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1,897 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUkraineMy noble friend made the point that this Statement might well have been taken in conjunction with the Statement that the Prime Minister made earlier today in the other place. The…25 Feb 2025HANSARDUkraineWe are working very hard on the Chelsea Football Club issue. It is quite difficult legally, but my noble friend is right to remind us about it and we are working on it at pace. I…25 Feb 2025HANSARDUkraineMy noble friend speaks from a position of great knowledge and experience. I agree with him that it is vital that we work closely and co-ordinate with all our allies, and continue…25 Feb 2025HANSARDUkraineMy Lords, we have discussed Ukraine many times in this Chamber, and on every single occasion we have done so there has been close agreement between all parties. I particularly…25 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilI should make it very clear that nobody is forcing the British Council to make any decision in any direction about its art collection. As I understand it, around half of that is…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilThe issue of the loan needs to be dealt with, but no one should think that that is the only thing that the British Council needs to concern itself with in making sure that it is…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilIt is not an either/or. The British Council is central to the Soft Power Council. However, the Soft Power Council includes business, the Premier League, museums, and science and…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilWe will not be forgiving the loan. The loan was made by our predecessor Government. I cannot explain why it was done in the way that it was, and it is unfortunate that a payment…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilMy Lords, the British Council’s board of trustees is ultimately responsible for the British Council’s financial sustainability. The Government highly value the British Council as…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilI will not get into the issue of the other Covid loans, because it is beyond my remit. The noble Lord talks about defending the British Council. There is no need to defend the…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilI know she was introduced today. I had assumed that she was having a cup of tea or something, but I see she is here. Fantastic. It is even better that she is here to witness the…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilAt the moment, the Government provide around 16% of the British Council's funding. The rest, to the British Council’s enduring credit, it manages to raise itself through its own…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBritish CouncilNobody is saying we are where we are and let us leave it at that, but we are where we are. This is not where I would wish to be, for all the reasons that the noble Lord says. We…13 Feb 2025HANSARDBelarus: ElectionsI think it is an excellent scheme. I understand that the Foreign Secretary and other members of the Government have done this. I would be very happy to take part in this scheme…10 Feb 2025HANSARDBelarus: ElectionsThe noble Baroness is completely right in what she says and I thank her for securing this question and allowing us to discuss the matter this afternoon. I agree with everything…10 Feb 2025HANSARDBelarus: ElectionsWe have been proactive in this area and have introduced a raft of sanctions that tackle the problems that the noble Earl described. The exact criteria are legal and technical; I…10 Feb 2025HANSARDBelarus: ElectionsThe World Service is a tremendous asset and I am pleased that, this year, we have been able to secure additional funding for it. We work with it incredibly closely, although it is…10 Feb 2025HANSARDBelarus: ElectionsWhenever we have spoken about Ukraine in this Chamber, one of the key messages has been that, if we do not fight for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, that will not be the end…10 Feb 2025HANSARDBelarus: ElectionsMy Lords, the sham presidential election in Belarus on 26 January represented only a self-reappointment of Lukashenko and his regime, which continues to undermine fundamental…10 Feb 2025HANSARDBelarus: ElectionsThat is an interesting question. One of the reasons that we maintain an embassy in Minsk is to send a signal to the people of Belarus that they have not been abandoned by us, that…10 Feb 2025