Parliamentary Standards Bill

On Tuesday on Amendment 1, the noble Baroness, on behalf of the Government, readily, rightly and wisely accepted the amendment that I proposed concerning Article IX, yet these two amendments, which I know are ungrouped, raise important questions pertinent to that. I shall not for a moment hide from anyone that I am not qualified to take a view of the intricacies of the workings of the European Communities Act 1972 and the ECHR and its interaction with Article IX, but it is important that the Government take these amendments seriously because of the very serious issues that they raise. Earlier, the noble Baroness was kind enough to say that she would be speaking to her noble and learned friend the Attorney-General with a view to asking her to come to either the Report stage or Third Reading. I do not think that it matters whether she comes at the end of Report or the beginning of Third Reading. I do not yet know what the noble Baroness is going to say in response to this amendment but I think that it would be very useful to get some kind of authoritative view from the Attorney-General—either by letter or by coming to this House—so that we have a clearer understanding of the interaction of this important new law and the workings of the courts in this country or potentially in Europe. I cannot see any reason why we should not be able to get clarity and certainty on this issue, and I very much look forward to hearing what the noble Baroness has to say.