Contributions
399 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPrenuptial AgreementsMy Lords, I begin by thanking the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, for securing this important and timely debate about a topic that has a real impact on people’s lives. I also thank…27 Feb 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, for bringing this discussion before the Committee today. This amendment would introduce a new clause, making it a requirement for…24 Feb 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]I thank the noble Baroness for the question. One of the questions that I have been asking colleagues is on exactly this point around whether this will happen. I have been…27 Jan 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]I thank the noble and learned Baroness for her comments. I hope the noble Baroness accepts my apology for the way it was phrased. As this is my first Committee, I have been…27 Jan 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]I will very happily meet as soon as possible and well before the next stage.27 Jan 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]Having been in discussions with colleagues over the past couple of weeks on this point, I tested with them the processes involved in making sure that we can make this as robust as…27 Jan 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]My Lords, this is the first time that I have helped take a Bill through Committee, so I am grateful to noble Lords for bearing with me while I acquaint myself with the procedures.…27 Jan 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]I will ask officials to get me that information and to pass it on.27 Jan 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]I thank the noble Lord for his question. I will be delighted to get the correct information, so that we get it exactly right. We will get it to him as soon as is practical.27 Jan 2025HANSARDMental Health Bill [HL]My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Bradley for bringing this discussion before the Committee. These amendments would require the Secretary of State to publish a…27 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingIt is vital that the Government are led by the evidence and deliver value for money for the taxpayer. HMPPS has worked closely with the Cabinet Office to undertake a detailed…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingI thank the noble Lord for his question. The key is to deliver value for money. If we had intervened in the process, it would have cost more. Ultimately, we are not opposed to…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingAs someone who has employed many people in prison over many years, I am a big fan of enabling people to gain skills and confidence so that when they are released, they are less…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingThe noble Lord is correct that the security of our prisons is of utmost importance and that we need all our security apparatus working correctly. We have had years of…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingI thank my noble friend for his question. The prison estate suffered historic underinvestment by the previous Government over the last five years, which has led to a growing…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingThe Government are committed to ensuring that there are professional facility management services across our prison estate. A 2023 assessment conducted in partnership with the…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingI thank the noble Lord for the question. He will be pleased to know that we are at 99.5% of the required level of prison officers. That does not mean that they are all in the…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingI thank the noble Baroness for her kind comments; it is nice that we have known each other for many years and discussed this topic. I like to think that I bring to this job my…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingI have a wide brief, but it does not include the prisons in Scotland. So far as female offenders are concerned, the issue is the same. This week, I was proud to chair the first…23 Jan 2025HANSARDPrison Maintenance: InsourcingIt is vital that, when people are in prison, they are in purposeful activity and not in their cells, so we are putting a lot of effort into getting more people out of their cells…23 Jan 2025