Contributions
562 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)The hon. Member for Cheltenham also referred to the principles of business, but the issue is that this is not a business; it is a regulator. That is why it is entirely proper and…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)I take the point, which is well made. We do not want the regulator to grow and start trying to perform the functions of other bodies that exist, just because it has an…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)Whenever I rise to speak on the Bill, I try to keep the fans uppermost in my mind. We have heard discussion about the potential for increasing costs. That is because the Bill will…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)I know we know this, but the Select Committee is dominated by Labour MPs—I want to make that clear. I did not follow the process within it, but a Committee dominated by Labour MPs…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)The Liberal Democrats are always looking for an opportunity to bring things back to potentially rejoining the EU. No, I would not read the amendment as either an overt or a subtle…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)Amendment 117 would mandate that a candidate for chair of an independent regulator must declare all their political donations. It would not be merely a voluntary process. I back…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)I am not sure I agree with the hon. Member’s interpretation of why individuals should disclose that they have made political donations. It is not necessarily so that they can be…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)The issue here is that this is a regulator, with regulatory authority and powers. When we legislate, we should do whatever we can to keep politics out of sport. If there are…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)I have to confess that was not in my mind when I rose to my feet, but my hon. Friend has a good memory. I welcome his sporting analogy, rather than the analogy of Jacob Rees-Mogg…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)I obviously disagree with the word “hypocrisy.” [ Laughter. ] There is no point laughing when dealing with the very serious issue of taking politics out of football. Fans do not…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)The Government Whip is agreeing from a sedentary position. “And therefore it is perfectly open to us to make a political appointment to the football regulator.” That is an…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (Second sitting)We are debating a group of amendments that attempt to better the regulator’s independence. The shadow Minister has set out at great length—made even longer by the interruptions…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)I rise to support Opposition amendment 132. The shadow Minister eloquently set out the reasons why, and I do not need to repeat them. But I pose this question to the Minister: why…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)I would not like to sweep aside any suggestion of tension. There will always be tension among people who watch sport—in this case football—in different ways, but I do not accept…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I am delighted to be on the Committee, although I feel slightly ashamed that, unlike seemingly everyone else, I do…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)In looking at the definitions, I am concerned about what is intended to be meant by “ultimate owner”, not least from a drafting point of view. Schedule 1 deals with an owner in…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)Thank you for that guidance, Sir Jeremy. I can see what the hon. Gentleman is inviting me to do, and I have sympathy with his general point about the independence of chairs of…03 Jun 2025HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)I thank the Minister for that. She has already given some better words by talking about “significant” control. That is not the wording in clause 3, but I prefer it, to be honest.…03 Jun 2025HANSARDDementia CareI welcome the Minister’s confirmation of his commitment to the diagnosis target of two thirds. Will he put that in a key document—the equivalent of the planning guidance for NHS…03 Jun 2025HANSARDDementia CareAs my hon. Friend knows, at the beginning of the year, the Government and NHS England removed dementia from their planning guidance, which sets their priorities for the year…03 Jun 2025