Contributions
1,156 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy Lords, I am bringing this Motion forward after discussions with the usual channels which followed conversations with colleagues across the House. The current position is that…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsMy Lords, it is not lost on these Benches that even the Cross-Benchers have had more appointments than we have had on the political list for this side of the House. As I have said…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsNot just the north but from the whole of the country—the nations and regions, including Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland; there is a role for people from every region in the…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsThe noble Lord has a point. Too often, as we see in the media, people wish to denigrate politics and politicians. The Prime Minister has said he wants to show—not say, but…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsThe question of what powers the House of Lords Appointments Commission should have is a balance. We have discussed that in this House many times, and my view is on record, and the…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsOf course. It is a given that for good decision-making it is necessary to have good input from different sources. I am unclear why the noble Baroness asked that; I would have…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsMy Lords, I say to the noble Lord that I will do my utmost on that. He and I have discussed this before, and all Ministers are aware that their priority is to your Lordships’…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsMy Lords, the entire Front Bench endorses the noble Lord’s comment and wants to stay in office. One problem of publishing information on a quarterly basis is that, in the last few…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsMy noble friend has put a number of those questions to me over the years, given her interests and experience on this subject. She is right: public confidence can be improved by…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsMy Lord, as the Prime Minister has made clear, public service is a privilege, and this Government are committed to ensuring that politics can be a force for good. It was at the…25 Jul 2024HANSARDBusiness of the HouseThat, until 24 January 2026, Standing Order 9(5) ( Hereditary peers: by-elections ) be amended as follows: leave out “three” and insert “eighteen”.25 Jul 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechNext Tuesday.24 Jul 2024HANSARDBusiness of the HouseThat Standing Order 73 ( Affirmative Instruments ) be dispensed with on Monday 29 July to enable motions to approve the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Requisite and Minimum Custodial…24 Jul 2024HANSARDBusiness of the HouseThat, in the event that the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Bill has been brought from the Commons, Standing Order 44 ( No two stages of a Bill to be taken on one day )…24 Jul 2024HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy Lords, I thought it would be helpful to the House to set out why this Motion is needed. Noble Lords will see that the Motion enables the debate and approval of two statutory…24 Jul 2024HANSARDNATO and European Political Community MeetingsI thank the noble Lord for that question. I reiterate, and will do so, I am sure, on many occasions, that we utterly condemn Hamas—not just for the attacks on 7 October but for…23 Jul 2024HANSARDNATO and European Political Community MeetingsMy Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall now repeat a Statement made in another place by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister. The Statement is as follows: “Before…23 Jul 2024HANSARDNATO and European Political Community MeetingsI totally agree with the noble Earl. I am sorry that the Prime Minister did not sound enthusiastic enough for him. The tone was welcomed by the noble Lord, Lord Newby, but perhaps…23 Jul 2024HANSARDNATO and European Political Community MeetingsI think the noble Lord slightly truncated my comment. I said that the greatest deterrence was the feeling that they were going to be caught, and that if they were caught and were…23 Jul 2024HANSARDNATO and European Political Community MeetingsMy Lords, I doubt that it will go off the agenda at all, but the noble Baroness is right that it is an investment. With all these things, it is very easy sometimes to talk about…23 Jul 2024