"I will struggle if I try to give way to everyone. May I at least respond to one intervention before I accept another?
I intend to speak about the residence test rather than about criminal legal aid, but I know that a number of Members—including the hon. Member for Kingston …..." Baroness Teather - View Speech
"I entirely agree with the hon. Lady. She was referring, of course, to the changes in civil rather than criminal legal aid. I think that the costs are likely to be significantly greater, especially if people remain in detention or cannot be released from hospital...." Baroness Teather - View Speech
"I find it extremely worrying that the Government should pursue a line that would put small and medium-sized firms out of business, apparently deliberately. It flies in the face of everything they are trying to do to promote growth and the high streets. I trust that the Minister has noted …..." Baroness Teather - View Speech
"I think the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. Those in what was originally a category of people needing legal aid will still have problems after being denied it, and will arrive at all our surgeries seeking our help with problems that still exist and are still insurmountable...." Baroness Teather - View Speech
"I understand that the family of Jean Charles de Menezes would not have qualified under the new test. As the hon. Gentleman says, that was an incredibly important case which had huge implications for policing policy, and it is for precisely that reason that we need to be careful about …..." Baroness Teather - View Speech
"I fear losing specialists in immigration law. I already see constituents who are consulting lawyers who are, I am afraid to say, less than qualified to do the job, and that is what creates many of the delays and bad decisions in the first place...." Baroness Teather - View Speech
"I have tried to take as many interventions as possible, as I know that some Members will not get an opportunity to speak, but I also do not want to speak for too long, and there are some points I want to make on the residence test, so I shall …..." Baroness Teather - View Speech