Contributions
419 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCovid-19: Economy UpdateMy Lords, I declare an interest as a member of Cumbria County Council, and it is a Cumbria point I want to make. One of the welcome features of the Chancellor’s Statement was the…27 Oct 2020HANSARDEU Exit: Negotiations and the Joint CommitteeMy Lords, what a mess we are in. Do the Government accept that they won a large parliamentary majority last December on the basis of an “oven-ready deal” that had two elements? A…21 Oct 2020HANSARDUnited Kingdom Internal Market BillMy Lords, it is an inestimable pleasure to congratulate my noble friend Lady Hayman on her maiden speech. We go back a bit of a way. We were both freshers—if that is the right…19 Oct 2020HANSARDHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (Very High) (England) Regulations 2020My Lords, I have a certain sympathy for the Minister. These are very difficult judgments. Within a global pandemic, there are no silver bullets, and I do not doubt that Ministers…14 Oct 2020HANSARDRolls-RoyceMy Lords, I was working for my noble friend Lord Mandelson in 2009 during a similar economic crisis when, as Secretary of State for Business, he secured assurances from…14 Oct 2020HANSARDCoronavirus Job Retention Scheme: BAME CommunitiesMy Lords, in the Minister’s replies I hear no hint of any new action to tackle this great injustice. Do the Government not accept that this is disappointing, given that Covid…12 Oct 2020HANSARDUnited Kingdom Government-Northern Ireland Executive Joint BoardWhat discussions have been taking place in this area on the question of the customs border in the Irish Sea? Can the Minister enlighten us? It seems to me that there is a…06 Oct 2020HANSARDHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020My Lords, I put my name down to speak with some reluctance because I am getting fed up with saying the same thing about the lack of parliamentary accountability and the way in…06 Oct 2020HANSARDStudents’ Return to UniversitiesMy Lords, I should declare a lapsed interest as, until midnight, I was chair of council of Lancaster University. Does the noble Lord recognise the enormous efforts that…01 Oct 2020HANSARDEU: Future RelationshipMy Lords, I agree with so much of what colleagues have said today that I do not want to repeat it. I shall just emphasise that I accept the reality of Brexit and want to see the…23 Sept 2020HANSARDHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020My Lords, I do not know why we are having this debate. These regulations have been in force for some time, and nothing we say today will alter that. What is more, the Covid…18 Sept 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies BillWe have had some excellent contributions. I want to make a simple point: the ties of community should be given equal weight to arithmetic. To strengthen those ties, there should…08 Sept 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies BillMy Lords, the speeches by my colleagues before I was called have left me very little to say that is fresh, but I will try to make some new points, if that is possible. My first…08 Sept 2020HANSARDHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Leicester) Regulations 2020My Lords, once again we are debating a measure long after the horse has bolted. We need a radical change in our procedures so that we do not face this situation of Executive…29 Jul 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies BillMy Lords, I will make three points. First, I agree strongly with the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, that Parliament should retain the right to approve or block recommendations of the…27 Jul 2020HANSARDHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020My Lords, here we go again: statutory instruments being debated after they have come into effect. This is not parliamentary scrutiny; it is government diktat. The Minister will…24 Jul 2020HANSARDEnterprise Act 2002 (Specification of Additional Section 58 Consideration) Order 2020My Lords, I am a strong believer in the virtues of competition and an open economy. I was alarmed to hear of the resignation of the noble Lord, Lord Tyrie. I would like the…15 Jul 2020HANSARDEducation Settings: Autumn OpeningMy Lords, I greatly welcome the £1 billion catch-up package mentioned in the Statement. But I know from experience of the way in which government works that there is a big gap…08 Jul 2020HANSARDHealth Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings on Public Transport) (England) Regulations 2020My Lords, I want to follow up my noble friend Lord Snape’s point about process, as a member of your Lordships’ Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. The Government announced…08 Jul 2020HANSARDAgriculture BillMy Lords, I am no expert on agricultural questions but, as a Cumbria county councillor, I am deeply interested in them because they are so important to our local area. I hope that…07 Jul 2020