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1,892 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillMy Lords, I thank all noble Lords for their contributions and am very grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, who has sat patiently throughout today for her contribution. I…07 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformI pay tribute to the work that the noble Lord, Lord Burns, and his committee did, but a number of Administrations have not signed up to those recommendations and have not wanted…01 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformThere were a lot of points there. There are many ideas for reform, some of which have a lot of merit, but to take the final point about making HOLAC statutory, I do not favour…01 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformThe noble Lord is right that it has been an extraordinary week in that we have had such close votes. I agree with the general sentiment of what he is trying to say. What is really…01 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformI agree with my noble friend, who always has good historical angles, that the Act was a great move forward. Many of us who are lucky enough to serve in this House benefit from…01 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformMy Lords, I start by sharing the sadness at the sudden death of Lord Stunell. The House of Lords plays a crucial role by scrutinising, debating and holding the Government to…01 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformI agree that an elected Chamber has problems, because there would inevitably be a clash with the Commons and indeed the devolved legislatures. An appointed Chamber allows the…01 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformIt is important that the House is refreshed, and I have already explained that the current Prime Minister recently encouraged Labour to put forward candidates for peerages—I am…01 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformI did not give the Liberal Democrat numbers, but there are 80 Liberal Democrat Members—10% of the House—which is a lot more than in the House of Commons. It is important that we…01 May 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords: ReformI thank the noble Lord for his Question. On the numbers, we now have 787 Members. The Conservatives have 277 Members, 35% of the House. As the noble Lord points out, the Labour…01 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI am not quite sure what will happen about Xinjiang; that is a foreign affairs question. Obviously, although it is not referred to in the Bill, we have made it clear that we will…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillMy Lords, the amendments put forward by the noble Baronesses, Lady Bryan of Partick and Lady Chapman of Darlington, and the noble Lord, Lord Hain, seek to remove Wales, Scotland…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillIf I may, I will come back to that at the end of the speech, because I want first to try to explain what we are doing with the devolved Administrations. The noble Baroness, Lady…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI think that is a little unfair. The noble Baroness knows that I am always ready to take interventions and have continued to do so. I am doing my best to do the job that this…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI am grateful for that point, but I am not sure I entirely understand it, so perhaps I can offer to meet the noble Lord or to write to him and make sure that he gets an answer in…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillWe are going to be discussing the Occupied Territories in a group two or three later in this Bill and I do not have an answer to the noble Lord on this point today, except to…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillIt seems to me that the issue here is boycotting a sporting event, and that is not a procurement or investment decision—but I have already undertaken to look carefully at these…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillThat example would not be procurement or investment, so it would be outside the scope of the Bill. However, the noble Baroness has raised the point. Sporting bodies can be within…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI am glad that we have focused on an individual example because, in my experience, this always helps us to clarify our own thinking. I think that, if the noble Lord, Lord Boateng,…17 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillPerhaps I might continue on the points raised in the debate and come back to that point. It is a very reasonable question but I am not going to answer it without advice. However,…17 Apr 2024