Contributions
396 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDJammu and Kashmir: Human Rights and Political SituationWith no disrespect to the Minister, it is regrettable that we do not have a dedicated Foreign Office Minister in this House. I hope that that will be rectified, but I welcome him…23 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture Capability of the Armed ForcesMy Lords, I join everybody in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Harlech, for introducing this debate and for the non-political way in which he did so. Across the whole debate and from…16 Jul 2026HANSARDFuture Capability of the Armed ForcesI appreciate that, and the Minister and other Ministers frequently say that, but the reality is that the British Council is nearly bankrupt, the BBC is struggling and our…16 Jul 2026HANSARDNational Shipbuilding StrategyMy Lords, we have more ships tied up than at sea. That was witnessed by the lack of a ship in the Med at the start of this recent conflict and the delay in mobilising HMS…15 Jul 2026HANSARDSudan: Operational Restrictions on Humanitarian ActorsMy Lords, I declare an interest as an adviser to DAI. I welcome what the Minister has said about UK government action, but, as she will know, at an event I hosted recently in this…15 Jul 2026HANSARDVenezuela EarthquakesMy Lords, we welcome the Government’s response to this truly devastating earthquake. As co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Aid Match, I thank the Government for the…09 Jul 2026HANSARDReview Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation TreatyMy Lords, will the UK Government liaise with France, which is taking over the chairmanship, to ensure that what has been agreed is maintained and that the technical expertise is…09 Jul 2026HANSARDUkraine: International Claims Commission ConventionMy Lords, I thank the International Agreements Committee for its work and its chair for his introduction; I also thank the members of the committee who have contributed. Following…30 Jun 2026HANSARDWomen’s Representation in Peace ProcessesMy Lords, I welcome the Government’s and the Minister’s commitment to trying to ensure that women are involved. I am sure that she will agree that in recent years we have seen…30 Jun 2026HANSARDUkraine: International Claims Commission ConventionThat is my understanding—that it is a mandatory requirement. We will hear from the noble Lord, Lord Callanan, regarding the Conservative position. We have also heard from…30 Jun 2026HANSARDScottish Government: Social Security BenefitsTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the total amount transferred to the Scottish Government in the last financial year following the devolution of…24 Jun 2026HANSARDOfficial Development Assistance: Bilateral AllocationsMy Lords, I declare an interest as an adviser to the aid and development contractor DAI. I am hosting an event in Parliament this evening looking at new and innovative ways to…16 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Investment PlanMy Lords, the Government have committed to increase defence spending to 3% by 2030 and to 3.5% by 2035. But what is required, and is chaotically missing, is a clear timeline that…16 Jun 2026HANSARDRussian Shadow FleetMy Lords, the boarding of the “Smyrtos” was conducted speedily, efficiently and without any casualties. It is a real credit to our Armed Forces. We all agree that it was a very…16 Jun 2026HANSARDDefence Investment PlanMy Lords, the PM has promised that the DIP will be delivered before the July NATO summit—it is already a year late. All we get are promises and rhetoric, and also the threat of…15 Jun 2026HANSARDMindanao EarthquakeMy Lords, I was also involved in a small way in the Bangsamoro project; I have not visited the region, but I have engaged with parliamentarians. This earthquake is a major setback…10 Jun 2026HANSARDCuba: Humanitarian SituationMy Lords, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has said about the blockade: “Such severe sanctions packages that target entire sectors of an economy and produce…09 Jun 2026HANSARDKing’s SpeechThere goes Liz Truss’s trusted adviser—I think we all know how that turned out. In 2024, Labour won 411 seats on 33.7% of the vote and a turnout of 59.7%. Last week, the results…14 May 2026HANSARDCivil Preparedness for WarMy Lords, I echo the gratitude that everybody has expressed to the noble Baroness, Lady Harris, for this debate. The interest in it suggests that we need more time, and I suggest…20 Apr 2026HANSARDStrategic Defence Review: FundingMy Lords, first, is the delay in the defence investment plan partly due to the Government having to make cuts to existing programmes to provide for programmes that meet new and…16 Apr 2026