Contributions
240 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSocial HousebuildingMy Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for her very helpful and hopeful reply. Recent statistics from the ministry show that, in the year 2023-24, 320,000 households faced…21 Oct 2024HANSARDSocial HousebuildingTo ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to build capacity in councils and housing associations within the next three months to increase the building of new social…21 Oct 2024HANSARDUN Sustainable Development GoalsMy Lords, I too thank my noble friend Lord McConnell for securing this debate, and for his long-standing and determined campaign to keep these goals at the forefront of our…17 Oct 2024HANSARDExternal Auditing of Companies: DeficienciesMy Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Sikka for securing this debate. He has great expertise in this area, and has reminded us today of the terrible fallout, not least in terms…14 Oct 2024HANSARDSocial Care StrategyMy Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, helped us all with her comprehensive and thoughtful introduction to this debate, and with the urgency she injected into it. I thank her…10 Oct 2024HANSARDHigher Education FundingMy Lords, looked at objectively, the crisis facing universities seems inevitable, given that the two key elements of their income have been undermined. Government grants have been…12 Sept 2024HANSARDGrenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 ReportMy Lords, I want to raise the issue of remediation as it affects social housing. Nothing is more important to housing associations than the safety of their residents. They have…09 Sept 2024HANSARDHousing: Modern Methods of ConstructionMy Lords, the housing sector is struggling. It is universally acknowledged that the country does not have enough affordable homes. This Government have committed to solve the…05 Sept 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble and learned Lord, Lord Etherton, some of whose points I will echo. I welcome this King’s Speech as a vital first step towards…18 Jul 2024HANSARDRenters (Reform) BillMy Lords, I do not wish to prolong this. In relation to the comments that the Minister made on ongoing discussions about the role of the landlord ombudsman, could she undertake to…15 May 2024HANSARDRenters (Reform) BillMy Lords, I declare my interest as chair of the Property Ombudsman. I warmly welcome the Bill. I am sure the Minister is well aware of the large number of organisations from which…15 May 2024HANSARDCraftspeople: European Union Travel and TradeTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the challenges for craftspeople in (1) travelling to and from, and (2) trading with, the European Union.13 May 2024HANSARDCraftspeople: European Union Travel and TradeI thank the Minister for that Answer. However, official advice about trading with the EU is not really tailored to self-employed craftspeople, nor to crafts microbusinesses, and…13 May 2024HANSARDHigher Education: Arts and HumanitiesMy Lords, the cap on student fees has meant that funding for students is at its lowest level in over 25 years. There is a £1 billion hole in domestic teaching funding, which will…01 May 2024HANSARDAffordable Housing: SupplyMy Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Chandos for tabling this debate. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes, on a powerful and, if I may say so,…25 Apr 2024HANSARDNHS: Long-term SustainabilityMy Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Crisp, and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Patel, for providing the opportunity to consider this challenging but vital…18 Apr 2024HANSARDProperty Agents: RegulationMy Lords, I declare an interest as chair of the Property Ombudsman. The ombudsman has been producing codes of practice for several decades, and that skill was utilised by the RoPA…18 Apr 2024HANSARDSocial Housing: Right-to-buy SalesMy Lords, whatever the data we are bandying around here, there is no doubt that right to buy and demolitions mean that we are losing social housing every year. As has already been…18 Apr 2024HANSARDLong-Term National Housing StrategyMy Lords, I am grateful to the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford for tabling this important debate. We are desperately in need of some consistency in decisions about…29 Feb 2024HANSARDHousing Benefit: Temporary AccommodationMy Lords, the undersupply of social housing has meant that spending on temporary accommodation has increased by a staggering 62% over the last five years. Yesterday, Shelter and…28 Feb 2024