Contributions
753 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I strongly support this Bill. Before I joined your Lordships’ House, I had somehow assumed that the body of hereditary Peers would wither away, so I was surprised to…11 Dec 2024HANSARDMigration and Border SecurityMy Lords, a report in Sunday’s Observer indicated that the quality of decision-making on asylum claims suffered significantly in the interests of speed under the previous…10 Dec 2024HANSARD“Get Britain Working” White PaperMy Lords, there is much to welcome in these proposals for reform of employment support and their aim of better health and good work. But can my noble friend please assure me,…27 Nov 2024HANSARDAsylum Seekers: Hotel AccommodationMy Lords, I hope that my noble friend did not mean that he wanted to reduce asylum, because it is a legitimate—25 Nov 2024HANSARDAsylum Seekers: Hotel AccommodationGood. I am glad and wanted to put that on the record. Last week, a round table of academics and stakeholders heard of children wrongly assessed as adults being put in hotels with…25 Nov 2024HANSARDNational Carers StrategyMy Lords, a key element of any carer’s strategy, or non-strategy, must be to make it easier for carers to combine caring with paid work. As well as long-overdue reform of carer’s…19 Nov 2024HANSARDLegal Aid: Social Welfare and Family LawMy Lords, my noble friend the Minister, in response to my noble friend Lord Bach, referred primarily to criminal legal aid. What does he think are the implications for the…18 Nov 2024HANSARDSmall Boat CrossingsMy Lords, when asked about safe routes, the Minister in the Commons yesterday said that they would not stop all the channel crossings—but all the refugee organisations argue that…13 Nov 2024HANSARDAutumn Budget 2024My Lords, this first Budget from a woman has some good news for women, as we have already heard, especially the investment in our much-depleted public services—though sadly not…11 Nov 2024HANSARDEducation: Early Years Attainment GapMy Lords, given the importance of childcare to early years education and development, would our child-centred Government consider as part of their early years strategy, referred…05 Nov 2024HANSARDPensioners: Winter SupportMy Lords, with reference to the triple lock, my noble friend the Minister will be aware that a number of charities have been calling for a double lock on benefits for children;…29 Oct 2024HANSARDChild Poverty: Benefit CapMy Lords, as my noble friend knows well, not only is the cap a driver of child poverty, especially deep poverty, but it undermines government goals with regard to homelessness and…22 Oct 2024HANSARDChild Poverty: Benefit CapTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the benefit cap on child poverty.22 Oct 2024HANSARDGovernment’s Childcare ExpansionMy Lords, one of the last Labour Government’s great achievements was the introduction of the Sure Start scheme, but, as my noble friend will know, many Sure Start centres have…21 Oct 2024HANSARDGaza and LebanonMy Lords, this morning some of us attended a shocking briefing on the state of healthcare in Gaza, including the restrictions on doctors entering the country and the sick and…16 Oct 2024HANSARDImmigration (Guidance on Detention of Vulnerable Persons) Regulations 2024That the Grand Committee takes note of the Immigration (Guidance on Detention of Vulnerable Persons) Regulations 2024, laid before the House on 30 April (SI 2024/573). Relevant…14 Oct 2024HANSARDImmigration (Guidance on Detention of Vulnerable Persons) Regulations 2024My Lords, these regulations were introduced by the previous Government, so a take-note Motion seemed more appropriate than a regret Motion as there was no time to debate them…14 Oct 2024HANSARDImmigration (Guidance on Detention of Vulnerable Persons) Regulations 2024I assure noble Lords that I do not plan to speak until 7.45 pm, as some people might have been expecting. I am grateful to everybody who spoke and who, in many cases, amplified…14 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean Territory: NegotiationsMy Lords, leaving aside, as I noted yesterday, the fact that the whole of Diego Garcia will remain out of bounds to Chagossians, the Statement says that Mauritius will now be free…09 Oct 2024HANSARDIllegal MigrantsFurther to what my noble friend Lord Dubs said, can my noble friend the Minister confirm that asylum seekers are not illegal migrants and that the adjective “irregular” better…09 Oct 2024