Contributions
262 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCouncil of Nations and RegionsMy Lords, the Council of the Nations and Regions brings another apparatus into the rather crowded field of devolved government. Can the Minister outline the process for resolving…11 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI apologise to the noble Lord. His amendment seeks to confer life peerages for up to 20 Cross-Bench Peers. As my noble friend Lord True set out eloquently last week, we firmly…10 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I think we can all agree that we want the same thing: a House that serves with integrity, a Second Chamber that commands public trust, and an appointments process that…10 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI defer to my Front-Bench colleague, my noble and learned friend Lord Keen: because of the way the ouster clause would be interpreted in court. Amendment 43 in the name of my…10 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, it is with reverence for our traditions and institutions that I support the amendment in the names of my noble friend Lord Strathclyde and others, and to defend the…03 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, this House stands as a guardian of scrutiny, a check on power and a safeguard against overreach. We have endured not by resisting change but by shaping it. The…03 Mar 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, Walter Bagehot once observed that the British constitution derives its strength not from rigid design but from its adaptability. Its value lies in its ability to…03 Mar 2025HANSARDProcurement Act 2023 (Consequential and Other Amendments) Regulations 2025My Lords, while the Government’s proposals may appear to serve the public interest, we have a lot of sympathy with the regret amendment in the name of my noble friend Lord…10 Feb 2025HANSARDFree Schools and AcademiesMy Lords, it gives me great pleasure to speak in this debate on academies and free schools and the transformation they have brought to England’s education system. I thank my noble…23 Jan 2025HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryMy Lords, I thank the Minister for bringing to the House this Statement on the government response to the Covid-19 inquiry module 1 report. I thank the noble and learned Baroness,…23 Jan 2025HANSARDCivil Servants: Compulsory Office AttendanceMy Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Farmer for securing this important debate on whether civil servants should be obliged to work from their offices or their own homes. It has…09 Jan 2025HANSARDPlan for Change: Milestones for Mission-led GovernmentI apologise to the Lord Privy Seal. We welcome this relaunch and look forward to more in the months ahead. However, the Statement, while undeniably rich in aspiration, is…12 Dec 2024HANSARDPlan for Change: Milestones for Mission-led GovernmentMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness the Lord Privy Seal for repeating the Statement, which was delivered in the other place last week.12 Dec 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI thank the noble Lord. If the Government accept that some excepted Peers deserve to stay, why not extend that principle to all those who have contributed so much to the work of…11 Dec 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillI thank the noble Lord. I said that I understood the noble Lord’s understanding to be that there would be some Cross-Bench Peers who could be converted to life Peers.11 Dec 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, this has been an excellent and constructive debate on the composition of your Lordships’ House and the Government’s proposals for reform. I thank the Lord Privy Seal for…11 Dec 2024HANSARDVocational TrainingMy Lords, the IfATE transfer of functions Bill currently making its passage through your Lordships’ House takes those powers, particularly regarding standards and assessment, away…09 Dec 2024HANSARDVocational TrainingTo ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that their legislative agenda does not undermine vocational training.09 Dec 2024HANSARDPolitical Donations: CapMy Lords, if His Majesty’s Government intend to cap donations to political parties, can the Minister confirm that this cap will also extend to clothes and glasses?05 Dec 2024HANSARDCivil Service: PoliticisationMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Butler, for securing this debate on a matter of great importance to the effective functioning of our democracy. In so doing, I pay tribute…28 Nov 2024