My Lords, my noble friend gave way. I would like to ask a specific question. If a similar situation arose to that of the ““Herald of Free Enterprise””, and the stricken ship bore a foreign flag but was owned by a UK company, what would be the position?

My Lords, my noble friend gave way. I would like to ask a specific question. If a similar situation arose to that of the ““Herald of Free Enterprise””, and the stricken ship bore a foreign flag but was owned by a UK company, what would be the position?

My Lords, I know that my noble friend is familiar with what I am going to say. The relevant criteria would apply in the same way as they would to any other offence committed on British soil. One would have to look at the facts of the case and consider...

My Lords, I know that my noble friend is familiar with what I am going to say. The relevant criteria would apply in the same way as they would to any other offence committed on British soil. One would have to look at the facts of the case and consider...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing this Bill with her usual elegance and lucidity and for explaining why, although small, it is of great significance—that is underlined, she would agree, by the fact that on the day that we rise for Christmas some 24 noble Lords have put...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing this Bill with her usual elegance and lucidity and for explaining why, although small, it is of great significance—that is underlined, she would agree, by the fact that on the day that we rise for Christmas some 24 noble Lords have put...

My Lords, I apologise to the Minister for interrupting, but she is coming to a most important point in her very clear exegesis. Yes, Crown immunity has been waived in relation to employees and the Occupiers’ Liability Acts, but it does not seem to have been waived in wider areas,...

My Lords, I apologise to the Minister for interrupting, but she is coming to a most important point in her very clear exegesis. Yes, Crown immunity has been waived in relation to employees and the Occupiers’ Liability Acts, but it does not seem to have been waived in wider areas,...

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I am very pleased to be opening our debates on what is a small but significant Bill. It is small in thatit has a single aim—to establish a new offenceof corporate manslaughter—and a relatively small...

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. I am very pleased to be opening our debates on what is a small but significant Bill. It is small in thatit has a single aim—to establish a new offenceof corporate manslaughter—and a relatively small...

My Lords, I would like to ask—

My Lords, I would like to ask—

My Lords, I had every intention of doing so, but I understand the anxiety of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lyell, about this and I will turn to it straightaway. We have come to the clear view that there is no good reason why government departments should be in...

My Lords, I had every intention of doing so, but I understand the anxiety of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Lyell, about this and I will turn to it straightaway. We have come to the clear view that there is no good reason why government departments should be in...

My Lords, I am sure that we all cheer my noble friend for her powerful and clear presentation of the conclusions of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, of which I, too, am a member. Does she agree that there is another very powerful argument in paragraph 1.43 of the...

My Lords, I am sure that we all cheer my noble friend for her powerful and clear presentation of the conclusions of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, of which I, too, am a member. Does she agree that there is another very powerful argument in paragraph 1.43 of the...

My Lords, I compliment the Government on introducing this long-overdue Bill. In the past few years many public and private bodies have caused death or considerable harm to their employees or the general public, and have not been successfully prosecuted or have got away with nothing more than a fine....

My Lords, I compliment the Government on introducing this long-overdue Bill. In the past few years many public and private bodies have caused death or considerable harm to their employees or the general public, and have not been successfully prosecuted or have got away with nothing more than a fine....

My Lords, Article 2 under the Human Rights Act guarantees everyone the right to life. This long-awaited Bill sets out the conditions in which employers can be held accountable for deaths due to negligence. However, some exemptions effectively exonerate—in advance—a public service body that may be guilty of negligence causing...

My Lords, Article 2 under the Human Rights Act guarantees everyone the right to life. This long-awaited Bill sets out the conditions in which employers can be held accountable for deaths due to negligence. However, some exemptions effectively exonerate—in advance—a public service body that may be guilty of negligence causing...

My Lords, I also thank the noble Baroness for giving a clear exposition of the Bill, as she habitually does—as I have learnt in the short time that I have been in this place. I am pleased to welcome this legislation from the other place: it has been long sought...

My Lords, I also thank the noble Baroness for giving a clear exposition of the Bill, as she habitually does—as I have learnt in the short time that I have been in this place. I am pleased to welcome this legislation from the other place: it has been long sought...

My Lords, not surprisingly, I am interested in the Scottish aspects of the Bill. I am very pleased to note that the noble and learned Lord, Lord Davidson of Glen Clova, who has been misdescribed as the Lord Advocate when in fact he is the Advocate-General for Scotland, will wind...

My Lords, not surprisingly, I am interested in the Scottish aspects of the Bill. I am very pleased to note that the noble and learned Lord, Lord Davidson of Glen Clova, who has been misdescribed as the Lord Advocate when in fact he is the Advocate-General for Scotland, will wind...

My Lords, just immediately, I am not sure that I have understood the question, which is undoubtedly my fault. If the noble Lord is addressing the question of whether the Bill should be expanded to include personal liability, my view, as I said, is that at the moment I think...

My Lords, just immediately, I am not sure that I have understood the question, which is undoubtedly my fault. If the noble Lord is addressing the question of whether the Bill should be expanded to include personal liability, my view, as I said, is that at the moment I think...

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble and learned Lord for giving way. I understand that he is coming to a conclusion and I would like to ask him a question about something that he said as we approach Committee, where these matters may be raised. He referred...

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble and learned Lord for giving way. I understand that he is coming to a conclusion and I would like to ask him a question about something that he said as we approach Committee, where these matters may be raised. He referred...

My Lords, I begin by declaring an interest as chairman of Stowe School and a trustee of Stowe House Preservation Trust.It is a very well known and beautiful building,the maintenance of which carries enormous responsibilities similar to those carried by the Government in relation to the public estate. The National...

My Lords, I begin by declaring an interest as chairman of Stowe School and a trustee of Stowe House Preservation Trust.It is a very well known and beautiful building,the maintenance of which carries enormous responsibilities similar to those carried by the Government in relation to the public estate. The National...

My Lords, I will be brief and probably not quite as colourful as the noble Lord, Lord James of Blackheath. He made me think of my early years of wearing a boiler suit and overalls and working for swashbuckling entrepreneurs, most of whom, rather than enthusing me, sent me running...

My Lords, I will be brief and probably not quite as colourful as the noble Lord, Lord James of Blackheath. He made me think of my early years of wearing a boiler suit and overalls and working for swashbuckling entrepreneurs, most of whom, rather than enthusing me, sent me running...

My Lords, I am not a lawyer, but I come to this Bill from the perspective of someone who has spent most of his adult life in boardrooms, living with the shadow of corporate homicide or manslaughter to be worked around or dealt with all the time. I am broadly...

My Lords, I am not a lawyer, but I come to this Bill from the perspective of someone who has spent most of his adult life in boardrooms, living with the shadow of corporate homicide or manslaughter to be worked around or dealt with all the time. I am broadly...

My Lords, I, too, support the intentions of the Bill, as there is concern—not only from trade unions, one of which I worked for over many years—about the inadequacy of current legislation when deaths occur as a result of the failings of organisations. Despite a number of major incidents, some...

My Lords, I, too, support the intentions of the Bill, as there is concern—not only from trade unions, one of which I worked for over many years—about the inadequacy of current legislation when deaths occur as a result of the failings of organisations. Despite a number of major incidents, some...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a member of Amicus and a past president of two of its founder unions, ASTMS and MSF. Like most of my colleagues on this side of the House, I welcome the Bill. The Minister was right to refer in her opening remarks to...

My Lords, I declare an interest as a member of Amicus and a past president of two of its founder unions, ASTMS and MSF. Like most of my colleagues on this side of the House, I welcome the Bill. The Minister was right to refer in her opening remarks to...

My Lords, this Friday, 22 December, sees the seventh anniversary of the deaths of the Findlay family, from Larkhall in Lanarkshire. The family was made up of Andrew and Janette, and their two children, Stacey, who was then 13, and Daryl, who was 11. There will be many in Scotland...

My Lords, this Friday, 22 December, sees the seventh anniversary of the deaths of the Findlay family, from Larkhall in Lanarkshire. The family was made up of Andrew and Janette, and their two children, Stacey, who was then 13, and Daryl, who was 11. There will be many in Scotland...