Contributions
329 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSyrian Asylum ApplicationsMy Lords, Syria has a turbulent past, and no one can see but darkly the future of Syria. If the promises of the new regime are honoured over a period of time, surely it will be…29 Jan 2025HANSARDRussian Maritime Activity and UK ResponseMy Lords, Russia’s malign maritime activities are not confined to its navy. My noble friend the Minister will recall that, on Christmas Day, the Finns impounded a vessel and took…28 Jan 2025HANSARDRailway ElectrificationMy Lords, some years before their death throes, the last Conservative Government made a firm pledge to electrify the line between Swansea and Cardiff and then, because it was…22 Jan 2025HANSARDUK/US Free Trade AgreementDoes my noble friend agree that any potential benefits of a trade deal with the US are but a fraction of what we have lost by leaving the European Union? Does he agree that when,…20 Jan 2025HANSARDErasmus ProgrammeMy Lords, what is the objection in principle to having youth exchanges as part of a reset?20 Jan 2025HANSARDSub-Saharan Africa: Diplomatic RelationshipsDoes my noble friend agree that in our engagement with sub-Saharan Africa we must try to understand the Africa gap and why the region is turning out so badly compared with east…14 Jan 2025HANSARDUK Strategy Towards the Arctic (International Relations and Defence Committee Report)My Lords, I was privileged to be a member of the committee under the able chairmanship of the noble Lord, Lord Ashton of Hyde. The debate on this report has provided a forum for…09 Jan 2025HANSARDAir Defence CapabilitiesDoes my noble friend agree that recent exposure of our vulnerability to missile defence attack should lead to some reflection on whether we should tilt to the Indo-Pacific or give…09 Jan 2025HANSARDGeorgiaMy Lords, we have close links with Georgia, and as a country we therefore have some clout. The European Union has more clout. What level and type of co-operation do we have with…17 Dec 2024HANSARDHousebuilding TargetsMy Lords—12 Dec 2024HANSARDHousebuilding TargetsMy Lords, what are the assumptions about the average time it will take before the welcome new numbers of planning officers are in place?12 Dec 2024HANSARDChagos Islands: UK-US Defence RelationshipMy Lords, recent elections in Mauritius and the United States have thrown new uncertainties into the equation. Do we know when the review of the new Prime Minister, Dr…05 Dec 2024HANSARDUkraineMy Lords, there is an increasing assumption that peace negotiations may begin in the new year and lines will be drawn at the then-existing front lines of the conflict. Is it not…05 Dec 2024HANSARDParliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeMy Lords, as a former member of the committee of the Council of Europe that chose the judges, I suggest to my noble friend the Minister that the committee would be wary if there…03 Dec 2024HANSARDUndersea CablesMy Lords, the German Defence Minister was quick off the mark in ascribing the damage to sabotage. Do the Government agree? Do they point the finger at the Chinese or the Russians?03 Dec 2024HANSARDWalesMy Lords, from the beginning the mantra has been that devolution is a process, not a terminus. What proposals are the Government bringing to the table in discussions with the…26 Nov 2024HANSARDTaipei Representative Office in the United KingdomMy Lords, are there any steps, short of full recognition, that would recognise that Taiwan/Taipei is a democracy with very warm relations with the United Kingdom?25 Nov 2024HANSARDWales: Coal Tip SafetyMy Lords, since the tragedy of Aberfan in 1966, one of the great successes in Wales has been the greening, removing and making safe of those coal tips. Apart from the very helpful…20 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords ReformMy Lords, I assure the noble Earl that I shall not apply for an HGV licence—I am getting a little too crabbed with age for that. It is difficult to add anything new to the debate…12 Nov 2024HANSARDWales: Public ServicesMy Lords, the blunt fact remains that Wales is at or near the bottom of all the indices of deprivation within the United Kingdom, so will the Government look at this again,…05 Nov 2024