Contributions
117 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHigher Education (Industry and Regulators Committee Report)My Lords, I declare my interests as a serving academic at the University of Hull and as chair of the independent Higher Education Commission. The commission produced a report in…21 May 2024HANSARDPermanent Secretaries: Appointment and Removal (Constitution Committee Report)My Lords, like others, I very much welcome this report from the Constitution Committee and the generally positive response it received from the Government. My purpose in speaking…09 May 2024HANSARDHigher EducationMy Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Blunkett, on securing this debate. I declare an interest as an academic at the University of Hull, mention of which gives me an…07 Mar 2024HANSARDParliamentary Democracy and Standards in Public LifeMy Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness on initiating this debate. She raises some important questions. Parliamentary democracy is now under threat, not least as elected…11 Jan 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, like several other noble Lords, I shall focus on devolution; I will make a specific point and then a more general one. The King’s Speech commits the Government to…08 Nov 2023HANSARDLord Chancellor and Law Officers (Constitution Committee Report)My Lords, I very much welcome this considered report, building as it does on earlier reports of the committee, not just on the role of the Lord Chancellor and the office of…20 Jul 2023HANSARDParliamentary Democracy in the United KingdomMy Lords, I shall focus on trust. Public trust in government is low and getting lower. The survey evidence is that the distrust is not in the institutional structures but in the…25 Apr 2023HANSARDThe Ties that Bind: Citizenship and Civic Engagement in the 21st Century Follow-Up ReportMy Lords, I join others in commending my noble friend Lord Hodgson on introducing this important debate. I also commend the Committee on Citizenship and Civic Engagement, which he…17 Apr 2023HANSARDDemocracy Denied (DPRRC Report)My Lords, I too welcome both excellent reports. My starting point is that good law is a public good, most law emanates from the Executive, and Parliament’s role is to ensure that…12 Jan 2023HANSARDHouse of Lords (Peerage Nominations) Bill [HL]My Lords, I am extremely grateful to everybody who has spoken in this debate; it has been marked by the quality, as well as the quantity, of the contributions. I was particularly…18 Nov 2022HANSARDHouse of Lords (Peerage Nominations) Bill [HL]That the Bill be now read a second time.18 Nov 2022HANSARDHouse of Lords (Peerage Nominations) Bill [HL]My Lords, some years ago a survey was carried out on what people thought were the most important factors in determining the legitimacy of the House of Lords. Ranked in order of…18 Nov 2022HANSARDUnited Kingdom: The UnionMy Lords, I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Lisvane, on securing this important debate. Stresses now exist in all four nations of the United Kingdom. My purpose is not to…23 Jun 2022HANSARDHouses of Parliament: Co-locationThat this House takes note of the case for both Houses of Parliament to continue to be co-located in the same city.16 Jun 2022HANSARDHouses of Parliament: Co-locationMy Lords, my Motion is not concerned with the practicalities of decanting the Palace of Westminster, nor with the geographical site selected for relocation. My concern is one of…16 Jun 2022HANSARDHouses of Parliament: Co-locationMy Lords, I am extremely grateful to everyone who spoke in the debate. It has been an extremely powerful and extraordinarily important occasion. We have heard some excellent…16 Jun 2022HANSARDHer Majesty the Queen’s Platinum JubileeMy Lords, I join everyone who has spoken in this debate in congratulating Her Majesty on this unique milestone. It is important to recognise the contribution of the Queen not only…26 May 2022HANSARDDissolution and Calling of Parliament BillMy Lords, I am grateful to all those who have spoken. This has been a very valuable debate which indeed shows the value of the House of Lords. I am especially grateful to the…09 Feb 2022HANSARDDissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill09 Feb 2022HANSARDDissolution and Calling of Parliament BillMy Lords, on the assumption that the Government invite the Commons to disagree with the amendment we have just passed, I move Amendment 2 and speak to my other two amendments in…09 Feb 2022