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Written Question
Bus Services
Tuesday 18th July 2017

Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits and costs to the UK of membership of the European Defence Agency.

Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has a key role in facilitating European cooperation on capability development in support of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy. EDA membership requires a financial contribution towards the Agency's budget; this currently amounts to £3.9 million for the UK. The UK benefits from EDA work through involvement in a range of projects and initiatives, and UK industry has access to EU opportunities and funding, especially in the area of research and technology.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 12 Sep 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"My Lords, without boring the Committee with too much about human rights, I will explain my problem with the amendment, or anything like it. The noble Earl has rightly said on the face of the Bill that he considers it to be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 12 Sep 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"I hope that I am not out of order in suggesting that the words “economic well-being” are in Article 8 of the convention. That is where they come from. They were put in by British negotiators. They are very wide and do not help very much, but that is where …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 13 Jul 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"My Lords, I had not intended to speak until I had listened to the debate, especially what was said by the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit. During the 50-odd years that I have been at the Bar, one the great developments has been that of public law. When I began at …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 13 Jul 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"My Lords, I wonder whether, just for the sake of completeness, I could get an assurance about this. On the first day in Committee the noble Earl, Lord Howe, with his customary courtesy, moderation and generosity, said that the Government would think again about Clause 2 and what I had …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 13 Jul 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"My Lords, I can be remarkably brief—for a barrister. The answer to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, was given by Mr Justice Felix Frankfurter in a famous phrase in a case many years ago where he said that one should not burn the house down to roast …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 13 Jul 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"If we assume that the Committee is with the Minister in saying that a wholly exceptional power that has never been used should now be given new parliamentary authority in this Bill, the next question to ask is: what about the intervention of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Brown …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 11 Jul 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"My Lords, I put my name to a couple of these amendments and I would like to speak to them. Under our constitutional arrangements, the Human Rights Act is the next best thing that we have to a constitutional guarantee of fundamental rights and freedoms. The Minister has rightly put …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 11 Jul 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"I am grateful to the noble Earl. Those precedents do not amount to what is really needed, which is full compliance with Article 8 of the convention and the Human Rights Act. In my opinion—it is no more than my opinion—the words do not satisfy that, whatever the precedents relied …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 11 Jul 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"I promise not to speak again on any amendments until we reach those covering legal professional privilege, as I do not intend to be even more of a human rights bore than I am at the moment. However, before the Minister sits down, since he has the great advantage of …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill