To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had at meetings of the Council of Ministers on (a) the European Union response to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko and (b) the refusal of the Russian authorities to extradite Andrei Lugovoi; and if...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had at meetings of the Council of Ministers on (a) the European Union response to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko and (b) the refusal of the Russian authorities to extradite Andrei Lugovoi; and if...

Mr. Litvinenko was my constituent. When I asked the former Home Secretary to pursue this matter without fear or favour, he said that he would do so. I regard the Secretary of State’s statement today as following up on that promise to a great extent, and I welcome his remarks....

Mr. Litvinenko was my constituent. When I asked the former Home Secretary to pursue this matter without fear or favour, he said that he would do so. I regard the Secretary of State’s statement today as following up on that promise to a great extent, and I welcome his remarks....

Although the Government tabled some amendments in the other place to address some of the concerns of Opposition Members, we remain concerned that the proposals herald a shift in British justice, with the prosecution effectively setting the sentence. Another concern is that, under these proposals, criminals may be able to...

Although the Government tabled some amendments in the other place to address some of the concerns of Opposition Members, we remain concerned that the proposals herald a shift in British justice, with the prosecution effectively setting the sentence. Another concern is that, under these proposals, criminals may be able to...

I am grateful, to you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I apologise for sitting down too soon. Lords amendment No. 71 concerns intervention in a failing police force. When a police force is failing, people will indeed want to be protected by Government intervention to ensure that they are safe and have...

I am grateful, to you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I apologise for sitting down too soon. Lords amendment No. 71 concerns intervention in a failing police force. When a police force is failing, people will indeed want to be protected by Government intervention to ensure that they are safe and have...

Liberal Democrat Members are not concerned about conditional cautions—we support and approve of anything that moves towards rehabilitation or reparation—but about the introduction of punitive cautions, particularly in the form of financial penalties. The Government’s proposals mean that punishments will be issued on the spot, circumventing proper judicial procedure. That...

Liberal Democrat Members are not concerned about conditional cautions—we support and approve of anything that moves towards rehabilitation or reparation—but about the introduction of punitive cautions, particularly in the form of financial penalties. The Government’s proposals mean that punishments will be issued on the spot, circumventing proper judicial procedure. That...

If the Solicitor-General gives me time, I will elaborate. I was referring not to prosecutors but to the people who may be arrested. Lastly, the purpose of conditional cautions may be transmuted from the original purpose—that is, to offer the criminal the chance of not having to go to court...

If the Solicitor-General gives me time, I will elaborate. I was referring not to prosecutors but to the people who may be arrested. Lastly, the purpose of conditional cautions may be transmuted from the original purpose—that is, to offer the criminal the chance of not having to go to court...

I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Government’s pay-and-go policies let those who can afford it off the criminal hook, as they can pay not to have a criminal record, which cannot be right.

I apologise, Madam Deputy Speaker. The Government’s pay-and-go policies let those who can afford it off the criminal hook, as they can pay not to have a criminal record, which cannot be right.

I am simply saying that a fine is punitive, and if someone can afford to pay that is well and good, but if someone comes from a deprived background they are less likely to be able to pay. The rush to summary justice risks losing the purpose of changing behaviour....

I am simply saying that a fine is punitive, and if someone can afford to pay that is well and good, but if someone comes from a deprived background they are less likely to be able to pay. The rush to summary justice risks losing the purpose of changing behaviour....

No, but the point about going to a magistrates court is that there is a whole other purpose involved—that the public can have confidence that the right person is convicted and it is publicly demonstrated that justice is being done. At present, we just have the arresting officer’s say-so, in...

No, but the point about going to a magistrates court is that there is a whole other purpose involved—that the public can have confidence that the right person is convicted and it is publicly demonstrated that justice is being done. At present, we just have the arresting officer’s say-so, in...

The proposal to merge the prisons inspectorate and create a combined inspectorate rightly caused great furore. My noble Friends in the other place made a cogent case against the proposal, which we have not been allowed to do in this place because the Government prevented debate by not allowing adequate...

The proposal to merge the prisons inspectorate and create a combined inspectorate rightly caused great furore. My noble Friends in the other place made a cogent case against the proposal, which we have not been allowed to do in this place because the Government prevented debate by not allowing adequate...

It will come as no surprise that the Liberal Democrats will seek to retain both Lords amendments. First, the extremely hostile reaction by police forces and local people up and down the land to the Government’s impossibly bullying and prescriptive—not to mention rushed and expensive—merger proposals was hardly surprising. The...

It will come as no surprise that the Liberal Democrats will seek to retain both Lords amendments. First, the extremely hostile reaction by police forces and local people up and down the land to the Government’s impossibly bullying and prescriptive—not to mention rushed and expensive—merger proposals was hardly surprising. The...

If the Minister will forgive me, I did not say that forces had been disabled, but that there was the potential for them to be disabled if the merger had gone forward. If we want joined-up police forces, we must make them into partners, good neighbours and allies, by sharing...

If the Minister will forgive me, I did not say that forces had been disabled, but that there was the potential for them to be disabled if the merger had gone forward. If we want joined-up police forces, we must make them into partners, good neighbours and allies, by sharing...

Thank you. Another lunacy is that the Home Secretary would have imposed mergers disabling many police forces for a substantial period at a critical time in this country’s security.

Thank you. Another lunacy is that the Home Secretary would have imposed mergers disabling many police forces for a substantial period at a critical time in this country’s security.

What was the trigger for those interventions?

What was the trigger for those interventions?

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been extradited (a) to and (b) from the UK in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been extradited (a) to and (b) from the UK in each of the last five years.

I want to make it clear that we are not against sanctions such as street bail; we believe that they can be beneficial when used constructively. However, we are concerned about the extension of summary justice without adequate checks and balances. I have listened to the Minister’s comments, and as...

I want to make it clear that we are not against sanctions such as street bail; we believe that they can be beneficial when used constructively. However, we are concerned about the extension of summary justice without adequate checks and balances. I have listened to the Minister’s comments, and as...

The hon. Lady is right to an extent, but a person who was rich and able to pay might well accept a condition that imposed a financial penalty. It would be a way of committing a crime and getting away with it. A two-level system of punishment would be created,...

The hon. Lady is right to an extent, but a person who was rich and able to pay might well accept a condition that imposed a financial penalty. It would be a way of committing a crime and getting away with it. A two-level system of punishment would be created,...

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point, but that is a completely different discussion. It is clear that it might sometimes be necessary to release someone on bail while the decision is being taken on whether they breached the conditional caution. In fact, that might be a more proportionate measure...

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point, but that is a completely different discussion. It is clear that it might sometimes be necessary to release someone on bail while the decision is being taken on whether they breached the conditional caution. In fact, that might be a more proportionate measure...

Our debates on the Bill have been good natured, especially in Committee, and some interesting amendments were proposed. Unfortunately, the Government took none of them on board, although I have to correct the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert) in one respect. The former Minister produced the...

Our debates on the Bill have been good natured, especially in Committee, and some interesting amendments were proposed. Unfortunately, the Government took none of them on board, although I have to correct the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Nick Herbert) in one respect. The former Minister produced the...

I am happy to explain our policy outside this debate, which is about the Government’s proposals.

I am happy to explain our policy outside this debate, which is about the Government’s proposals.