"I thank my noble friend the Minister for that. I agree with him that the Rural Payments Agency, which used to be chaotic, is a good deal better and more sensible now than it was then. One could go further. Perhaps I could suggest to him that the big question …..." Lord Renton of Mount Harry - View Speech
"My Lords, could I ask my noble friend perhaps a rather simpler question? Despite the dreadful headlines in today’s newspapers, to what extent does the Chancellor of the Exchequer feel that he is on course in deficit reduction?..." Lord Renton of Mount Harry - View Speech
"I thank my noble friend for allowing me to say a few words. I very much follow what he is saying and I know that we will vote on the issue. Where I am a bit lost is that I do not know how any of us could change the …..." Lord Renton of Mount Harry - View Speech
"My Lords, I must confess that I was in the minority on the report of the committee that the noble Baroness, Lady Jay, chaired. I was one of two people who felt that it would be incorrect to move towards always having four-year Parliaments. My reason for this was much …..." Lord Renton of Mount Harry - View Speech
"After my personal experience through those years, I therefore think that four years fixed for a Government is not enough. I would much rather see it for five years, whether it is fixed or can be changed by the next Parliament. I beg the pardon of my noble friend, who …..." Lord Renton of Mount Harry - View Speech
"That is the start of a very good argument as to whether they were the most successful. It much depends, obviously, on who is the Prime Minister and who is the Chancellor. That will have an enormous effect and will make one Government better than the other, simply because the …..." Lord Renton of Mount Harry - View Speech
"Yes, that is true and we know very well at the moment that this Government, despite having to be a coalition, have lots of thoughts planned, but there is a great deal of difference between planning in advance and getting on with the really difficult problems when you have got …..." Lord Renton of Mount Harry - View Speech
"I think that is a perfectly fair point; I cede the point, but the fact is that Governments do change a great deal. We have seen it in recent years and it will go on. Others will win; they will come in for the first time. Without wishing to go …..." Lord Renton of Mount Harry - View Speech