Contributions
1,897 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBritish CouncilOne of the reasons that we have worked hard to protect the British Council’s funding and are committed to the £160 million is because of the amazing work that it does supporting…11 Nov 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilThere is no lack of will to get this resolved. We need to see modernisation at the British Council; it is working hard at this and deserves credit for that. As the noble Baroness…11 Nov 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilI completely agree about the role of the BBC in soft power, particularly the World Service and BBC Verify, which do a tremendous job. I would go so far as to say that they are…11 Nov 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilMy Lords, the British Council plays an important role in supporting the UK’s soft power and interests around the world through its work in the arts, culture, education and the…11 Nov 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilWe are helping a lot. We provide about 16% or 17% of the British Council’s funding each year. There is an issue with an outstanding loan which was given as part of a Covid package…11 Nov 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilI am not going to make any comments about our newspapers today—I could, but I will not. We do a great deal of work with the British Council, which is an important part of soft…11 Nov 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilThere is an interesting response to that today. There are so many different levers for soft power that may not have been there in the past, but that does not mean that the British…11 Nov 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilAs the noble Lord says, the British Council is part of the Soft Power Council, which is a joint initiative between the FCDO and DCMS. It brings together the arts, heritage, Kew…11 Nov 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilI think we need a bit of reality here. The idea that the Treasury is going to accept art in lieu of a loan is a little fanciful. It is up to the British Council to decide what it…11 Nov 2025HANSARDSudan: Protection of CiviliansIt very much would. This conflict needs to be much higher up the agenda, both here and internationally. There are several problems with bringing that about, one of which is the…04 Nov 2025HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillMy Lords, the Bill that we are to discuss today is vital for the security of our nation. It enables the ratification and entry into force of the treaty between the UK and…04 Nov 2025HANSARDSudan: Protection of CiviliansI am slightly surprised to hear the noble Baroness pronounce genocide, when she knows, and has supported our position, that we do not do that. That is for a competent court to do.…04 Nov 2025HANSARDSudan: Protection of CiviliansThe politics at the UN have evolved in an unhelpful way, I think, since the genocide in Rwanda and the initiatives that followed. I do not think that that is where we will see…04 Nov 2025HANSARDSudan: Protection of CiviliansIt is the people of Sudan who are paying the price for this. I can assure the noble Baroness that we use every lever we can to put pressure where it is needed. Anybody who has any…04 Nov 2025HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillIf the noble Lord was so concerned to do this, first, why did he not consult earlier? Secondly, he can achieve his aims—which would not be wrecking but would be perfectly…04 Nov 2025HANSARDOfficial Development AssistanceMy Lords, the Government will publish the multiyear official development assistance programme allocations for 2026-27 and 2028-29 in the coming months. These allocations will be…04 Nov 2025HANSARDSudan: Protection of CiviliansI stand by what I said. These resolutions and statements are helpful in many ways, but, unless they change things on the ground, I believe that we are failing. I wonder sometimes…04 Nov 2025HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillAbsolutely. I thought the point made by the former Secretary of State for Defence, my noble friend Lord Browne of Ladyton, added to this very well when he talked about how future…04 Nov 2025HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillAll of our ODA spending is published. It is probably one of the most transparent bits of government funding. I will send the noble Lord the website address so he can have a look…04 Nov 2025HANSARDDiego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory BillI am sorry, but that is factually incorrect and I would like to give the noble Lord the opportunity to correct it. It was paused, but when the noble Lord, Lord Cameron, was…04 Nov 2025