§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why they will not disclose their reasons for their views on compatibility statements under Section 19 of the Hurnan Rights Act 1998. [HL2738]
§ The Lord ChancellorI refer the noble Lord to the Written Answer that I gave to him on 22 January 2002,Official Report, WA 193. In future, the Explanatory Notes on government Bills will identify the most significant convention issues thought to arise from the provisions, together with the Minister's conclusions on compatibility. This is a new procedure to help each House and the Joint Committee in their debates on the human rights aspects of government Bills.
Such notes will not reveal the legal advice behind a Minister's conclusions, or the precise assessment of arguments for and against the conclusion. In this field, as more generally, legal advice remains confidential. Within that constraint, Ministers should be as forthcoming as they can during debate on the Bill.