Contributions
812 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNuclear Regulatory SystemTo ask His Majesty’s Government, following the interim report of the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce published on 11 August, what steps they are taking to improve the UK’s nuclear…10 Sept 2025HANSARDRail FreightMy Lords, as a mere previous Minister of State for Transport, might I put it to the Minister that 75% extremely challenging, given the very compact nature of England and the…14 Jul 2025HANSARDLive Music Industry: SupportThe Minister’s response is very welcome. Although the agent of change principle was introduced—I played some part in that in my role in the other place—local councils still do not…23 Jun 2025HANSARDDefence Industrial BaseMy Lords, do the Government themselves not also have to place orders with British companies? Like me, does the Minister regret that the previous Administration gave the contract…16 Jun 2025HANSARDEthics and Integrity CommissionMy Lords, is there not also a deeper issue as to who is entitled to decide who sits—particularly in the elected House—to represent people? Fundamentally, should it not be for the…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChinese Embassy DevelopmentMy Lords, the Minister has rightly outlined some of the concerns regarding the Chinese Communist regime and the way that it treats its nationals, let alone its international…12 Jun 2025HANSARDUnited Kingdom Jobs MarketMy Lords, does the Minister accept that, unfortunately, we have a very inefficient jobs market and there are too many artificial barriers? For example, there are requirements for…11 Jun 2025HANSARDCreonMy Lords, may I put it to my noble friend the Minister that there is also an underlying problem, which was also revealed during COVID, that too often the end-use manufacturers are…05 Jun 2025HANSARDParking (Code of Practice) Act 2019My Lords, I declare an interest as a previous Transport Minister and pay tribute to the work of colleagues such as the noble Lords, Lord Kirkhope and Lord Brennan, in introducing…04 Jun 2025HANSARDNuclear: Small Modular ReactorsTo ask His Majesty’s Government when they expect to make an announcement on the award of contracts for small modular nuclear reactors.19 May 2025HANSARDNuclear: Small Modular ReactorsMy Lords, I convey my best wishes to the Minister on his birthday today. Can I just press him a little further and ask him to celebrate by bringing some good news to the energy,…19 May 2025HANSARDAutism Employment ReviewMy Lords, I recognise the danger that has been pointed out. If you move from the specific to the general, you often lose focus. But do we not have a broader problem? Millions of…12 May 2025HANSARDEnergy Grid ResilienceMy Lords, the Statement says that the GB system is “highly resilient” but, in reality, has that not eroded over recent years, as was demonstrated recently at Heathrow, when we…06 May 2025HANSARDEnergy Prices: Energy-intensive IndustriesBut, my Lords, the fundamental flaw in the pricing system introduced at the time of privatisation is that the average price of electricity was determined by the marginal price of…06 May 2025HANSARDBirmingham: Waste CollectionMy Lords, I commend the Minister and her colleagues on the work they have been undertaking to get this dispute resolved, which is causing huge distress to the citizens of…24 Apr 2025HANSARDRHS Garden Wisley: RoadworksMy Lords, does the Minister accept that the Highways Agency, as the client, has a major responsibility for ensuring that roadworks are undertaken as quickly as possible? The…01 Apr 2025HANSARDBirmingham City CouncilMy Lords, I take my noble friend back to the comments of my noble friend Lord Snape—who, like me, represented the Borough of Sandwell—and the root cause of this problem: the…01 Apr 2025HANSARDScotland: New Nuclear Power GenerationMy Lords, would the Government’s hand not be greatly strengthened in dealing with the Scottish Government if they themselves moved ahead on a decision on small modular nuclear…18 Mar 2025HANSARDUK Defence: Hypersonic MissilesDoes the Minister accept, notwithstanding the importance of upgrading our air defence, that our fundamental response to intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear…03 Mar 2025HANSARDDefence and SecurityMy Lords, my noble friend has rightly pointed out the need to ramp up supply chains, but that requires a sense of urgency on the part of both the Ministry of Defence and industry.…26 Feb 2025