Contributions
152 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAdult Social CareMy Lords, I want to reinforce something that the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, said: the distinction between unpaid and paid care workers is very unfair because people who have to care…02 Dec 2021HANSARDMigrantsMy Lords, here is a puzzle. Around 56 years ago, I came here, not in a boat, and not as a refugee. I had a job and a labour permit to be here. There has been nothing but constant…25 Nov 2021HANSARDChina: GenocideMy Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Alton for bringing this matter to our attention but I am sorry to say that I shall depart from him. We do not actually live in a world of…25 Nov 2021HANSARDSocial Security (Up-rating of Benefits) BillMy Lords, we have been hearing lately that the House of Lords is a rather useless body and that the other place is better—but twice recently your Lordships’ House has asserted…16 Nov 2021HANSARDQuantitative Easing (Economic Affairs Committee Report)My Lords, this is an excellent report, excellently introduced by the chairman, the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth. At this late hour and with little time, let me revert to being a…15 Nov 2021HANSARDBudget StatementMy Lords, I have always admired the Chancellor. As I have said before, I knew him before he became a Minister, and I have a very high regard for him. He did extremely well in…03 Nov 2021HANSARDSocial CareMy Lords, this is a very simple problem but the solution is very difficult. For a long time, economists have talked about what is called the life-cycle hypothesis—how families or…28 Oct 2021HANSARDHomes: AffordabilityMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Bird, for proposing this subject. We are having a discussion on the economy before we have a real discussion on the Budget next week, and…28 Oct 2021HANSARDIntegrity of Electoral ProcessesMy Lords, I join other noble Lords in regretting that the noble Lord, Lord Tyler, has chosen to retire. One of the few advantages of this place is that you never have to retire.…21 Oct 2021HANSARDAgeing: Science, Technology and Healthy Living (Science and Technology Committee Report)My Lords, this is a very good report, as many noble Lords have said. There is not much I can say in any kind of expert way, so I will follow the model of the noble Lords, Lord…20 Oct 2021HANSARDSocial Security (Up-rating of Benefits) BillMy Lords, it is an eternal message: to him who has shall be given more, but from him who does not have will be taken away what little he has. We have money to give people stamp…13 Oct 2021HANSARDHealth and Social Care Levy BillMy Lords, an advantage of being the last speaker is that everybody has to come back into the Chamber to listen to you, because that is part of the rules of the game. Let me say…11 Oct 2021HANSARDEducation (Assemblies) Bill [HL]My Lords, I refer to my interests in the register. I am a humanist and, while not a Satanist, certainly not a God-ist. I consider myself very lucky that I did not have a British…10 Sept 2021HANSARDUniversal CreditMy Lords, it is almost a universal law of poverty studies—I used to do that 40 years ago—that any level of payment at which the Government of the day fix as being necessary is 15%…09 Sept 2021HANSARDHouse of Lords Appointments CommissionMy Lords, I quite agree with the proposition that we should have a statutory commission, but I argue that that is not the problem with this House. The problem is that this House…06 Sept 2021HANSARDQueen’s SpeechMy Lords, it has been a very good debate. I shall concentrate on the union and the constitution, but I want to connect those two things, because a solution to the union would…13 May 2021HANSARDIntegrated Review: Development AidI want to quickly say that, while I deplore the cut, I think we should not be giving money for our soft power or anything else. We should give money only for the betterment of the…28 Apr 2021HANSARDIntegrated Review: Development AidI am trying to unmute. Someone has to unmute me, I am sorry.28 Apr 2021HANSARDCovid-19: One Year ReportMy Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness. I think the Prime Minister is quite right: greed is good, and capitalism works. I disagree with most people who say that…25 Mar 2021HANSARDBudget StatementMy Lords, I must start by saying that I have known the Chancellor since before he joined the Government. Therefore, whatever I may say about him should normally be taken to be…12 Mar 2021