Contributions
2,386 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCovid-19: Wedding VenuesMy Lords, the announcement the Prime Minister made is fully guided by scientific advice, and I do not accept what the noble Baroness said. I remind her that this was an…24 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Wedding VenuesMy Lords, again, I understand the point. I do not want to add to my reputation for eccentricity by admitting that my wife and I delayed our marriage because the late Lord…24 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Wedding VenuesNo, my Lords. The current rules on marriage are set in primary legislation. This has not been changed and the Government have no plans to change it.24 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, we regard the relationship with the devolved Administrations as being of great importance and we have appreciated close contact with them in the work going on. We have…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, with all the firepower that I see behind the noble Lord, it is hard for me to deny him anything. However, I am not in a position to give him specific answers. The points…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, I will not follow my noble friend too closely in tracing congruities between the members of various movements, although I had noticed the odd one. On a more serious…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, I am not good at figures but I think that the Australian Government have about 29 different arrangements with the European Union. With regard to the phrase “oven ready”,…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, I shall not go into specific dates regarding the text. We have published texts at appropriate stages of the negotiations. We have said—and the Prime Minister said again…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, I will preface my answer by saying that some noble Lords will have seen the name of my noble friend Lord Forsyth on the speakers’ list. It is not that he has not turned…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, I thank both noble Baronesses for their remarks. I was very grateful for the positive tone from the noble Baroness, Lady Ludford. I will start with that first. I do not…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, I can give my noble friend some assurance. The EU has begun to show some recognition, including of some of the United Kingdom’s positions. The Prime Minister stated at…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, consideration on security matters is obviously ongoing. The safety and security of our citizens is the Government’s top priority. We obviously hope for a negotiated…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, as he often does, the noble Lord has made a cogent and powerful point. The United Kingdom Government are obviously negotiating in good faith for a free trade agreement…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsOn implementation, the announcement we have made about the phasing in of import controls and border arrangements is, I would say, profoundly pragmatic. The very fact that we are…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, my noble friend is a powerful advocate on behalf of the good people of Gibraltar. I can assure her that the interests and position of Gibraltar are very much in the mind…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsMy Lords, I simply do not agree with the characterisation of no deal—in any case, we left the European Union with a deal on 31 January 2020; we are now in a transition period. I…18 Jun 2020HANSARDUK-EU NegotiationsI did not hear the comments to which the noble Lord refers—that is not because I am under some ban on listening to the “Today” programme; I gave up listening to that when I worked…18 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Scientific AdviceI strongly agree with my noble friend, who has great experience as a Minister and a distinguished career. Of course, responsibility ultimately lies with Ministers for taking…17 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Scientific AdviceMy Lords, on 11 February, SAGE advised that the reasonable worst-case scenario for the coronavirus pandemic should continue to reflect influenza planning assumptions. In the light…17 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Scientific AdviceMy Lords, it is important to remind the House that at the time of the meeting on 11 February there were only eight confirmed cases in the United Kingdom. The Government have…17 Jun 2020