Contributions
188 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill [HL]My Lords, no one will stand in the way of promoting greater gender equality in any grouping in this House, but I would like to express my disappointment that a new, and so far…10 Sept 2024HANSARDForeign Direct Investment to the UKMy Lords, investment is the lifeblood of an economy. What will attract investment into ours? First and foremost, we need to recognise that the investor community, amassing funds…10 Sept 2024HANSARDHousing: Modern Methods of ConstructionMy Lords, we have paid a very heavy price indeed as a country for the combination of the 2008 economic shock, the pandemic and the monumental distraction of Brexit. Thus…05 Sept 2024HANSARDKing’s Speech (4th Day)My Lords, we are at one of the most challenging moments for government in modern times, with high debt and taxation on the one hand and chronic underperformance in every part of…22 Jul 2024HANSARDPedal Cyclists: InsuranceMy Lords, this is a serious issue of growing salience. Cyclists of every kind now make the pedestrian experience in busy urban areas nerve-wracking and hazardous. As the noble…23 May 2024HANSARDHome InsulationMy Lords, insulation is plainly cost-saving, whatever form your heating takes, but it is particularly important in respect of heat pumps, powered as we know by expensive…14 May 2024HANSARDRural CrimeMy Lords, I am a member of the APPG on metal theft and we have identified and reported on the enormous and growing scale of metal theft in rural areas, which of course has a…09 May 2024HANSARDSkills: Importance for the UK Economy and Quality of LifeMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Aberdare, has plainly scored a real bull’s-eye in initiating this debate. I also cannot help but applaud the noble Lord, Lord Baker, for his…09 May 2024HANSARDAffordable Housing: SupplyMy Lords, I too thank the noble Viscount, Lord Chandos, for initiating this important debate and applaud the maiden address from the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Llanfaes. I…25 Apr 2024HANSARDTransport System: FailingsMy Lords, I too commend the noble Lord, Lord Snape, for initiating this timely debate, from which I suspect a fair amount of consensus will emerge, at least about what is wrong.…25 Apr 2024HANSARDTrain Operating Company ContractsMy Lords, last year, my wife and I spent a delightful three weeks in Japan visiting the ancient cities and gardens, travelling extensively by bullet, regional and local trains. We…25 Mar 2024HANSARDBiomass: Power GenerationHas the Minister actually studied the detailed and evidenced findings of the last few weeks from “Panorama”, confirmed by the Government of British Columbia, that Drax is, in…13 Mar 2024HANSARDOperation ConiferMy Lords, for decades, Edward Heath was guarded day and night by police and supported by domestic staff. As a young television producer, I met him many times. Indeed, I made a…11 Mar 2024HANSARDHeat PumpsMy Lords, we languish not only very close to the bottom of the European league table of heat pump installation but at the bottom of another European league table: the ratio of the…06 Mar 2024HANSARDTV Licence Non-payment: WomenMy Lords, this is indeed a troubling and concerning matter. Does the Minister think there is a case for moving the licence fee to a monthly payment, paid by standing order, in…05 Mar 2024HANSARDMedia BillMy Lords, I will start by saying that I think the arguments of the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, are absolutely unanswerable. This Bill includes some welcome measures in support of…28 Feb 2024HANSARDNHS DentistryMy Lords, while working at No. 10 in the early noughties, I was involved in a strategic review of the NHS and was shocked, at the time, to discover how poor the long-term…19 Feb 2024HANSARDBBC: FundingIt is right against the backdrop of an ever-more complex digital universe to review the funding model for the BBC, as the Government intend. However, will one or more of the panel…17 Jan 2024HANSARDSir Edward Heath: Operation ConiferMy Lords, I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Lexden, on his tenacity. I would like to widen the context a little and reflect on what is really at stake here. Edward Heath was…17 Jan 2024HANSARDCivil Nuclear Road MapMy Lords, I welcome the Government’s Statement on their long-term nuclear policy. It is and it should be a critical component of our strategy for achieving net zero. However, I…15 Jan 2024