Contributions
445 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGreater Cambridge Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2026My Lords, I make the House aware of my potential interest as a councillor in central Bedfordshire, which neighbours this area. I support my noble friend Lord Lansley in his…22 Jul 2026HANSARDLocal Government ReorganisationMy Lords, I thank the Minister for the opportunity to ask questions on this Statement. On these Benches, several of us have run unitary councils. We recognise the potential for…21 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, we have a new Prime Minister and I worry there may be unfortunate changes, so before I speak to these amendments I place on record that I have thoroughly enjoyed my 18…20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have contributed to this debate. I will start with where I think we have slightly more consensus and agreement. I believe my noble…20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, it is important that we have the confidence of the public in our housing system. For that reason, I wish to test the opinion of the House.20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, we begin with the amendment standing in my name and that of my noble friend Lady O’Neill of Bexley. As we discussed in Committee, the right to buy has brought…20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, I should have declared at the outset that I am still a council member in Central Bedfordshire. This debate has highlighted a number of important issues concerning the…20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, I will not seek to elaborate on the excellent speech by my noble friend Lord Young of Cookham, who made a powerful case that, where we have an asset with a finite supply…20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]I feel it is important to comment on that. That programme was announced over a year ago—I am pleased that the Minister has told me now that the allocations are available—and it…20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]I think we have a slight misunderstanding. The whole point of Amendment 85 is how we best manage that stock, not just on the point of application but the stock in its entirety, to…20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]We have discussed brownfield many times, and I think that we are both in agreement that that should be the preferred option. The issue that I am seeking to address is that, while…20 Jul 2026HANSARDRights of Boat Dwellers Bill [HL]My Lords, I think I ought to declare a tangential interest, as my brother-in-law is a boat dweller. I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell, for bringing forward this…17 Jul 2026HANSARDLocal Plans (Burial Space) Bill [HL]My Lords, I am also very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Mohammed of Tinsley, for bringing forward this Bill, and for the clarity of its purpose, which he spoke about. This is a…03 Jul 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026At end to insert “but this House regrets that the draft Regulations will reduce local democratic oversight over planning decisions, and risk putting further pressure on council…30 Jun 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026Before the Minister sits down, may I query a couple of her comments? There was reference to the local plan. What happens with applications that are not in the local plan? Those…30 Jun 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026I am aware of the time.30 Jun 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026I will. I thank the noble Lord very much. This is time limited. The planning system needs to strike a balance; this system does not. We need to ensure democratic accountability;…30 Jun 2026HANSARDTown and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026Sorry, I think there is a slight misunderstanding. I am referring to reserved matters applications below 500 houses. Obviously, the outline will have gone to committee, but, on my…30 Jun 2026