Contributions
1,121 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDWelfare Reforms and Youth UnemploymentMy Lords, I, too, pay tribute to Lord Younger, our colleague on these Benches who has left the House, not of his own volition. He is a great loss to the House, as are all the…11 Jun 2026HANSARDBest Start Family HubsMy Lords, the test of the family hubs is not how many open but whether children are connected to the right opportunities. The Department for Education’s own guidance includes a…10 Jun 2026HANSARDReforming the Child Maintenance Service (Public Services Committee Report)My Lords, I first declare an interest, in that I was a member of the Public Services Committee. I loved being on that committee—and you will not hear that about many committees, I…08 Jun 2026HANSARDHealth-related Benefits AssessmentsMy Lords, between July 2024 and July 2025, 1.1 million assessments were carried out remotely. Three-quarters of those were conducted by telephone and just 3% were conducted by…08 Jun 2026HANSARDYoung People and WorkMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name in the Order Paper. I understand that there is a debate going on about where I should be sitting. If I have got it…04 Jun 2026HANSARDYoung People and WorkI thank the Minister for her Answer, which is encouraging. We on these Benches welcome the Milburn report. It is a serious, research-driven diagnosis of a problem that has…04 Jun 2026HANSARDYoung People and WorkTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Alan Milburn's report Young people and work: interim report , published on 28 May; and what steps they intend to…04 Jun 2026HANSARDEquality Act 2010: Code of PracticeMy Lords, I welcome the opportunity to respond to the Statement on the draft Equality Act 2010 code of practice. The publication of the draft code is welcome, and I was pleased to…03 Jun 2026HANSARDFor Women Scotland Ltd v Scottish MinistersMy Lords, this morning the Health Secretary told the “Today” programme that the Supreme Court ruling was clear and that single-sex spaces must be protected, but UNISON has called…01 Jun 2026HANSARDDisadvantaged Pupils: Music Attainment GapLike everyone on these Benches, I welcome the fact that the Government are intending to give more prominence to creative subjects, music included, with their proposed reforms to…20 May 2026HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I add my congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Hobby, and my noble friend Lord Blackwater, on their maiden speeches. It is great to have both noble Lords in the House,…19 May 2026HANSARDLocal Government Pension FundMy Lords, what assessment have the Government made of so-called lifestyling pension strategies, also known as target date or pathway funds, where savers are automatically moved…18 May 2026HANSARDHealthy Life Expectancy: EnglandMy Lords, my succinct question is this. Given that healthy life expectancy has fallen despite record levels of NHS spending, with obesity, diabetes and poor mental health…18 May 2026HANSARDFor Women Scotland CaseMy Lords, on 16 April, the one-year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court judgment confirming that sex in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, the Conservative…27 Apr 2026HANSARDChemicals (Health and Safety) (Amendment, Consequential and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026My Lords, the Opposition do not oppose this instrument. We broadly welcome the intent behind it. The chemicals regulatory framework is one of the more technically demanding…27 Apr 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, I have little to add to the compelling case set out by the noble Baroness, Lady Bowles, and indeed by us all throughout the passage of the Bill. Our position remains…27 Apr 2026HANSARDOffice for National Statistics Labour Market DataMy Lords, one of the most worrying figures of all, in the most worrying of areas, is the increase of economic inactivity and people who are not required to look for work or who…23 Apr 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, since we have only one group of Motions today, I shall address our three key areas—scale and competition, public sector pensions and mandation—together. First, on scale…22 Apr 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, it is beyond doubt that mandation is, rightly, the most serious and contentious issue in the Bill. We have made our views on this very clear, as have many other noble…20 Apr 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, I warmly acknowledge the collegiate and genuinely cross-party approach that has characterised the passage of the Bill through your Lordships’ House. I know I also speak…26 Mar 2026