPSA) is the lead director for confidential inquiries and will be in charge of the management of the scoping exercise. The research will be overseen, managed and commissioned by Professor Richard Lilford's team at the University of Birmingham.
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    Our intention is that this inquiry should be carried out in a new and more flexible style compared to previous inquiries. It will be time-limited and produce results that can then be used to inform practice. The confidential investigation of healthcare histories of people with learning disabilities will be complex, since it will in many
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    cases need to cover care provided in a variety of settings, for example residential care homes. The scoping project I have announced today is the first step to a full-scale inquiry and will also provide valuable information in its own right about the healthcare of people with learning disabilities.

  Written Statements

    Asian Tsunami: Rehabilitation Funding
    The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Hilary Benn) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    The 26 December 2004 tsunami brought destruction to coastal areas of south and south-east Asian countries and claimed over 273,000 lives, leaving millions of people in need of assistance.

    DfID committed £75 million to the immediate relief effort, some £66 million of which has already been allocated to United Nations agencies, the Red Cross movement, and non-governmental organisations, or spent through DfID direct action or donations in kind. The British public has responded with unprecedented generosity to this disaster. Appeals such as that of the Disasters Emergency Committee have had an overwhelming response.

    DfID will now contribute up to £65 million for longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction. This is likely to be channelled mainly through the trust funds that are being set up in affected countries. Our response will be guided by the findings of needs assessments currently being finalised, and by the level of resources already available to affected countries. Our assistance towards longer-term reconstruction will not be at the expense of DfID funding for other emergencies or existing programmes.

    Nepal: Assistance Suspension
    Baroness Amos
    My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Gareth Thomas) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    Earlier today, I informed the government of Nepal that the Department for International Development was ending support to Nepal's police, prison services and the Prime Minister's office. A total of £2.4 million had been committed but £1.3 million remains unspent and will now be cancelled.

    This follows the dismissal of the Government by King Gyanendra of Nepal on 1 February. Since then, the UK Government have been carrying out an initial assessment of the implications for our development partnership with Nepal. Assistance will continue to be kept under review.

    The criteria against which decisions on DfID assistance are made are the ability to make an effective contribution towards the millennium development goals and the safety and security of staff. We need to ensure that our programmes can continue to benefit poor and excluded people in Nepal. It is vital that the government of Nepal maintain agreed financial allocations to
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    essential development services, such as health and education, and not divert them to other purposes.

    Along with the rest of the international donor community, the safety and welfare of staff carrying out development programmes, especially those in the field, is of paramount importance. We will not continue programmes in the face of increased and unacceptable risk or interference. The UK has called on both parties to the violent conflict in Nepal to ensure that the international community can continue to provide the development assistance that is needed to provide essential services to the poor. The Department for International Development will press for concrete measures by both sides to affirm that they will do everything in their power to safeguard poverty reduction programmes and staff.

    We are deeply concerned about human rights in Nepal and will continue to work with others in the international community to encourage democracy in Nepal, the full protection of human rights by both parties to the conflict and progress towards a peace process.

    Finance Bill
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord McIntosh of Haringey)
    My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    It is expected that the Finance Bill will be published on Thursday 24 March. Explanatory notes on the Bill's clauses will be available in the Vote Office (the Printed Paper Office in the House of Lords) and the Libraries of both Houses on that day. The explanatory notes will be available from Stationery Office bookshops and on the Treasury's website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.

    DCMS: Five-Year Plan
    Lord McIntosh of Haringey
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I am publishing today the department's five-year plan, Living Life to the Full. Copies will be deposited in the House Libraries and the plan will be available on the DCMS website.

    The plan sets our course for the next five years and builds on the significant progress that we have made in recent years. It sets out our achievements, our goals and the practical steps we will take to achieve them in the years ahead.

    The fabric of this country and the quality of life we all experience are improving rapidly. The average proportion of household income spent on leisure nearly doubled between 1977 and 2002. We all expect more choice and higher quality. At the same time, opportunities are expanding to enjoy the arts, visit museums and galleries, to play sport, to travel, access the world's best media and prosper in the creative industries.
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    We have come a long way. In 2001 we introduced free admission to national museums and galleries—resulting in a record number of visits—34 million last year. Creative Partnerships—bringing the experience and stimulation of culture to young people in deprived areas—will see 450,000 young people involved by this time next year. We recently published the BBC Green Paper setting out the framework for a strong BBC independent of government. We are investing £1 billion in sports facilities to benefit every community. Working in partnership with the Department for Education and Skills we have ensured that more than a half of all children in school do a weekly minimum of two hours PE and school sport, which is up from a quarter in 2002. We are putting our wholehearted support behind London's bid to bring the Olympics to this country in 2012.

    But there are still too many people who do not know about the opportunities available to them or who are not able to afford the cost of their talent: parents who cannot afford to support their children in making the most of their creativity and skills; adults who do not know how to get involved in local cultural and sporting opportunities; and young people who miss out on formative experiences.

    In the plan we make 10 commitments covering the key areas where the department, working together with our partners in our sponsored bodies, in local government, in the voluntary and private sectors, can make a real difference.

    We will work to build a comprehensive offer to young people on culture—known as Creative Sparks. We will review how National Lottery money has been spent so far on arts, sport, heritage and film projects, and then consult about how proceeds should be spent in these areas after 2009. We will continue to improve our support for élite athletes, rewarding success with the talented athlete and 2012 scholarships. We will persuade nearly half a million adults per year to become physically active. We will complete our programme to replace outdated licensing and gambling laws, balancing personal freedom and prosperity with strengthening protection for the vulnerable. We will provide a virtual high-street for tourism and leisure offering an information and booking service to on-line users.

    The title of the plan is Living Life to the Full. Quite simply that is what our sectors can offer—the ability for everyone to live their lives and develop their talents to the fullest extent. So the aim of our five year plan is straightforward, yet ambitious—making the quality of life in this country world-class and giving everyone the chance to taste it.

    Company Law Reform
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
    My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    I am pleased to announce that we are today publishing a White Paper setting out proposals for a Company Law Reform Bill.
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    These proposals result from a comprehensive review of company law, which we initiated in 1998. In 2001 we received the final report from the Company Law Review, an independent group of experts, practitioners and business people. The White Paper also takes account of international and other developments. We are very grateful for the input of a wide range of interested parties into the proposals we are bringing forward today.

    The White Paper sets out a range of measures designed to further four crucial objectives: to enhance shareholder engagement and a long term investment culture; to ensure better regulation and a "think small first" approach; to make it easier to set up and run a company; and to provide flexibility for the future.

    The proposals are part of a wider programme of action to facilitate enterprise, encourage investment and promote long-term company performance. We brought forward legislation to strengthen regulation of the accounting and audit profession and to allow a new type of community enterprise company. We have laid draft regulations for quoted companies to produce an operating and financial review and we have introduced greater transparency by quoted companies on directors' remuneration. We have taken smaller companies out of the need for an audit. We have also worked with market participants to strengthen corporate governance and shareholder engagement.

    The measures set out in the White Paper represent a significant step forward in ensuring that our law remains up to date, flexible, and accessible for all those who use it. By making company law better fitted to today's realities, the measures should create improved performance across the economy as a whole. They could also produce cost savings for business of some £250 million a year. The proposals will help to ensure that Britain remains one of the best places in the world to set up and run a business.

    NHS: Non-medical Professions' Review
    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)
    My right honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Health has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

    On 27 January I announced that the Chief Medical Officer for England had agreed to carry out a review of the revalidation of doctors and related matters, following concerns expressed by Dame Janet Smith in her fifth report from the Shipman inquiry. Dame Janet focused her inquiries, as her remit required, on the medical profession. However, if changes are proposed to the arrangements for doctors, it is likely that they will have important implications for the regulatory arrangements for the other health professions, particularly where their roles are changing. And there may be other implications. I have therefore asked Mr Andrew Foster, director of Workforce, to lead a review of non-medical professional regulation. This

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    review will run in parallel to the review into medical issues being conducted by Sir Liam Donaldson. It will consider and advise me about the measures needed to:

    strengthen procedures for ensuring that the performance or conduct of non-medical health professionals and other healthcare staff does not pose a threat to patient safety or the effective functioning of services, particularly focusing on the effective and fair operation of fitness to practise procedures;

    ensure the operation of effective systems of continuing professional development and appraisal for non-medical healthcare staff and make progress towards regular revalidation where this is appropriate; and

    ensure the effective regulation of healthcare staff working in new roles within the healthcare sector and of other staff in regular contact with patients.

    In the light of the above, it will further consider and recommend any changes needed to the role, structure, functions and number of regulators of non-medical healthcare professional staff. The director of Workforce is likely to report his conclusions and recommendations to me towards the end of the year.

    As with CMO's review, there will be an advisory group, which will include experts from non-medical regulators and from the NHS. A larger reference group, which will include education and training
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    bodies and professional organisations as well as consumer and healthcare quality interests, will also support this process.

    The members of the advisory group are:

    Andrew Foster (Chair)

    Director of Workforce, Department of Health (DH)

    Chris Beasley

    Chief Nursing Officer

    Kay East

    Chief Health Professions Officer

    Professor Sue Hill

    Chief Scientific Officer

    Professor Raman Bedi

    Chief Dental Officer

    Dr Jim Smith

    Chief Pharmaceutical Officer

    Harry Cayton

    Director of Patient and Public, DH

    Jane Wesson

    Chairman, Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE)

    Sandy Forrest

    Director, CHRE

    Steve Barnet

    Director, NHS Employers

    Alastair Henderson

    Deputy Director, NHS Employers

    Jonathan Asbridge

    President, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

    Sarah Thewlis

    Chief Executive, NMC

    Norma Brook

    President, Health Professions Council (HPC)

    Marc Seale

    Chief Executive, HPC

    Nic Greenfield

    Deputy Director of Workforce, DH

    Steve Catling

    Head of Professional Standards, DH