Contributions
134 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUK MigrationTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of people migrating into the UK in each of the last five years.09 Jul 2026HANSARDUK MigrationI thank the Minister for that. I congratulate the Government on reducing net migration from, as the Minister said, its peak of 900,000 to 171,000, an impressive reduction of…09 Jul 2026HANSARDPolice Leadership Commission ReportMy Lords, I read this report from cover to cover. It acknowledges that ethnic-minority officers have a poorer retention rate and slower progression because they continue to face…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEdinburgh Anti-Muslim AttacksMy Lords, the Edinburgh incident happened last week. In Belfast the week before that, people were driven out of their homes because they were immigrants. A couple of weeks ago, a…24 Jun 2026HANSARDTransnational Marriage AbandonmentMy Lords, in recent months, I came across a very strange case in my community. A couple who had lived here for about three or four years had a child, and they were working and…18 Jun 2026HANSARDChild PovertyMy Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Lister for bringing this debate to your Lordships’ House. I begin by congratulating the Government on taking the historic decision to remove…18 Jun 2026HANSARDAntisemitismMy Lords—11 Jun 2026HANSARDFinancial Services and Markets Bill [HL]My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Financial Services and Markets Bill, in particular to consider the implications for local authorities, local…08 Jun 2026HANSARDTemporary Skilled Worker Visas: Creative OccupationsMy Lords, when a skilled worker applies for a job in the UK, he pays thousands of pounds to the Home Office in fees, and then he pays thousands of pounds in surcharge every year…04 Jun 2026HANSARDLocal Councillors: Recruitment, Retention and Well-beingMy Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Forbes of Newcastle for bringing forward this important debate. It is a subject that matters deeply to me, not only as a politician but as…04 Jun 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, I am another former council leader. When I was leader of Telford and Wrekin Council in Shropshire, we took a bold and innovative decision to address the growing shortage…01 Jun 2026HANSARDSupermarkets: Voluntary Price CapsMy Lords, first, I congratulate the Government on bringing inflation down to 2.8% and removing the 5p fuel duty. If the Government had a quiet word with the supermarkets making…20 May 2026HANSARDLocal Government Pension FundMy Lords, I congratulate the Government on planning to reintroduce the pension scheme for local councillors, which was abolished in 2015 by the noble Lord, Lord Pickles, when he…18 May 2026HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I will focus my remarks on the proposed changes to settlement rights for overseas workers. I recognise the need to balance compassion with control and fairness with…18 May 2026HANSARDMidwives: Graduate GuaranteeMy Lords, given that the National Health Service is always short of nurses and midwives, do the Government have any plans to bring in any overseas nurses and midwives to fill the…21 Apr 2026HANSARDLocal Resilience ForumsMy Lords, the West Mercia area has an elected police commissioner at the moment, but we have no elected mayor in Hereford and Shopshire. What is the Government’s plan for…16 Apr 2026HANSARDChild Poverty and Homelessness: Asylum and Settlement PoliciesMy Lords, on the settlement policy, does my noble friend the Minister accept that extending the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five to 10 years for care…14 Apr 2026HANSARDEquality Act 2010: Section 106My Lords, what specific measures will the Government take to address disparity in the representation of underrepresented groups in roles across public sector organisations, and…10 Mar 2026HANSARDUK-India: Comprehensive Economic and Trade AgreementMy Lords, I speak passionately in support of this landmark trade agreement between the country of my birth and my adopted country. This comprehensive economic and trade agreement…04 Mar 2026HANSARDLocal Government ReorganisationMy Lords, in 2015, the previous Government abolished the pension for local councillors— I believe that the noble Lord, Lord Pickles, was responsible for that. Do the Government…04 Mar 2026