Contributions
2,215 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSelf-employed: Paternity LeaveDoes the Minister recognise that the lack of proper pay is the number one reason for a lack of take-up of existing rights? Will she confirm whether the new day one right to…20 May 2026HANSARDSelf-employed: Paternity LeaveTo ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide paternity leave to the self-employed.20 May 2026HANSARDSelf-employed: Paternity LeaveMy Lords, why do the Government need another review to tell us what is obvious: that excluding nearly one in four fathers from our system of paternity pay is unfair and needs…20 May 2026HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, following the noble Baroness, Lady O’Grady, I too want to focus on the theme from yesterday’s gracious Speech as being one of security—defence security, energy security…14 May 2026HANSARDMinisterial Salaries (Amendment) BillMy Lords, I, too, welcome the Bill. I do not think it is acceptable that we ask Ministers to do their work unpaid, a burden that has fallen disproportionately on Members of this…14 Apr 2026HANSARDEquality: Break Down Barriers to Opportunity MissionMy Lords, a key part of this mission is focused on the first 1,001 critical days of a child’s life. Evidence shows that having a father involved at this time supports the child’s…25 Mar 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, I will speak in support of Amendment 218A. Before I do so, on Amendment 212, the noble Lord, Lord Sharkey, made a valiant attempt to square the circle of opposing some…23 Feb 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, I will speak briefly in support of Amendments 112, 114 and 117 in the names of my noble friends Lady Coffey and Lady McIntosh of Pickering, which aim to set a cap on…26 Jan 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, my noble friend Lord Younger has asked many of the questions that my Amendments 116A and 130A seek to probe on the rationale for the Government’s timescales in the Bill.…26 Jan 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill21 Jan 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, I will speak to my Amendment 91, in my name and the names of the noble Lords, Lord Storey and Lord Knight, and the noble Baroness, Lady Cass, and Amendment 106, also…21 Jan 2026HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, I will be brief. My only plea to noble Lords, as we take this issue forward beyond today’s debate in the Chamber—as I have no doubt that we will—is that we keep the…21 Jan 2026HANSARDParental Leave and Pay ReviewMy Lords, the Minister talked about the evidence needed. When Quebec introduced five weeks of paid paternity leave 20 years ago, not only did it increase the take-up and length of…20 Jan 2026HANSARDParental Leave and Pay ReviewMy Lords, the Minister referred to the call for evidence, which closed in August. I appreciate that there were around 1,300 responses, but it has been five months since then, with…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEarly Years EducationMy Lords, research published by the Government on Monday showed some two year-olds spending five hours a day on average on screens, with a strong negative association with their…14 Jan 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillThe Minister has made a valiant attempt to answer all questions. Can she commit to writing to the noble Lords in this debate on the questions she did not reach, and to that letter…18 Dec 2025HANSARDPreschool Children: Digital TechnologyTo ask His Majesty’s Government what information they provide to parents and early-years providers about safe and appropriate use of digital technology by pre-school children.18 Dec 2025HANSARDPreschool Children: Digital TechnologyMy Lords, I thank the Minister for taking time to meet me and the noble Baroness, Lady Cass, last month to discuss this issue. The evidence shows that digital device use among…18 Dec 2025HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, we have had a wide range of expertise in the speakers today, although I suspect that the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Brixton, might be the only one of us who could not…18 Dec 2025HANSARDChildren: Social MediaMy Lords, the Minister talked about support for parents. Last week, the Centre for Social Justice released a new analysis showing that almost 1 million preschool children are…10 Dec 2025