Contributions
76 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHeat and Building StrategyI should draw attention to my interests as chairman of a renewable heat company and as an adviser to many developments on planning matters for sustainable communities. The point…08 Dec 2020HANSARDUniversal CreditI welcome the fact that the Minister has stressed that this is under current review, because if these payments are not maintained at a time when we can see what is happening in…01 Dec 2020HANSARDCovid 19: Winter PlanFirst, as the father of three young boys, I associate myself with the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Knight, about children being able to meet with other children from their…24 Nov 2020HANSARDSupporting Disadvantaged FamiliesMy Lords, I would like to associate myself with the comments of others in congratulating Marcus Rashford on persuading the Government to take these rightful actions. As a single…12 Nov 2020HANSARDNagorno-Karabakh: Genocide Emergency AlertThe Minister has just said that NATO does not have a role in the conflict. That is certainly true, as things stand, but clearly the position in the Caucasus could easily escalate,…02 Nov 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Economy UpdateMy Lords, the Government have been pretty supportive of retail and other business tenants, with the rates holiday, VAT help, the furlough scheme and the moratorium against…27 Oct 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Gig EconomyThe Chancellor’s announcements today are welcome as they improve support for those in work and the self-employed, but I hope that the Minister recognises that there are very large…22 Oct 2020HANSARDWorld Energy Outlook 2020My Lords, I draw attention to my interest in sustainable development and low-carbon heat, as listed in the register of interests. Can the Minister accept that it makes no sense to…20 Oct 2020HANSARDDivorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020I am sure that many people already hope to avoid the horrible blame game of the present divorce system, waiting for the new system to be in place. The Minister said that autumn is…13 Oct 2020HANSARDStudents’ Return to UniversitiesI declare an interest as a visiting professor lecturing at Plymouth University, and a visiting fellow at Cambridge University, on planning matters. So I will be doing that…01 Oct 2020HANSARDPerforming Arts: Job Support SchemeWill the Minister accept that the issue here is not that nightclubs, theatres, concert halls and other live venues are not viable; it is that they cannot operate under the…29 Sept 2020HANSARDBelarus: Presidential ElectionsI welcome the Minister’s support for the critical investment in the BBC World Service. That was good to hear. Will the Minister also comment on the intervention of President Putin…25 Sept 2020HANSARDEU Exit: End of Transition PeriodMy Lords, the Minister makes the border around Kent sound very simple, with automatic number plate recognition. Once a lorry is recognised as not having the right export…24 Sept 2020HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateDoes the Minister agree that we cannot afford to destroy the economy again and that it would be immoral to destroy the educational future of our children? That implies that people…21 Sept 2020HANSARDCovid-19 Secure MarshalsMy Lords, with the Home Secretary saying today that two families meeting in the street cannot even say “Hello” to each other, does the Minister really think that the intervention…15 Sept 2020HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateSince the Minister wants to keep things simple, could he explain to families that are separated what the rules now are? In my case, I am a single father of three young boys who…14 Sept 2020HANSARDCovid-19 UpdateThe Minister has just said that a significant plank of the policy is not the science but communications. I fear that the Moonshot programme falls into exactly that category. I do…10 Sept 2020HANSARDPost Office: Horizon Accounting SystemThis has been the most appalling scandal. Those impacted are still waiting for justice, not just for themselves but in holding to account those who appear to have sought, at every…07 Sept 2020HANSARDKickstart SchemeWhile it is incredibly important to get young people into work, small businesses are struggling to make sense of how they can access this scheme—yet the poster child is Tesco,…07 Sept 2020HANSARDUK Internal Market: White PaperMy Lords, the Minister did not answer one of the questions put by my noble friend Lady Kramer; perhaps he can now do so. How is unfettered access compatible with the terms of the…29 Jul 2020