Contributions
479 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUK Defence: Hypersonic MissilesDoes the Minister agree that the best defence against hypersonic missile attack, or indeed any form of attack, is to maintain the integrity of the North Atlantic Alliance and to…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSyriaWould it not be easier to monitor and, one would hope, influence developments in Syria if we were to reopen the embassy now?06 Feb 2025HANSARDRefugees (Family Reunion) Bill [HL]My Lords, I oppose the amendments in this group introduced by their three proposers. I do so for five reasons. The first is that I believe in putting the traffickers out of…17 Jan 2025HANSARDRefugees (Family Reunion) Bill [HL]Of course not.17 Jan 2025HANSARDUK Strategy Towards the Arctic (International Relations and Defence Committee Report)My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Fraser, a fellow Glaswegian and therefore inured to Arctic weather, and to congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Ashton…09 Jan 2025HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyDoes the Minister agree that the House would do well to note how warmly our friends and allies in the Pentagon, the State Department and the NSC have welcomed the extended and…19 Dec 2024HANSARDAsylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill [HL]Come on, my Lords, it is the season of good will, and here we have Wenceslas, down from the snowy wastes of Croydon—I think he deserves a welcome. He has already given us the key…13 Dec 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, it is well known that the Scots are the best and the Glasgow Scots are the best of the best, as the noble Baroness, Lady Mobarik, has proved again. I look forward to…11 Dec 2024HANSARDSmall Boat CrossingsCan the Minister look again and think about the suggestion from the noble Lord, Lord German? Since the majority of small boat arrivals are from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and…13 Nov 2024HANSARDIstanbul Convention: Article 59My Lords, the question asked by the noble Baroness, Lady Gale, was about our reservation on the Istanbul convention, and the Minister’s answer was that the reservation still…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords ReformI cannot match the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, for ingenuity—very few of us can. As I listened to the noble Lord, Lord True, and indeed to the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth—if…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords ReformMy concern is that the Bill has to pass. Obstructing it would be to obstruct the result of the general election. I am convinced that it will pass. It is a pity that we will lose…12 Nov 2024HANSARDHouse of Lords ReformI am concluding. First, we need an informed debate led by a government Green Paper. Secondly, the House should be more fit for purpose, perform better and better reflect national…12 Nov 2024HANSARDWater (Special Measures) Bill [HL]I agree that the amendment from the noble Lord, Lord Sikka, is very widely drawn. As I read it, it would ban the Secretary of State from taking advice from anyone who was a…30 Oct 2024HANSARDStrategic Defence ReviewIt is a great reassurance to the House that the noble Lord, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, is associated with this review. I thank him for securing this debate and for the skill…09 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean Territory: NegotiationsOn the security question and the Chinese issue, does the Minister agree that the United States Administration are in quite a good place to assess the security of the base in Diego…09 Oct 2024HANSARDSudanMy Lords, I join those thanking the noble Lord, Lord Collins, for securing this debate and pay tribute to his long and sustained personal interest in Africa. I feel that we ought,…13 Sept 2024HANSARDWatchdogs (Industry and Regulators Committee Report)I was lucky enough to serve on the economic committee when the noble Lord, Lord Hollick, was chairing it, so the quality of the report and the skill with which he introduced it…09 Sept 2024HANSARDGrenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 ReportOne of the striking and shocking aspects of this brilliant report is the proof that requiring regulators to operate commercially, competing for business, risks their capture by…09 Sept 2024HANSARDHolocaust Memorial BillMy Lords, my views are very much in line with those of the noble Lord, Lord Mancroft. My father was an Army doctor who was at Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, when 13,000 unburied…04 Sept 2024