Contributions
2,184 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDChinese Embassy DevelopmentThe noble Lord raises a number of points and I have heard him speak many times on these issues to my colleagues from the FCDO. The Government stand firm on human rights, including…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChinese Embassy DevelopmentIt is important to reiterate that this is a planning issue and will be considered on planning grounds. However, the noble Baroness raised concerns about the Hong Kong community.…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChinese Embassy DevelopmentNational security is, of course, the first duty of government more generally. On the specifics of the case, the inspector’s report will consider the application against all the…12 Jun 2025HANSARDElections: Political Party SpendingThe noble Lord is right that all political parties must be engaged in any consultation. The idea is to produce a draft strategy based on the reports that have been produced so far…09 Jun 2025HANSARDElections: Political Party SpendingMy noble friend makes a very important point, one that we have discussed in the Chamber before. I can assure her that the Government take the threat posed by disinformation and…09 Jun 2025HANSARDElections: Political Party SpendingMy Lords, many things are said on social media, including by Elon Musk, and I am aware that he is a prolific user of his own platform. There has been much discussion of his words…09 Jun 2025HANSARDElections: Political Party SpendingThe noble Lord makes a very important point, and, like many others, I have heard a lot about DOGE in Kent. Local government funding is incredibly complex and, if what I have seen…09 Jun 2025HANSARDElections: Political Party SpendingMy Lords, robust party spending and reporting rules are already in place. The Government do not have current plans to review the spending limits, but we are committed to…09 Jun 2025HANSARDElections: Political Party SpendingAs the work is being done to consider what needs to be in the electoral strategy, there have been a number of recent reports on elections and how they work. All the work done will…09 Jun 2025HANSARDElections: Political Party SpendingI do not think it at all helpful, when we are discussing an important issue concerning electoral law, to be throwing around political accusations about where the money has come…09 Jun 2025HANSARDElections: Political Party SpendingI agree with the noble Lord that this is a very important area. There are strict rules relating to unincorporated associations and the political contributions they make, including…09 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019I would not take quite such a harsh view as my noble friend. On how the Government respond to the industry, there is a big industry here and we know that, as a result of the…04 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019I understand Members’, motorists’ and the parking organisations’ frustrations, but the legal challenges that came forward in June 2022 relied heavily on the fact that there had…04 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019Again, I totally understand that frustration. What is important to motorists is that it is transparent when they arrive, so that they are able to make their own choice about…04 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019I thank the noble Lord for kicking off the very lengthy process that we are involved in today. The Government issued a code in February 2022, but it had to be withdrawn in June…04 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019I thank my noble friend. Giving local leaders the power and resources to deliver the solutions that are right for their area is at the heart of our Government’s devolution agenda.…04 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019We want to make sure that we do as much as possible to protect motorists, but this is an industry that helps to regulate parking. Having been a councillor for many years, I know…04 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019I thank my noble friend for all the work that she did on this—I am sure that the people in her area were grateful for it too. There is evidence of private parking appeals…04 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019It is very important that local areas can determine that themselves. It is not the Government’s intention to impose that on local areas, because it may vary across an area. It is…04 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019It sounds like there is unanimity around the Chamber on the need for this. Please be assured that I will follow this up to ensure that we do not wait another six years for the…04 Jun 2025