Contributions
3,654 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLife in the UK TestThe test costs £50 and the handbook costs £12.99. I have recognised before in your Lordships’ House that the cost of citizenship is high for some individuals. In terms of ESOL, I…03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestYes, probably. This is intended to be a broad-brush 24 questions on our history as an overview. The test also includes questions on society and culture.03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestMy Lords, I certainly join the noble Lord in congratulating everyone who has passed the test. I think the pass rate is between 80% and 90%.03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestI thank my noble friend for pointing those things out. I suspect if we took a straw poll of all views in this House the handbook would be very long.03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsMy noble friend makes a good point, but the Government, guided by the scientists, will continue to monitor the situation. The next few weeks will be quite unpleasant for people…03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsPolicing by consent is something that we as a society not only want to uphold, but hold very dear. Policing is not always in that vein in other countries across the world. In a…03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsI can confirm that the Home Office has provided additional surge funding. I agree with the other points he made, certainly regarding the guidance. The pattern of the virus…03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsWe live in unique times. We are asking people to do things that are completely contrary to how this country usually operates. It is amazing that people have complied as much as…03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsThe noble Lord makes a good point. There were 20,223 fixed penalty notices in England and Wales between the end of March and the middle of October. The most important point that…03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestMy Lords, I read the exchange between my noble friend Lord Parkinson and Professor Trentmann with high interest. Our history is both broad and deep. We cannot possibly cover every…03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestMy Lords, the Life in the UK test, which is taken for settlement and citizenship purposes, is based on the content of the new handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New…03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestI take the noble Lord’s point, but I do not think that we can erase history. History is both good and bad. The test also covers things such as society and culture. We should bear…03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestI agree with the noble Lord that British values are common values. However, some of them may not be writ large in some of the countries that people come from. It is important to…03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestI thank the noble Lord and congratulate him for the first Life in the UK test. I know that the Home Secretary considers all feedback on what should be covered in the test. For…03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsMessaging and communication must be very clear in whatever regime we are in over Christmas, but it is too early to determine what might be necessary then. By acting now with a…03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestNo, I do not agree. The laws on planning applications could fill a tome by themselves—03 Nov 2020HANSARDLife in the UK TestI thank my noble friend for that question. It goes to the heart of the fact that we do not all know everything about history.03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsTo be absolutely fair to the police, at the beginning of lockdown in March there were a few examples of the police perhaps acting a little overjudiciously, but since then I have…03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsMy Lords, I bet everyone would love to know the answer to the noble Lord’s final question. The Government have to keep an open view on what the numbers are looking like and the…03 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Christmas Breaches of RestrictionsMy Lords, the police will continue to enforce the measures that are in place, to protect the public and to save lives, as they have done throughout the pandemic. However, it is…03 Nov 2020