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Mr James Cran

Mr James Cran

CON Conservative Former MP
Last served Beverley and Holderness (1987-06-11 – 2005-05-05)
30
Total votes
18
Ayes
12
Noes
0
Other

Parliamentary History

11 Jun 1987 – 5 May 2005 (17 yrs 10 mo)

Voting trends (most recent 12 months of activity)

Voting record

March 2005 5 votes
Division Date Vote
The Minister is guilty of many sins, but when she was a Treasury Minister she was the first person to see to it that there were no longer fibs on death certificates. She ensured that the cause of death was properly recorded. Previously, pneumonia and septicaemia might be put down as the cause of death, when the truth was that the death was MRSA-related. My hon. Friend remedied that. However, now t... 2 Mar 2005 AYE
The Tories proposals are fool's gold. There is no money to give away to pensioners in council discounts. The Tories £35 billion of cuts means full spread council tax and an increase for council tax for all, not just pensioners. Even if memories among those pensioners were not very strong, however, they would know about the track record of Tory councils and about the average council tax, which is £... 2 Mar 2005 AYE
Clause 78, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Government amendments Nos. 271 to 275 made. Clause 79, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. Government amendments Nos. 276, 612, 277, 278, 613, 279 and 614 made. Clause 80, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill. 1 Mar 2005 NO
It is absolutely right that Lord Chancellors have no such statutory restriction, but equally, because they are judges they are in fact constrained in what they can do when they cease to hold that office. But not in a ministerial context, and I am surprised that— [Interruption.] Statutorily, there is no such bar on former Lord Chancellors holding other ministerial posts. I shall elaborate on some o... 1 Mar 2005 AYE
"duty to ensure the provision of resources for the efficient and effective support of the courts for which I am responsible." I may add that the following sentence is: "So help me God." The Lord Chancellor will certainly need divine assistance if he is to fulfil that obligation. I made the point in an intervention that it would be extraordinary to single out the Lord Chancellor to swear an oath to... 1 Mar 2005 AYE
February 2005 20 votes
Division Date Vote
I suggest to the Minister that we need not have reached this situation in the first place. This problem has existed for three years and the Liberal Democrats have consistently pointed out that the Government should have tackled it during that time, rather than leaving it until a point at which, because of a Law Lords judgment, we are faced with such a short time scale. It cannot be right that we h... 28 Feb 2005 NO
Question accordingly negatived. Main Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 62 (Amendment on Second or Third Reading) :— 23 Feb 2005 NO
As to the contribution of the hon. Member for Henley (Mr. Johnson) , does he accept that there is a serious threat, which I thought was fairly common ground? Does he accept that some people cannot be prosecuted through a conventional legal system? Does he accept that detention in prison under part 4 is not sustainable in the light of the Law Lords' judgment? Frankly, in those circumstances, what w... 23 Feb 2005 AYE
We should be fortunate and have three quarters of an hour, if that is fortunate. I was slightly surprised that the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham was not able to get the Government amendments through PDVN, as I was. I am delighted that, for once, in a technological sense, things seem to be working better in Orkney and Shetland than in Chesham and Amersham. My hon. Friend is of course correct... 22 Feb 2005 NO
Question accordingly negatived. Main Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 62 (Amendment on second or third reading) 9 Feb 2005 NO
What, alas, we have heard today in too many speeches from the main Opposition party is language to appease UKIP and not promote Britain. I would say to the Conservative party, appeasement and isolation is never the way forward. Every other mainstream Conservative party in Europe understands the need to support this new treaty. I have to say, on the day after President Bush sends his Secretary of S... 9 Feb 2005 AYE
The words have been chosen to make the language precise, because the provisions refer to "a relevant act"; we wanted to give some more detail on that. The definition is of a relevant act, so both subsections 3(a) and 3(b) refer to an act that amounts to a criminal offence and a tortious act. There is nothing unusual in that wording, which is intended to make the clause more precise. The hon. Gentl... 7 Feb 2005 AYE
These arguments have not persuaded many. Justice, the all-party law reform group, has also addressed the arguments advanced by the Government. It states: "If the intelligence services of the United States, France, Israel, Canada and Australia can survive the use of such evidence in their courts, then British spies are surely equal to the challenge." The Director of Public Prosecutions, Ken Macdona... 7 Feb 2005 AYE
Mr Deputy Speaker then proceeded to put the Questions necessary to dispose of the business to be concluded at that hour. Amendment made: No. 106, in page 187, line 38, leave out 'racial and religious hatred' and insert 'hatred against persons on racial or religious grounds'.— [Mr. Heppell.] 'The offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel are abolished.'.— [Dr. Evan Harris] Brought up, and read th... 7 Feb 2005 AYE
That is an important division between the two sides of the House. The hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) said that the right to free speech would be infringed. It is a matter of judgment for Members whether such an infringement would be appropriate. It was my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, North (David Winnick) who said, 35 years ago, "I deeply regret any restriction of free... 7 Feb 2005 AYE
Question accordingly agreed to. Question put accordingly, That the Bill be now read a Second time:— 4 Feb 2005 AYE
There is a phrase in the English language, "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut". That is a classic example of something being grossly disproportionate in its use, and that in fact is what we are talking about today—a Bill that is grossly disproportionate to the problems that it pretends to address, and which I believe exists for no reason other than to provide camouflage for an election campaign.... 4 Feb 2005 AYE
I should like to say a few words in support of both new clauses. My hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) sends his apologies as he is unable to attend. He was immersed in the detail of the Bill and supported its broad outlines. I will deal with the Bill's final stages but, as a newcomer, I lack his depth of understanding. The new clauses are constructive and well worth supporting. There ar... 3 Feb 2005 AYE
I want the Paymaster General to become an advocate for a change— Order. Before we proceed, let me say that general discussion about programming is not appropriate. The debate is about programming for this particular Bill. Indeed, and I wish to keep to that. My right hon. Friend is making a powerful and cogent case, but does he not accept that when Government impose timetables unnecessarily—when th... 3 Feb 2005 NO
I am aware that the Minister is keen to respond even in the limited time we have to discuss the limited time that we have to discuss the Bill on Report. I have a few brief points. The Minister said that the Government held the debate today so that they could listen to what was said. She has heard from across the House blanket condemnation of the motion. Will she now withdraw it? No, I will not. I ... 3 Feb 2005 NO
"be removed or suspended except after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice." It would defy my understanding of the rules of debate if I were not allowed to argue that the question of removal or suspension should include reference to clause 106(3). In conclusion, the words "neglect of duty" have been omitted from that subsection, although the draftsman included the words "misbehaviour or inabil... 1 Feb 2005 AYE
I only want to intervene briefly to say that the obverse could apply. If the tribunal has made that recommendation, it would be a peculiar decision by any member of the Executive, whether Prime Minister or Lord Chancellor, to go against the advice. That is properly a matter for a subsequent clause, however. The hon. Gentleman says that it would be a peculiar Prime Minister. It is not unknown to ha... 1 Feb 2005 NO
The input of the current Law Lords is highly valued in the scrutiny of legislation, particularly in Committee, where they bring their technical experience of interpreting legislation. In addition, they contribute informed criticism on social issues, drawing on their practical experience in the courts. They also help to promote the type of legal reform measures that can sometimes be a low legislati... 1 Feb 2005 AYE
With this it will be convenient to discuss amendment No. 367, in page 17, leave out lines 24 and 25. It is time to repatriate to post-devolution Scotland final appellate jurisdiction in Scots civil law cases. The Bill as it stands represents a missed opportunity, which the amendments are designed to rectify. Given the constitutional importance of the matter, it is a great pity that no other Scotti... 1 Feb 2005 NO
I am a practising solicitor and, technically, a solicitor of the Supreme Court. The Minister may wish to consider the fair point made by the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) that there are complications surrounding the use of the words "supreme court". Those will need to be dealt with if the Bill is passed in its current state. The arguments against the creation of th... 1 Feb 2005 AYE
January 2005 5 votes
Division Date Vote
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for putting forward that plea. Does my hon. and learned Friend accept that one advantage of new clause 8 is that it places a duty on the Lord Chancellor to do something specific—namely, to "use his best endeavours to ensure that the rule of law is respected"— and, I would add in parenthesis, to do so in the Cabinet? At least the conscience role of the Lord Chancello... 31 Jan 2005 AYE
Division 46 25 Jan 2005 NO
The concessions include time scales for implementation, the ability to keep products on the market until the EFSA had ruled on them, and the guarantee that the dossier presented by 12 July need not be exhaustive. We also got a substantial lead-in time to enable our industry to present its arguments on vitamins and minerals. Our aim is to ensure that the directive is implemented in a way that allow... 25 Jan 2005 AYE
Several hon. Members said that there should be more scope for statutory instruments in the Bill—for example, to allow the Minister, if he so wishes, to set interest rate ceilings or to increase the £50,000 fine if it is found to be inadequate. At the moment, I am not persuaded that we should go down that route, although I understand the points that have been made. Again, I will discuss it with my ... 13 Jan 2005 NO
I sometimes wonder whether the Opposition are the only people who read regulatory impact assessments— And one or two more attentive Labour Back Benchers. Throughout the debate, I have asked for the Government's estimate of the total number of people who will be brought into training as a consequence of the measure. I still have not received an answer. That is the most basic information that we nee... 12 Jan 2005 NO