Contributions
188 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDJobs Market: GraduatesI thank the Minister for her detailed response, but the fact remains that we have swathes of overqualified graduates in jobs not requiring a degree. Outside London, that number…27 Nov 2023HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I will focus on the economy, in light of the Prime Minister’s rather baffling introduction to the King's Speech where he states that “Our vibrant economy”, which has…13 Nov 2023HANSARDHealth: MigrainesTo ask His Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of people who suffer from migraines; and what assessment they have made of the consequential impact on the…24 Oct 2023HANSARDHealth: MigrainesMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, and declare an interest as a migraineur.24 Oct 2023HANSARDHealth: MigrainesI am very grateful to the Minister for his response to a Question that was last asked in this House in 1961. Fast forward 60 years, and the NHS devotes less than £200 million a…24 Oct 2023HANSARDNew HomesMy Lords, when house prices fall, as they are doing now, big building firms tend to sit on their balance sheets and play the waiting game. That is very bad news for new homes as…12 Sept 2023HANSARDAdvanced Artificial IntelligenceMy Lords, first, I salute my noble friend Lord Ravensdale for securing this much-overdue debate. AI is a huge and challenging subject, so my focus today will be limited to its…24 Jul 2023HANSARDSmall and Medium-sized HousebuildersMy Lords, the steep decline in SME builders is deeply disturbing. Their market share has dropped from 40% to 10% in the past 35 years. How does increasing the market dominance of…12 Jul 2023HANSARDBank of England: Interest Rate PolicyMy Lords, on the subject of talking too much, as the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, has just raised, how helpful was it when the Prime Minister at the beginning of this year set a…12 Jul 2023HANSARDUK Economy: Growth, Inflation and ProductivityMy Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell, for bringing such a timely debate to this House. It is timely because the twin evils of stagflation—rising prices and low…29 Jun 2023HANSARDHealth: Economic InactivityTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which poor health is contributing to a rise in economic inactivity.18 May 2023HANSARDHealth: Economic InactivityI thank the Minister for his response, but our nation’s deteriorating health requires urgent, in-depth analysis. The increase of 500,000 people on long-term sick leave is…18 May 2023HANSARDSport, Health and Well-being National Plan (NPSRC Report)My Lords, I first welcome on to the pitch, if I may use a rather cheap sporting analogy, the noble Earl, Lord Effingham, and congratulate him on his debut and his excellent maiden…09 Feb 2023HANSARDOnline Safety BillMy Lords, as a former journalist and online publisher, I welcome this Bill. It is imperfect, of course, but it is much needed, as can be seen by the deeply disturbing data around…01 Feb 2023HANSARDLevelling-up and Regeneration BillMy Lords, your Lordships will be relieved to hear that, as speaker 65, I will sidestep the big issues of housing, planning and devolution —essentially what the Bill is about—and…17 Jan 2023HANSARDBilateral Free Trade AgreementsTo ask His Majesty’s Government how many bilateral free trade agreements they expect to sign in the next 24 months.20 Dec 2022HANSARDBilateral Free Trade AgreementsI thank the Minister for that, but the truth is that we are well behind the target set in 2019 for free trade deals. Some of these FTAs are now described by the Government…20 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingMy Lords, the arguments for tax-free shopping range from a £2 billion cost to the Treasury to a £4 billion benefit to the wider economy; I cite the recent survey from Oxford…15 Dec 2022HANSARDOfficial Development AssistanceMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Northover, for securing this timely and critical debate. I am sorry that she is not able to be with us today, and I thank the noble…15 Dec 2022HANSARDFootball: Abuse and ViolenceMy Lords, I understand that body cameras worn by referees are being trialled by some leagues in adult grass-roots fixtures. It sounds like a sensible initiative. Can the Minister…12 Dec 2022