Contributions
812 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNatural England: Gamebird Release LicensingMy Lords, pursuant to the question from my noble friend Lord Rooker, is it not time that the Government looked at all these quangos, at whether they are value for money and add to…21 Jul 2026HANSARDNational Energy System Operator: Blackout RiskMy Lords, can the Minister address the concern that the NESO inquiry is being conducted by a firm of City lawyers rather than electrical engineers? That gives the impression that…20 Jul 2026HANSARDBritish Industry and Services: Public ProcurementTo ask His Majesty’s Government what is their policy on prioritising British industry and services when carrying out public procurement.07 Jul 2026HANSARDBritish Industry and Services: Public ProcurementI thank my noble friend the Minister for that reply, but that memo is not getting through to government departments. Time and again, they are giving preference to firms and…07 Jul 2026HANSARDDefence Investment PlanMy Lords, I put it to the Minister that it would have been better to have had the conversation with the public before we put out the policy, so that we had rolled the pitch and…01 Jul 2026HANSARDCivil Service Pension SchemeMy Lords, is not the systemic failure here that the Civil Service refused to take past performance into account? That is completely contrary to normal life. If someone did a job…30 Jun 2026HANSARDCovid FraudMy Lords, does my noble friend the Minister find slightly odd the intervention from the Opposition Front Bench? Surely if we are to send a message for future contracts, dealing…29 Jun 2026HANSARDPalantir: Public Service ContractsMy Lords, the Minister is quite right to resist attempts, which happen quite regularly, to demonise individual companies rather than looking at the underlying reality. He is also…29 Jun 2026HANSARDHares: Close SeasonMy Lords, I suggest to the Minister that the Government’s legislative programme is not the only mechanism by which this could be done. For example, have the Whips been putting out…24 Jun 2026HANSARDLegal Protections for Ancient TreesMy Lords, is the Forestry Commission case that was cited not further evidence of commissions and quangos ignoring the intentions of Parliament, and indeed the wishes of the…23 Jun 2026HANSARDDVLA: Staffing LevelsMy Lords, I will take the Minister back to the question about cloning plates, which is increasingly facilitating a whole range of crime, including, with the increase in petrol…23 Jun 2026HANSARDUnite the Kingdom MarchCan I put it to my noble friend the Minister that, given the events being described that took place at the marches on Saturday and the cost to the police, let alone the diversion…20 May 2026HANSARDVAT Relief: Business DonationsMy Lords, before my noble friend the Minister might be tempted down the route of putting price restrictions on food coming from supermarkets, would it not be better to wait and…19 May 2026HANSARDDefence, Security and Resilience BankMy Lords, does my noble friend the Minister accept that there is a significant problem of access to finance for the defence industry, particularly for medium and small…19 May 2026HANSARDNational Emergency Plan for FuelMy Lords, can the Minister assure us that steps are being taken to ensure that we have adequate storage for fuel and gas? The situation that the Government inherited was certainly…28 Apr 2026HANSARDStudent VisasMy Lords, this is a real case where artificial intelligence would enormously improve the speed and quality of decision-making. When my noble friend the Minister meets the…27 Apr 2026HANSARDStrait of Hormuz: Mine ClearanceI commend my noble friend the Minister for his restraint in not pointing out to the Benches opposite that the lack of a surface fleet—and indeed of underwater vessels—is a result…13 Apr 2026HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019I put it to my noble friend the Minister that wheel clamping took some 20 years from the Scottish courts declaring it illegal in Scotland, against lots of obstructionism within…24 Mar 2026HANSARDPublic Transport: AccessibilityMy Lords, would it not help the standardisation of trains if we ensured that the trains we purchase—whether for the rail network, the Underground or even the light railway…24 Mar 2026HANSARDUK Homeland DefenceMy Lords, I take account of the point raised by the Minister regarding the direct threat from Iranian territory. However, is there not a long-standing concern about the increasing…23 Mar 2026