Contributions
137 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBudget StatementMy Lords, I begin with warmest congratulations to my new noble friend Lord Khan. The Chancellor of the Exchequer understandably spoke at length in his Budget speech about the…12 Mar 2021HANSARDMusic and Performing Arts Students: Visas and Work PermitsMy Lords, is it not clear that the Government’s EU deal has severely penalised one of the most successful parts of our economy, putting it at a huge competitive disadvantage? On…11 Mar 2021HANSARDEU: Fishing Industry NegotiationsMy Lords, the situation seems to make a mockery of the Prime Minister’s claim that his Brexit deal would involve “no non-tariff barriers to trade.” May I take up with the Minister…04 Mar 2021HANSARDTreesMy Lords, I refer to my non-financial interests in the Northumberland National Park as listed in the register. There we have seen the massively increased planting of Sitka spruce,…23 Feb 2021HANSARDOsteoporosis: TreatmentMy Lords, I do not have a specific interest to declare, but I have been a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Osteoporosis Group and fully support the Royal Osteoporosis…09 Feb 2021HANSARDHS2: Phase 2BMy Lords, given the recent delays, is it not now the case that the north-east—Durham, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear—will not now benefit from HS2 until after 2040? If the…08 Feb 2021HANSARDThe UK’s Relationship with the Pacific Alliance (International Relations Committee Report)My Lords, the Victorian commentator on the constitution, Walter Bagehot, said in 1867 that the committees of the House of Lords, as is well known, do a great deal of work and do…01 Feb 2021HANSARDSmall Business: EU ExportsMy Lords, many exporters are facing new and huge problems in exporting to the European Union, including increased costs, VAT charges and extra red tape. All of this has serious…28 Jan 2021HANSARDSmall Business: EU ExportsTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support small businesses affected by increased costs in exporting to the European Union.28 Jan 2021HANSARDConstitution, Democracy and Human Rights CommissionI support the words of the noble Lord, Lord Young, and urge a cross-party and non-party approach to these issues; otherwise, what emerges from the Government’s plans will lack…14 Jan 2021HANSARDEuropean Union (Future Relationship) BillMy Lords, I share the sadness of many in this debate as we reach the end of the road for our EU membership, of which I have been a strong supporter since well before being elected…30 Dec 2020HANSARDFreight Industry: DelaysMy Lords, it seems that the costs of implementing Brexit are great and bureaucracy has greatly increased as a result, which is the opposite of what we were promised. Does the…17 Dec 2020HANSARDSecurity Co-operationMy Lords, can the Minister assure us that, once we are no longer part of the EU’s common security and defence policy, UK defence companies will not be disadvantaged in…02 Dec 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Devolved AdministrationsMy Lords, speaking as someone who lives in Northumberland not far from the Anglo-Scottish border and where people on both sides often identify as “Borderers”, I am in favour of…27 Nov 2020HANSARDMinisterial CodeMy Lords, are there any previous cases of Prime Ministers overruling and ignoring the results of an inquiry under the Ministerial Code?24 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Levelling-up AgendaMy Lords, I ask the Minister to make clear to her colleague the former Northern Powerhouse Minister in another place the huge contribution that culture has made to the…12 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestMy Lords, I support the point just made by my noble friend Lady Bakewell. I want to raise the issue of the financial hurdles facing applicants. I have been told that free ESOL…03 Nov 2020HANSARDHome Secretary: Allegations of BullyingMy Lords, is it not the case that the Prime Minister has undermined this process by declaring his full confidence in the Home Secretary from the outset? Is it also not the case…02 Nov 2020HANSARDUnited Kingdom Internal Market BillMy Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, and to recognise the work that he did in trying to make sure that we have a good system…19 Oct 2020HANSARDEconomyMy Lords, at a time of great difficulty for so many of our citizens, do the Government agree with the British Retail Consortium that a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year would…28 Sept 2020