Contributions
1,117 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDDriving Test DelaysI thank the noble Baroness for her question. The Government are using modern technology to do just that. As a result of some of the actions taken since the Government took office,…10 Jun 2025HANSARDDriving Test DelaysI thank the noble Baroness. Of course, it is not right that people should be paying a premium for something that is a public service. Since July 2024, 287 recruits have been taken…10 Jun 2025HANSARDDriving Test DelaysWell, if the noble Lord adds the 287 who have been taken on board and started the training course to the future training pipeline of 178, I think he will see that it gives 465,…10 Jun 2025HANSARDDriving Test DelaysI would defer to my noble friend Lord Hanson, sitting next to me, who probably has a far greater grasp of whether that is a good thing to do. In a sense, I am not sure that that…10 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I will first speak to government Amendments 200B and 200C. These amendments relate to Clause 54, which amends the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 to provide powers to make…03 Jun 2025HANSARDChannel Tunnel: International Rail StrategyMy noble friend is right to refer to the peremptory cancellation of phase 2a of HS2 by the previous Government. One of the first questions I answered in this House was from the…02 Jun 2025HANSARDChannel Tunnel: International Rail StrategyThe noble Baroness is right about the environmental benefits of travelling by train and of replacing short-haul air traffic. That is why we are putting in so much effort to create…02 Jun 2025HANSARDChannel Tunnel: International Rail StrategyThe noble Baroness is right that those statistics are disappointing. As she notes, the aspiration then was for far more than currently exists. In answer to the previous question,…02 Jun 2025HANSARDChannel Tunnel: International Rail StrategyThe noble Lord is right that rail freight is extremely environmentally friendly; that is why this Government are spending a lot of time and effort to encourage rail freight. This…02 Jun 2025HANSARDChannel Tunnel: International Rail StrategyI thank my noble friend. He will remember that the original idea was to have through services from the Midlands, the north, Scotland and the west of England, and sleeper services…02 Jun 2025HANSARDChannel Tunnel: International Rail StrategyThe noble Lord will know that those decisions, at least on open access, are currently made by the Office of Rail and Road. He also needs to note that the Government have not…02 Jun 2025HANSARDChannel Tunnel: International Rail StrategyMy Lords, we welcome the recent report. This Government support a thriving international rail passenger services market, given the benefits of greater choice, new services and…02 Jun 2025HANSARDChannel Tunnel: International Rail StrategyI thank my noble friend. I think I was there when the Deutsche Bahn train was at St Pancras in 2010; sadly, as my noble friend says, that did not materialise. There is currently a…02 Jun 2025HANSARDMotor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025My Lords, I would first highlight that this debate deals with both the statutory instrument and the regret amendment laid by the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, and I will cover both in…19 May 2025HANSARDMotor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 14 March be approved. Relevant document: 21st Report from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee19 May 2025HANSARDMotor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025I certainly accept the simple physics. I am mostly not in the ministerial car; I am mostly on public transport. I accept his point, but the frequency of such collisions is so low…19 May 2025HANSARDMotor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for their consideration of these draft regulations. Having listened closely to the concerns expressed, I will respond to the points raised. The…19 May 2025HANSARDE-scooters: InsuranceI do not recall whether the noble Baroness was one of the speakers in the debate that we had before Christmas on this subject. There are significant challenges with putting…14 May 2025HANSARDE-scooters: InsuranceWell, I refer the noble Lord to my answer to a very similar question he asked me on 1 April. I said to him then that I did not much care to be lectured about drift by somebody who…14 May 2025HANSARDE-scooters: InsuranceI very much respect the noble Baroness’s view about the safety of these things, particularly from the point of view of anybody with a mobility difficulty or disability. But this…14 May 2025