Contributions
153 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBusiness of the HouseWould the Leader of the House be willing to discuss with his colleagues in the usual channels a debate on the ongoing review into the Code of Conduct? As noble Lords will know,…20 May 2024HANSARDPassport e-Gates Network OutageMy Lords, I will recount a personal anecdote, and ask my noble friend the Minister some questions, because I travel frequently between here and the European Union. I had the good…13 May 2024HANSARDEnglish Horticultural Sector (Horticultural Sector Committee Report)My Lords, what a pity it is that a subject so important, and which has had such an input from the House of Lords, has such little time to be debated. I hope there will be other…19 Apr 2024HANSARDBiosecurity and Infectious DiseasesMy Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Trees. He is a distinguished Member of this House and this is an important topic. I might tend to disagree with…18 Jan 2024HANSARDNottingham IncidentMy Lords, I had not intended to contribute to this Statement, but I would like to thank my noble friend the Minister for giving us the chance to talk about it. We all have a…15 Jun 2023HANSARDHorticultural PeatPerhaps noble Lords will know of my interest in the horticultural industry, and I might say that our firm is peat free: we use it neither as a growing medium nor as a packing…09 May 2023HANSARDWindsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations 2023My Lords, I will follow on from the speech by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey. I emphasise that I support the Windsor Framework; I think that it is a real and good step forward. I…29 Mar 2023HANSARDDirect Payments to Farmers (Reductions) (England) Regulations 2023I ought perhaps to draw the attention of the House to my interests as in the register. I am also president of the Institute of Agricultural Management and I have the good fortune…28 Mar 2023HANSARDGenetic Technology (Precision Breeding) BillI think my noble friend is quite right: we will depend on increasing productivity and will be able to do that only by breeding. The whole point of the Bill is selective breeding;…25 Jan 2023HANSARDGenetic Technology (Precision Breeding) BillMy Lords, I hesitate to speak immediately before the Minister, but I am rather moved by a nostalgic memory of times past when I was sitting on the Bench opposite and the noble…14 Dec 2022HANSARDGenetic Technology (Precision Breeding) BillMy Lords, I would not have chosen to speak in the gap, but it has certain advantages. It is certainly a privilege to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, who chairs a group…21 Nov 2022HANSARDHorticultural SectorMy Lords, I thank the Grand Committee for allowing me to speak in the gap. I should declare my interests. My family business is well known for its daffodils and bulbs. I am no…13 Oct 2022HANSARDHer Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIMy Lords, I am pleased to follow the noble Lord, Lord Kakkar, because I was with him on that very day, when I also took the Privy Council oath. I start by saying how much I have…09 Sept 2022HANSARDProcedure and Privileges CommitteeAs the noble Lord will know, my amendment is based on the idea that we should have change in this House. The House can cope with change—of course it can—but it needs to be less…05 Jul 2022HANSARDProcedure and Privileges CommitteeMy Lords, I hoped that I would not have to move an amendment to the Senior Deputy Speaker’s second Motion, but I am very unhappy, as my noble friend Lord Forsyth has clearly…05 Jul 2022HANSARDHer Majesty the Queen’s Platinum JubileeMy Lords, I am delighted to follow the noble Lord, Lord Shipley. Like him, I did not excel on the sports field at the time of the Coronation and I failed to participate in any of…26 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolMy Lords, noble Lords would expect me, as a horticulturalist, to address the House in the week before the Chelsea Flower Show. This country has a thriving horticultural industry,…17 May 2022HANSARDExports: Support for BusinessesMy Lords, I am usually supportive of the Government, but I speak from my personal experience of involvement in a small horticultural business. Not only do we have difficulty in…31 Mar 2022HANSARDElections BillOh, I have a few more minutes. It is essential that we have grass-roots activism, grass-roots fundraising and grass-roots presence as a political party on policy-making. I do not…23 Feb 2022HANSARDElections BillMy Lords, much has already been said, but I wanted to speak on Second Reading—not least because it is the tradition of this House that if noble Lords wish to speak at further…23 Feb 2022