Contributions
308 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHousing: Section 21 EvictionsMy Lords, language matters in politics and tendentious phraseology has consequences. How have we reached the point where the expiry of a contract, freely entered into by two…20 Feb 2024HANSARDIran: Military PowerMy Lords, the point of the question of the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, is that sanctions may not be working. Iran has been subject, on and off, to quite stringent sanctions for…20 Feb 2024HANSARDConversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill [HL]My Lords, to what problem is this specific Bill a remedy? We already have strong and effective laws against quackery and mis-selling, against coercion and control, and, of course,…09 Feb 2024HANSARDSchools: Financial EducationMy Lords, perhaps I can extend the list of desiderata from my noble friend Lord Sarfraz. I would like every pupil, by the time they leave school, to have taken note of some…31 Jan 2024HANSARDUK-Canada Trade Deal: Suspension of NegotiationsMy Lords, Canada is notorious for gearing its trade policy around its dairy sector, which is particularly strong in Quebec. However, is not the wider issue here whether Britain…30 Jan 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMy Lords, it is easy to list the defects in the Rwanda proposal; it is expensive and cumbersome and, as we were told at the beginning of the debate, has taken up an inordinate…29 Jan 2024HANSARDClimate Change: Impact on Developing NationsMy Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, reminded us that 2024 is an election year, and not only for us. More human beings will have the opportunity to cast a ballot in this year…11 Jan 2024HANSARDElgin MarblesMy Lords, if there were a way of returning the marbles to the Parthenon itself, there would be no debate. It would have happened years ago. What Byron called the “wanton and…14 Dec 2023HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, speeches that follow maidens can sometimes have a formulaic quality. We say that it is a privilege, honour and pleasure, and the words issue from our vocal chords…15 Nov 2023HANSARDAlternative Investment Fund Managers Regulations 2013My Lords, repeal of the AIFMD should have been straightforward. When it was brought in some 16 years ago, it was opposed by every party. It was opposed by Labour and the…13 Nov 2023HANSARDBritish SteelMy Lords, will my noble friend the Minister confirm that the industries that use steel employ many more people than the industries that make steel? We have 34,000 steelworkers and…08 Nov 2023HANSARDUltra-processed FoodMy Lords, ultra-processed food rests on the weirdly unscientific definition of containing stuff that we do not normally find in our kitchens. My noble friend the Minister has…26 Oct 2023HANSARDLong-Term Strategic Challenges Posed by ChinaMy Lords, everything that we thought we knew about China turned out to be wrong. Between 1979 and 2012, there was a steady, fitful but none the less one-directional move towards…19 Oct 2023HANSARDIran: Prisoner SwapMy Lords, is not this the latest example of where the international community has accorded the ayatollahs the dignity of being a sovereign state and been repaid with the export of…20 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy Lords, we currently give three-quarters of local councils their grants from the centre. It is a higher figure than for anywhere in Europe, except tiny Malta, hence the…19 Sept 2023HANSARDHammersmith BridgeMy Lords, the bridge has now been closed for longer that it took to build. The total cost of that construction between 1884 and 1887 was £82,117—less in equivalent terms than the…18 Sept 2023HANSARDAbraham AccordsMy Lords, the prophet Abraham, after whom these accords are named, is remembered five times a day in the prayers of devout Muslims. He is a towering figure in Islam. He has the…14 Sept 2023HANSARDHunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) BillMy Lords, after that speech, I should begin by declaring a few non-interests. I am not a hereditary Peer. I am not a landowner unless you count a small garden about half the size…12 Sept 2023HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Follow-up Report (European Affairs Committee)My Lords, as always, I begin by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Jay of Ewelme, and his staff for these reports. I could give my whole five minutes over entirely to paeans and…11 Sept 2023HANSARDUltra-processed FoodMy Lords, I am very grateful for my noble friend’s reply to the noble Lord, Lord Krebs. The definition of ultra-processed foods to which I think noble Lords on all sides are…18 Jul 2023