Contributions
1,571 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNatural Habitats: Infrastructure ProjectsMy Lords, I cannot unilaterally commit HS2 to doing so, but it should. I will convey that message back to colleagues in Government. HS2 is a nature-positive programme, which has…26 Apr 2021HANSARDNatural Habitats: Infrastructure ProjectsI do not think, and the Government, likewise, do not believe, that there is a binary choice between biodiversity and human development; our challenge is to reconcile the two, as…26 Apr 2021HANSARDBiodiversity EmergencyMy Lords, I thank noble Lords for their thoughtful contributions to this hugely important debate. It should not need to be said, but we cannot reasonably expect to be able to…22 Apr 2021HANSARDSingle Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) (Amendment) Order 2021.My Lords, the statutory instrument before the Committee today was laid before this House on 4 March 2021. The Government are committed to eliminating plastic waste and the…19 Apr 2021HANSARDSingle Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) (Amendment) Order 2021.I apologise. I think I have answered the questions that were put to me and any more is merely an indulgence, so I will simply say that we are taking steps to reduce our reliance…19 Apr 2021HANSARDSingle Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) (Amendment) Order 2021.I thank noble Lords who have contributed to this debate today. In order for us to leave the environment in a better state than we found it for the next generation, it is essential…19 Apr 2021HANSARDSingle Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) (Amendment) Order 2021.That the Grand Committee do consider the Single Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) (Amendment) Order 2021. Relevant document: 46th Report of the Joint Committee on Statutory…19 Apr 2021HANSARDAnimal Welfare (Sentencing) BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Randall, for his sponsorship of this important Bill and the powerful manner in which he made the case. I also thank other noble Lords for…16 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsMy Lords, the Government are committed to improving the welfare of domestic animals. We have updated legislation to facilitate the control of horses and improve licensing of…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsFollowing the introduction of Lucy’s law last year, anyone looking to get a kitten or cat now has to source directly from the breeder or consider adopting from a rescue centre.…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsThe noble Baroness raises an important point. Animal rescue organisations do extraordinarily valuable work, usually on a voluntary basis, and the pandemic has had a massive impact…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsI am afraid to say that I did not hear the noble Lord’s full question. However, in relation to increased punishments for cruelty to animals, I can say that the Government are…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsI am hopeful that the Queen’s Speech, when it happens, will include a number of measures to improve animal welfare, not just those that appeared in our most recent manifesto. As…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsNow that the transition period has ended, we have the opportunity to manage our own pet travel and commercial importation rules. We are actively liaising with and listening to the…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsI am not aware of the research cited by my noble friend, but I will certainly look out for it. The difficulty for the Government is that our job in a sense is to ensure that the…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsThe Government’s planned animal health and welfare pathway will support livestock farmers financially by using public funds to deliver public goods and pay for health and welfare…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsThe noble Lord makes a really important point. The department has run a successful campaign called Petfished, which we launched in March last year, to raise issues associated with…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsThe Government have a manifesto commitment to introduce the compulsory microchipping of cats—so, yes, we will do that. We have consulted and will issue our response later this…15 Apr 2021HANSARDDomestic AnimalsMy Lords, the new pig welfare code of practice, which came into force in March last year, states that the aim is to phase out the use of farrowing crates in the UK and for any new…15 Apr 2021HANSARDUnited Nations Biodiversity ConferenceMy Lords, it is absolutely right to say that climate change and biodiversity are two sides of the same coin. They represent the gravest threat we face, and we cannot tackle one…13 Apr 2021