HL Deb 19 March 2002 vol 632 c127WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 22 January (WA 169), whether the Explanatory Notes to government Bills, in so far as they relate to statements made under Section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and to significant convention issues arising from the provisions of the Bill, will be reviewed and amended at each stage of a Bill's passage, in order to take account of any significant amendments. [HL3209]

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)

A Minister in charge of a Bill should be ready to explain his thinking about ECHR compatibility throughout a Bill's passage. It would not be practicable to require Explanatory Notes to be updated on ECHR or other points between introduction and completion of the Bill's passage through a House. The Explanatory Notes are of course updated when a Bill is brought from one House to the other and again before the resulting Act is published.

Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Chancellor on 22 January (WA 169), whether the Explanatory Notes to government Bills, in so far as they relate to statements made under Section 19 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and to significant convention issues arising from the provisions of the Bill, will be amended on the completion of the Bill's passage, in order to take account of any amendments to the Bill or any significant human rights issues raised in debate. [HL3210]

The Lord Chancellor

Yes. The Explanatory Notes to each government Bill are updated at the end of its passage and published with the Act. It is not of course for departments to give advice on interpretation of an Act. That is a matter for the courts.