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Attorney-General: Role As Government Spokesman On Bills

Volume 607: debated on Thursday 9 December 1999

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asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list any Home Office Bills in recent times for which the Attorney-General has been the principal government spokesman in either House of Parliament. [HL251]

The Attorney-General assisted me on the remaining stages of the Immigration and Asylum Bill during the spillover period from the last Session and is currently assisting on the Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) Bill. The previous Attorney-General, my right honourable and learned friend the member for Aberavon (Mr Morris QC), did not act as the principal government spokesman on any Home Office Bills.It is common practice for Ministers from more than one department to take a government Bill through Parliament. This could happen if the subjects covered by a Bill cut across departmental responsibilities or where the size and complexity of the legislative programme requires more than one Minister to be involved. In the Lords, the latter circumstance often results in a multi-departmental ministerial team taking a Bill through the House since most departments only have a single Lords Minister.