Contributions
64 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, my speech will be rather different. Giovanni Spadolini was Italy’s Prime Minister in September 1982, when I joined the Foreign Office. In the following 10 years, Italy…21 May 2026HANSARDIslamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsDoes the Minister accept that, in the end, the decision to proscribe the IRGC is a political one rather than a legal one, so the need to send a strong political signal may trump…13 Jan 2026HANSARDErasmus+Stretching the Minister’s patience further, under transitional arrangements, UK citizens who go to school and live in the EU continue to pay domestic fees at university. That ends…21 Oct 2025HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) BillThe last time your Lordships’ House debated assisted dying was in October 2021. More than 130 noble Lords signed up for the debate. I did not. I was a relatively new Member of the…19 Sept 2025HANSARDUK-Mauritius Agreement on the Chagos ArchipelagoMy Lords, the most damaging blow to any country’s international reputation is a justified charge of hypocrisy. The United Kingdom stands for the rule of law in all circumstances.…30 Jun 2025HANSARDEmbassy of China: Proposed New SiteMy Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Jackson, pointed out, the proposed new embassy would be the biggest Chinese embassy in Europe. Are His Majesty’s Government persuaded that China…29 Jan 2025HANSARDMiddle EastMy Lords, the country in the Middle East that had the worst 2024 was Iran. At the beginning of 2025 there are indications that Tehran wants to return to the negotiating table.…22 Jan 2025HANSARDGaza and LebanonMy Lords, it is now less than three weeks until the US presidential election. Hamas and Hezbollah have a history of timing their attacks to generate maximum international…16 Oct 2024HANSARDBritish Indian Ocean Territory: NegotiationsLike other noble Lords, I congratulate the Labour Government on finishing what the Conservative Government started. I will ask the Minister two questions. Would the Mauritian…09 Oct 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, like the noble Baroness, Lady Suttie, and other noble Lords, I welcome the new ministerial team and thank the old one, especially the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad of…25 Jul 2024HANSARDGovernment StandardsMy Lords, in less than two years as Prime Minister, Mr Sunak had 11 political honours lists. Previously, the average since the 1980s was 1.3 lists. Does the Leader of the House…25 Jul 2024HANSARDDefence Personnel Data BreachMy Lords, the shock here is not that the attack was mounted—“spies are gonna spy”—but that it got as far as it did. It is worth checking the point first made by the noble Lord,…08 May 2024HANSARDBuilding SafetyAs a department, DLUHC has many priorities and, necessarily, a limited budget. Can the Minister tell us where in the list of departmental priorities the cladding safety scheme…27 Mar 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMy Lords, I support the case put by the noble Lord, Lord Cashman, and ask about a current torture case concerning a journalist called Dieudonné Niyonsenga. Last month he appeared…14 Feb 2024HANSARDRoyal Navy: Aircraft CarriersCould the Minister update the House as to when aircraft suitable for flying from these very expensive aircraft carriers will be ready to be deployed?12 Feb 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillThe Minister rests a great deal on a signature on a treaty with a country that—with the current Government—has in the last decade refouled over 4,000 refugees sent by Israel to…12 Feb 2024HANSARDSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) BillMy Lords, the international system for dealing with refugees is breaking. That is hardly a surprise given that in 1951, when the refugee convention was approved, there were about…29 Jan 2024HANSARDUkraineMy Lords, two years ago, Putin’s Russia was massing 100,000 troops on the borders of Ukraine and the foreign ministries of the West were debating just how firmly they could rule…26 Jan 2024HANSARDRt Hon Dominic Raab MP: Resignation LetterIn his report, Mr Tolley took care to anonymise all the complainants. Reading the report, it was not possible to see who had complained. In his resignation letter, the former…27 Apr 2023HANSARDEating Disorder Services: MenMy Lords, the Minister did not answer my noble friend Lady Bull’s question. Calorie labelling talks about a daily intake of 2,000 calories, which is the amount recommended for a…01 Mar 2023