Contributions
2,184 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillWe have set out clearly in the Bill—with the competences, for example—where we see strategic responsibilities lying and where local council leaders will be responsible for the…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Scott and Lady Janke, for their amendments on single foundation strategic authorities. Clause 3 provides a power for the Secretary…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI take the point. That project is being supported by the Food Strategy Advisory Board, including extensive engagement across government. I will take back the point that that…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Shipley, for Amendment 13, which seeks to ensure that power is moved away from central government—we all agree with that—to strategic and…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Royall of Blaisdon and Lady McIntosh of Pickering, for their amendments on rural affairs, and I thank all noble Lords who have spoken…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI was highlighting the fact that the noble Baroness spoke about the willingness to adopt services, which I believe is important. The devolution framework is designed to eliminate…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillLet me just check with my civil servants so that I do not say something I should not say. I believe that it has been published; I will send the noble Baroness a link to where she…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI will finish what I am saying, then I will see whether I can answer the noble Baroness’s question. Including public safety within the areas of competence is important for several…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillMy Lords, I thank all noble Lords for their amendments on the areas of competence and for what has been a useful and helpful discussion on the subject. Many of the amendments in…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI heard the noble Lord’s question. I responded earlier that I will come back to him on how this works within the Bill, so if that is okay, I will do it in writing and share it…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, for Amendments 6 and 51, and the noble Baroness, Lady Prashar, for Amendment 10. These amendments seek to create a distinct area…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI understand why the noble Baroness is pushing her point strongly, but I will stick to the answer I gave: those areas of competence already enable a very wide framework to tackle…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillThere were a lot of amendments in this group, but we whipped through it very quickly, so I thank noble Lords. The amendments in the group tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Scott,…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillFor most local authorities—I have spoken to a great number of them over the past few months—the attraction of taking your unitary authority and going into a combined authority is…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillThe Government have made our intention very clear: we want to see unitary authorities established across the country. We want that initiative to come from local areas themselves.…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Gascoigne, for this amendment, which seeks to ensure that new strategic authorities have the capability to take on additional powers. I…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillThe noble Lord knows, because we have had the conversation, that I feel that the order of that wording is a little unfortunate. We will reflect on that because it does look as…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI thank the noble Lord, Lord Mawson, for those additional points. In this Room there are many people from local government, who have spent many years working to make sure that…20 Jan 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillBefore I comment on the amendments in this group, I send my very best wishes to the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock. We had an online meeting with her last week, and I know how…20 Jan 2026HANSARDChinese EmbassyMy Lords, that is a matter for the security services and not for planning.15 Jan 2026