Contributions
152 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGlobal Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020My Lords, many people have pointed out problems abroad which we should take seriously. One strand of opinion this evening is that we have our own place to clean up: the city of…29 Jul 2020HANSARDStonehengeMy Lords, now that we have experienced Covid and traffic and travel patterns are going to change dramatically, should not the Government take the opportunity to totally rethink…23 Jul 2020HANSARDIndependent Residential CareMy Lords, we must welcome Sir Simon Stevens’ promise to help independent care providers, but will we make sure that when the money goes to those providers they pay their staff…07 Jul 2020HANSARDHigher Education (Fee Limits and Student Support) (England) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020My Lords, I find this regulation a little strange. We have faced a surprising pandemic, and some universities have tried to defend themselves against possible losses by recruiting…02 Jul 2020HANSARDMarriage and Religious WeddingsMy Lords, the evidence is not only that underage marriage is sanctioned by parents, but that any woman defying parental orders can suffer violent death. We have to understand that…30 Jun 2020HANSARDCompetition and Markets AuthorityMy Lords, through the 100 days of Covid we have heard many complaints from consumers who have not been refunded for cancelled trips and cancelled products by the sellers; they…25 Jun 2020HANSARDData StrategyMy Lords, data is supposed to be the new source of wealth—the new oil. Last time around, we wasted the North Sea oil money on propping up the unemployment created by Mrs Thatcher.…24 Jun 2020HANSARDRwandaMy Lords, this CHOGM will be the first that His Royal Highness Prince Charles will be presiding over. Would it not be a good idea to rethink the location of CHOGM to save any…23 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Recovery StrategiesMy Lords, I have a concrete, radical suggestion. Covid has proved that our way of doing politics, especially parliamentary business, cannot be restored to how it was. Whatever we…11 Jun 2020HANSARDHong Kong: Human RightsWe will have to be prepared for a very tough China. Xi Jinping is pursuing an all-Chinese nationalist programme of getting all the Chinese territories back and under its control:…04 Jun 2020HANSARDUniversal CreditGiven that the Chancellor has shown flexibility in designing his deal for the unemployed, will the Government consider suspending, at least temporarily, all the cuts which people…02 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Businesses and the Private SectorMy Lords, there is a public sector and a private sector, but there is also a social sector. We must not forget that the social sector is also part of private society. I have been…21 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: International ResponseMy Lords, the Covid crisis has not just been a health crisis; it has also been an economic crisis. While we should tackle the health pandemic soon enough, which may last all of…18 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: HousingThe Minister will be aware that a lot of high street shops are falling vacant. That was happening even before the pandemic broke out because of the growth of e-commerce. Is there…18 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Economic PackageWill the Minister bear in mind that, given the prospect of higher unemployment for a long time, universal credit and other arrangements will have to be enhanced for a considerable…13 May 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Vulnerable PeopleWill the Minister bear in mind that asylum seekers are among the most vulnerable groups in society? They currently receive only £37 per person per week, which is 72% below the…12 May 2020HANSARDBudget StatementThere is this obsession with debt levels and the ratio of debt to GDP, which is a mistake because debt is a stock and income is a flow. The thing to do is to compare income with…18 Mar 2020HANSARDBudget StatementMy Lords, the one joy of speaking in a Budget debate in your Lordships’ House is that social distancing is not a problem. I have been sitting here, not in spitting distance of…18 Mar 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My Lords, we have a paradox here. I have been here since before the Lords reform Act was passed, so I was present at the creation of this anomaly. We have hereditary Peers arguing…13 Mar 2020HANSARDWell-beingMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, for introducing this topic. However, for various reasons I am among the sceptics. I will make this short speech more technical…12 Mar 2020