Contributions
240 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHousing: New HomesMy Lords, today’s commitment to social rent as part of the new affordable homes programme is welcome, as is the Government’s housebuilding ambition of 300,000 new homes per annum.…08 Sept 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords and Machinery of Government: Consultation on ChangesMy Lords, I read the debate on this topic yesterday, following the Question of the noble Lord, Lord Young of Cookham, and noted the imprecise Answer given then by the Minister. I…15 Jul 2020HANSARDHong Kong National Security LegislationMy Lords, the Statement is clear that it will not be possible for the UK alone to persuade the Chinese Government to respect their international commitments—a much broader…02 Jul 2020HANSARDHigher Education (Fee Limits and Student Support) (England) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020My Lords, this is a time of great uncertainty for universities. The main proposal in this SI, to introduce temporary student number controls, will add an important element of…02 Jul 2020HANSARDChinaMy Lords, the approval by China’s National People’s Congress of the new national security laws for Hong Kong was immediately followed by worldwide condemnation. However, the…29 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Wedding VenuesMy Lords, I have a young friend for whom the cancellation of her wedding and the subsequent negotiations were a nightmare. That must have been true of thousands of others. Of…24 Jun 2020HANSARDCorporate Insolvency and Governance BillI added my name to Amendment 13 and I set out in Committee my concerns about the Bill. As I said then, I fully support the intention behind it—that the disruption caused by…23 Jun 2020HANSARDCorporate Insolvency and Governance BillMy Lords, until recently, I was a member of the board of the Pension Protection Fund. I will speak to Amendments 20 and 63. Like my noble friend Lady Drake, I have yet to digest…16 Jun 2020HANSARDSocial HousingMy Lords, I declare an interest as the chair of the National Housing Federation. It has been three years since the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, and we owe it to the families and…16 Jun 2020HANSARDCorporate Insolvency and Governance BillMy Lords, until recently I was a member of the board of the Pension Protection Fund—PPF—so, like my noble friend Lady Drake, I want to focus on the impact of the Bill on defined…09 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: EconomyMy Lords, the Covid pandemic has revealed some crucial economic realities that have been ignored for too long. One of those is the inability of the construction industry to…04 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: HousingMy Lords, I declare an interest as chair of the National Housing Federation. Housing associations had hoped this year to invest £16.9 billion in developing 50,000 new homes to…18 May 2020HANSARDHousing for the HomelessMy Lords, I refer to my registered interests. I raised the issue of permanent accommodation in this House on 30 April, as did others. The Minister said that the Government were…14 May 2020HANSARDIncome Equality and SustainabilityMy Lords, I join others in wishing the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of York a happy and very well-deserved retirement. I declare an interest as chair of the National…06 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: People Living in PovertyMy Lords, I declare my interest as chair of the National Housing Federation, representing not-for-profit housing associations in England. This crisis cannot be allowed to entrench…30 Apr 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Social Care ServicesMy Lords, I congratulate my noble friend on calling this vital debate at a very difficult time in our history and I thank her for all the work that she has done on this issue. I…23 Apr 2020HANSARDBBC and Public Service BroadcastingMy Lords, I make my remarks as a great fan of the BBC, although, as an avid Radio 4 listener rather than TV watcher, I realise I am not a typical viewer. This does not stop me…05 Mar 2020HANSARDEducational Opportunities: Working ClassesI note that the Minister has indicated investment in teaching quality in schools and in the further education workforce. Does she mind responding to the point I made about…05 Mar 2020HANSARDEducational Opportunities: Working ClassesMy Lords, given the number of reports and studies on this issue, I think we all recognise the importance of educational attainment to social mobility, and indeed to social…05 Mar 2020HANSARDHousing: New HomesMy Lords, I welcome the Government’s commitment to a renewed larger affordable homes programme, but the current lack of detail about the size and scope of the programme is…27 Feb 2020