Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, in the light of the pressure on the prison system, they will introduce tougher community sentences as possible alternatives to custodial sentences.
Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government: Why asylum seekers are not allowed to work for the first six months of their stay in the United Kingdom, bearing in mind the national skills shortage.
Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they plan to simplify self-assessment income tax forms.
Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government: What further plans they have to reduce the burden of red tape regulation affecting the small business sector.
Lord Taylor of Warwick: My Lords, in 1972 the popular Jamaican singer Johnny Nash had a hit record with a song called, "There Are More Questions Than Answers". I am not aware that, when he wrote the song, he had in mind the creation of a supreme court and a judicial appointments commission. But the song's title fairly sums up how I feel about the Government's consultation papers, which contain no fewer than 72...
Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government: What financial or other support they provide to charities involved in sickle cell anaemia research.
Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government: In view of the recent transfer of a footballer from Leeds United to Liverpool, what plans they have to make football transfer deals more transparent.
Lord Taylor of Warwick: My Lords, I add my thanks to the noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, for initiating this debate. It was Samuel Taylor Coleridge—sadly, not a relative—who said, "In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly". Much of the political rhetoric concerning asylum and immigration has historically been motivated by fear—fear of the foreigner, fear of those who look or sound different. But, in...
Lord Taylor of Warwick: My Lords, we cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. The recent riots that we witnessed in Bradford, Oldham and other towns can only damage race relations. Riots grab headlines, but when the TV cameras move on, it is the local community that is left to sweep up the debris. The riots caused millions of pounds' worth of damage. People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes. But...
Lord Taylor of Warwick: There have been a number of references to black defendants during our debate. I do not put myself forward as an expert witness on the issue simply because I have a black skin, but I have represented a number of black clients in the criminal courts over the years. What I have found is that, rather than seeking an O. J. Simpson verdict, what they seek is simply a fair trial. So I totally...
Lord Taylor of Warwick: Today's seed brings tomorrow's harvest and so in principle I welcome this Bill as an extension to the Race Relations Act 1976. I support the intention to make the police and other public authorities liable under the Act. But there is a problem. The Bill gives effect to only part of the recommendations of the Macpherson report on the Stephen Lawrence case. It will cover only direct...
