Contributions
408 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCohabitation Rights Bill [HL]My Lords, this has been a short but nevertheless important and wide-ranging debate and we have had some excellent and thoughtful contributions. I give particular thanks to my…15 Mar 2019HANSARDUnpaid InternshipsMy Lords, in 2016 the Social Mobility Commission said that any work placements lasting more than four weeks should be classified as internships and that those doing them should…12 Mar 2019HANSARDFemale Genital MutilationMy Lords, would not a simple and effective step be to make the responsibility for ensuring that children are being effectively taught about the dangers and illegality of FGM part…07 Mar 2019HANSARDInternational Women’s DayI am grateful for that intervention. I do not think it destroys the point I was making, but I congratulate those women. My noble friend Lady Hussein-Ece focused her comments—very…07 Mar 2019HANSARDInternational Women’s DayIs the Minister aware of the statistic from the British Bankers’ Association which shows that less than 1% of venture capital funding goes to women? Is that not shameful? Should…07 Mar 2019HANSARDInternational Women’s DayMy Lords, how do you summarise that lot? I thought I would group them today, but you cannot group these speeches—they are too individual, and of course they reflect the…07 Mar 2019HANSARDBrexit: Protection for WorkersI agree with the Minister that we have a proud record of protecting workers’ rights. As he said, in many cases they are stronger than in European law. I welcome the enforcement…07 Mar 2019HANSARDGender Pay GapMy Lords, the requirement for companies to publish their gender pay gap figures has shone a bright light on a hitherto dark place. In many firms, the situation is getting worse,…05 Mar 2019HANSARDBrexit: Small BusinessesTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the preparedness of small business for a no-deal Brexit.05 Mar 2019HANSARDBrexit: Small BusinessesMy Lords, the Government’s own no-deal impact assessment last week revealed the bleak picture that only 17% of small businesses that trade exclusively with the EU had signed up to…05 Mar 2019HANSARDNational Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2019My Lords, I will fulfil the promise I made to the Minister on the previous statutory instrument and be brief. It is also a great relief from Brexit to be discussing something that…04 Mar 2019HANSARDSpecialist Domestic Abuse ServicesMy Lords, I think it must be clear to everyone that the local authority model of funding services for victims of domestic abuse is not working. By the Government’s own admission,…04 Mar 2019HANSARDProduct Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019Can I take the Minister back to the costs of labelling and of having to register with two separate bodies? Has any assessment been made of the cost of that? It is an issue that…04 Mar 2019HANSARDProduct Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019My Lords, I add my thanks to the Minister for conducting a consultation on this “minor” piece of legislation last week and for his explanatory letter to the noble Lord, Lord Fox,…04 Mar 2019HANSARDIslamic Ceremony: Civil Marriage RegistrationMy Lords, marriage is not just some romantic notion of happily ever after—after 25 years of marriage, I have learned that it is much more than that. It gives protections and…28 Feb 2019HANSARDBusiness Rate AppealsMy Lords, when George Osborne delayed the business rate revaluation, he paved the way for major disruption when businesses had to adjust to seven years of relative price changes…25 Feb 2019HANSARDRetirement Age: WomenMy Lords, I declare my interest as a woman born in the 1950s. We know that many WASPI women and other women have made complaints to the ombudsman, and that has now been referred…20 Feb 2019HANSARDSmall Business IndexMy Lords, I have to agree with the noble Lord, Lord Harrison. The Small Business Index paints a dismal picture and late payment is a very big issue for the FSB, which is launching…18 Feb 2019HANSARDPrisoners: Acquired Brain InjuriesMy Lords, I am very heartened by the Minister’s response. This shocking finding explains the possible source of many difficult and counterproductive behaviours one sees in the…12 Feb 2019HANSARDEqual PayMy Lords, the Resolution Foundation has estimated that Britain’s 1.6 million black, Asian and minority ethnic employees are losing out to the tune of £3.2 billion a year in wages…11 Feb 2019