Shadow Justice Secretary Dominic Grieve responded for the Conservatives to Jack Straw's statement on prisons and probation yesterday: "I thank the Justice Secretary for advance sight of his statement. I join him in paying tribute to the service and commitment of prison and probation staff, and police and emergency services, under such challenging conditions. May […]
Here are some interesting answers from the latest edition of Hansard. Shadow Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary David Willetts asked a question that couldn't be answered: "Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many EU citizens working in the UK paid sufficient national insurance contributions to earn a potential […]
Justice Secretary Jack Straw made a statement yesterday on a Green Paper entitled: "Rights and Responsibilities: developing our constitutional framework". The Green Paper presents arguments for a written constitution. Mr Straw said: "Duties and responsibilities are to be found in the convention, in statute, in common law and woven deeply into our social and moral […]
In the latest edition of Hansard there are some more interesting written answers. Shadow DEFRA minister Anne McIntosh wanted to know about the impact of the recession on giving to churches: "To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the effect of the current […]
My ConservativeHome colleagues have already covered yesterday’s debate on the Damian Green affair. But such is its significance that it is worth recording contributions from other Tory MPs. (The motion was introduced by Harriet Harman, the Leader of the House of Commons.) Shadow Home Secretary made a crucial point, albeit that Sir Gerald Kaufman didn’t […]
Yesterday saw the second day of debate on the Gracious Speech. The Home Secretary was in action again straight after fielding questions about Damian Green. Unfortunately, very few MPs were present for much of what went on. Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve, who is on fire at the moment, spoke very persuasively. "On the substance […]
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith came before the House of Commons yesterday to make a statement on the Damian Green arrest. She was very much on the defensive: "As the statement issued by Sir David Normington on 28 November made clear, he was informed by the police at about 1.45 pm on 27 November that a […]
Two developments this morning: The 7-member committee announced by the Speaker yesterday may now not in fact meet for months, until after the police inquiry has finished – rather than being the "speedy and immediate" inquiry that was expected. The membership of the committee will not after all be the decision of the Speaker, but […]
Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve asked an important written question recently: "Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons suspected of terrorism offences the Government has been unable to deport owing to (a) legal challenges and (b) an assessment that the individual concerned will be tortured if deported […]
On yesterday’s Platform, Mark Reckless called for a democratisation and localisation of policing ahead of the publication of the Government’s Green Paper on policing. Below are highlights of Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve’s response to Jacqui Smith’s statement to the House. The police are less effective today because of red tape: "Recorded violent crime has […]
In his first speech to Parliament after the 2005 election, Dominic Grieve MP – the newly-appointed Shadow Home Secretary – cited advocating the incorporation of the European Convention of Human Rights into British law as an example of an issue he was at variance with other Conservatives on: "Perhaps I might give an example of […]
Dominic Grieve QC MP, Shadow Attorney General, explores the concept of Britishness, This is an abridged version of a speech he gave as the 10th Wilberforce Address for the Conservative Christian Fellowship this week. That there is now confusion about Britishness is without doubt. Part of the confusion comes from muddling different concepts. The Government […]
Dominic Grieve QC MP is the Shadow Justice Secretary and responds here to the question posed by Tim Montgomerie here earlier in the month: Can we end the human rights nonsenses while Britain is still a member of the ECHR? In his recent lecture to the Judicial Studies Board, Lord Hoffmann produced a stinging criticism […]