Contributions
262 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDInfected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026My Lords, before I speak to the Motion to approve these regulations and to the regret amendment in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, I want to begin by reflecting on…22 Jul 2026HANSARDCivil Service PensionsMy Lords, I apologise to the House and to the Minister for having to wear these glasses today. I am doing so on medical advice. Before turning to the questions raised by the…13 Jul 2026HANSARDLobbying Transparency (In-house Lobbyists) Bill [HL]My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter of Kentish Town, on her success in the Private Members’ Bill ballot. Although the Official Opposition cannot support the…03 Jul 2026HANSARDLobbying Transparency (In-house Lobbyists) Bill [HL]I thank the noble Baroness again for giving way. If we are talking about trust in democracy, the point I was making yesterday was that if the Government of the day inflict…03 Jul 2026HANSARDLobbying Transparency (In-house Lobbyists) Bill [HL]I thank the noble Baroness for giving way. I find it rather disappointing that she is conflating today’s debate with a debate we had yesterday on political party funding, when I…03 Jul 2026HANSARDPolitical Party Finance and the Electoral CommissionMy Lords, I too thank the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull, for bringing forward this important debate and for giving me the opportunity to discuss some of the issues beforehand. There…02 Jul 2026HANSARDCivil Service Pension SchemeMy Lords, Capita’s failures are unacceptable, but this also raises serious questions about the Cabinet Office’s own contract management. Given the warnings before handover, what…30 Jun 2026HANSARDDemocratic Institutions: ThreatsMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, for tabling this Motion. Within living memory, almost every public telephone call in this country travelled across a…25 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Media: Use of X by Government DepartmentsMy Lords, in October last year, the Government indicated their intention to relax the rules on civil servants speaking publicly, including to the media and stakeholders. Can the…23 Jun 2026HANSARDForeign Interference in UK Democratic ProcessesMy Lords, the news of Russian state actors behind the arson attacks at sites linked to the Prime Minister is, as other noble Lords have pointed out, extremely concerning.…17 Jun 2026HANSARDLord Mandelson Humble AddressMy Lords, given the miraculous emergence of the Darren Jones texts, can the Minister give assurances that there are no other withheld ministerial communications that will emerge?…09 Jun 2026HANSARDCabinet Manual: Guidelines for Government FormationMy Lords, the Cabinet Manual , or possibly more correctly, the Cabinet Office manual, is not a written constitution, nor is it binding on Ministers. The Government intend to…03 Jun 2026HANSARDLord Mandelson Humble Address: Government ResponseMy Lords, this scandal began with the Prime Minister’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as His Majesty’s ambassador to Washington. Mandelson is a man whose relationship with…02 Jun 2026HANSARDDevolved Public Services: FundingMy Lords, the outcome of the recent Welsh elections should worry unionists across this House, but the Government’s much-vaunted Council of the Nations and Regions last met over a…01 Jun 2026HANSARDLord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble AddressMy Lords, what the ISC has said today is profoundly troubling. Materials must not be redacted and withheld from Parliament in contravention of the humble Address. The ISC has a…19 May 2026HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer made her first speech in that office on 8 July 2024, she said that, by growing the economy, the Government could “rebuild Britain…14 May 2026HANSARDLord Mandelson Humble Address: Government Response UpdateMy Lords, I thank the Minister for agreeing to take questions on yesterday’s Statement. The Falklands War was won in less than 12 weeks. This Government, however, cannot piece…28 Apr 2026HANSARDPension SchemesMy Lords, I declare my interest as a former special adviser and future recipient— I hope in the long-distant future—of a civil service pension. At the heart of this issue are…28 Apr 2026HANSARDInfected Blood Compensation SchemeMy Lords, I begin, as I have previously, by welcoming the progress made by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority and the Government in delivering payments. I commend the…21 Apr 2026HANSARDMinisterial and other Salaries Act 1975 (Amendment) Order 2026My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing this order. As she has set out, it is a sensible and largely technical measure that would bring the law on ministerial and…21 Apr 2026