Contributions
188 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I will make three points. First, I entirely agree that the participation of hereditary Peers in the upper Chamber as a birthright is a medieval overhang and should be…11 Dec 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]Most of what the noble Lord said would be done during an audit. All of these companies will have audit, and almost everything he mentioned will be conducted by the auditors.…04 Dec 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]There is a potential conflict on both sides. There are many different roles in media but obviously, it is a single role that might be filled here. I would feel very uncomfortable…04 Dec 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]My Lords, absolutely nobody is going to support the idea of overregulation. I spent my whole career, however, in a highly regulated industry: broadcasting. The BBC was the result…02 Dec 2024HANSARDHumanist MarriagesMy Lords, just under 20 years ago, Scotland legalised humanist marriage. Remarkably, data from the National Records of Scotland show that more Scots now choose a humanist wedding…02 Dec 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]I am sorry, but I hope it is appropriate for yet another Liverpool fan to intervene in this debate. I think we have to segment the fan base and that is essentially what is…02 Dec 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]Is it not far more likely that the regulator will simply insist on having a good-quality, conventional board—I know from the noble Lord’s experience that he will know what that…02 Dec 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]I agree that that reassurance is essential, but the only way to get it is not through publishing the letter but through knowing that UEFA and FIFA have agreed that we would be…27 Nov 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]My Lords, sustainability is an insufficient word to describe what the Bill should be trying to achieve. It is necessary but not sufficient. We need football to flourish, develop…27 Nov 2024HANSARDFinancial Services: Mansion House SpeechMy Lords, I strongly support the plan to consolidate the UK’s pension funds. However, I used to chair the investor relations committee for a major UK private equity fund and dealt…21 Nov 2024HANSARDBBC World ServiceMy Lords, I declare an interest as a former director-general of the BBC. For nearly a century, the BBC World Service has been a key element of the UK’s soft power globally. For…14 Nov 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]My Lords, may I take noble Lords back? In the 1980s, I scheduled ITV at the weekend, and among my responsibilities was football coverage of the then First Division. Of course,…13 Nov 2024HANSARDFootball Governance Bill [HL]I am on my closing remarks and the time is advisory, as the noble Baroness knows. I am about to conclude. A regulator-backed land grab of Premier League funds risks undermining…13 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords ReformMy Lords, at its best, the House of Lords is an unrivalled repository of experience and expertise that can challenge the first Chamber to think again, as the noble Lord, Lord…12 Nov 2024HANSARDDrax Power Limited: Ofgem InvestigationMy Lords, I have seen the deeply troubling allegations presented by a staff whistleblower to at least one member of the Drax board. It is troubling reading. They allege outright…11 Nov 2024HANSARDEV Strategy: (ECC Committee Report)My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Parminter, on her commanding introduction, and I congratulate the committee on producing a truly comprehensive report of real…16 Oct 2024HANSARDOperation ConiferMy Lords, I greatly welcome the Minister’s response and his declaration of an open mind. When I was a working television producer, I spent a very great deal of time—many days—in…08 Oct 2024HANSARDPedal CyclesI am sorry, but it is a time-limited debate. The City of London police take cycling breaches seriously, but MoJ data for the country more widely demonstrates that enforcement…12 Sept 2024HANSARDRural Crime: NFU Mutual ReportMy Lords, I served with the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, on the APPG on metal theft. From the evidence we gathered, it was clear that metal theft is widespread in rural areas.…12 Sept 2024HANSARDPedal CyclesMy Lords, it is a genuine pleasure to follow three committed cyclists. I do not bike now but I once did, so I well understand the passion with which cyclists embrace it, and the…12 Sept 2024