735
British Nationality
[ LORDS ]
[LORD HARMAR-NICHOLLS.] done nothing about. It may well be that this Bill is not perfect. It may well be that there are still many matters that will have to be looked at and dealt with. Other Parliaments can do that; this is not the end of the road. If it is proved that the Bill will result in injustice, such as the amendment says, then future Parliaments --perhaps a future Parliament led by the same Govern- ment can deal with it. What an idea-that it is the end of the road because a Bill dealing with a matter that has been bubbling under for years brings us to that very definite end. I do not believe that the noble and learned Lord, Lord Elwyn-Jones, is doing a service by moving this amendment. I do not believe that he is being a good parliamentarian by putting such an amendment at this stage of the Bill.
Several noble Lords: Oh!
Lord Harmar-Nicholls: I echo the words of my noble friend Lord Boyd-Carpenter when I ask: How can we at one and the same time say that we agree to pass a Bill which we say is full of injustice and which will exacerabate racial relatons and which will do that amount of harm?
Lord Elwyn-Jones: My Lords, I hope that the noble Lord, Lord Harmar-Nicholls, will be here at the end of the debate because he was not here at the beginning. Had he been here at the beginning he might have heard my explanation that it is not the convention in this House on Third Reading of a Bill which has passed in the elected Chamber to vote against it on Third Reading. Had that not been the convention, then of course I would have invited the House to do so on this occasion.
Lord Harmar-Nicholls: My Lords, of course I heard the noble and learned Lord say that at the beginning, but I doubt whether it is the convention that in passing a Bill one should add words such as those which exist in the noble and learned Lord's amendment. I would like the noble and learned Lord to produce a similar amendment from the past. Is he aware that he may well be setting a precedent and a dangerous one at that? The whole idea of the parliamentary system is that one fights to try to get the right answer in a Bill and battle hard through all the stages of Second Reading, Committee, Report and Third Reading. The whole idea behind parliamentary government among civilised people is that if one has lost the argument one allows the Bill and has lost to have a fair run. This amend- ment is not giving the Bill a fair run. I believe that is absolutely against the principle of parliamentary government as I have experienced it. It is because I feel so strongly that I wanted to add my words to those of my noble friend Lady Elles in a debate which has been so unbalanced. I hope that even at this late stage many of your Lordships who thought of support- ing this amendment will have second thoughts. I believe that the amendment is dangerous, unnecessary, and, in the words of the noble and learned Lord himself, is against the conventions of the way in which this House passes its Bills.
5.36 p
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Bill
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Baroness Trumpington: My Lords, I too should like to associate myself with the words spoken by my noble friend Lady Elles in supporting this Bill at all stages. I find myself in the impertinent position of disagreeing with the most reverend Primate and others of great eminence. This Bill was entirely necessary and despite what the noble and learned Lord who moved this amendment has said, his Party certainly did recognise the need for change when they were in Government It is rather like the days when the Commonwealth Bill was opposed by the Labour Party and then brought in by them two years' later; a switch when it seems necessary to them.
I believe that the fears which have been expressed have been exaggerated. Ninety-five per cent. of the population will continue their lives without any qualms and I find it irresponsible to fan the flames of disquiet about the remaining 5 per cent., who anyway have various avenues open to them through which to obtain British citizenship if their reasons for so doing are right and proper. We seem to be forgetting that what- ever a person's colour may be, a person who holds a British passport now and who has been here for more than five years will be British. I was glad to hear the most noble Primate say that the Church would undertake the task of reassurance because unfortunately doubts will have been raised by the very nature of today's debate.
I am glad we have gone through the process of defining our own citizenship for the first time. To do so is not racist by my definition. I would like to join those who have congratulated my noble friend Lord Belstead, not only for the way in which he has presented his Bill but also, and I must use the word popular on the opposite side of this House, for his compassionate attitude which I am sure has been responsible for many of the amendments which are now included in the Bill and which, despite criticisms on other issues, have pleased many speakers here today. Life goes on and as the last speaker said, this is not the end of the road.
5.38 p.m.
Lord Belstead: My Lords, before replying to this debate may I welcome the noble Lord, Lord Kadoorie of Kowloon, and say that I know how much the whole House appreciated his speech. I hope that your Lordships will take the Government's acceptance of the principle of the amendment moved by my noble friend Lord Geddes today as proof of the Government's total commitment to maintaining our strong links with the British dependent territories. So long as distin- guished representatives of those territories are prepared to come to Westminster and to speak their feelings in this matter, as the noble Lord, Lord Kadoorie, has done so effectively this afternoon, so I believe our links will remain firm and unbroken.
At the start of this afternoon's debate I sought to set out the need for this Bill and to remind your Lordships of some of the many improvements which have been made by your Lordships' House and to which many of your Lordships have most generously alluded during the speeches that have been made. The need for the Bill is simply that the present law does not provide for British citizenship. As it stands the