Contributions
2,386 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDFinancial Services BillMy Lords, I thank those who have spoken. I have to say to many of them that, with great respect, I will disagree that these amendments are appropriate or effective. I must make…14 Apr 2021HANSARDFinancial Services BillMy Lords, nearly 190 years ago, the great Duke of Wellington came into a new House and famously commented, “I never saw so many shocking bad hats in my life.” Looking round today,…14 Apr 2021HANSARDFinancial Services BillMy Lords, again I thank all those who have spoken in this slightly shorter debate. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson of Balmacara, very much for his continued engagement with…14 Apr 2021HANSARDFinancial Services Bill14 Apr 2021HANSARDFinancial Services BillMy Lords, this has been a long and important debate, which I found to be of great interest. As many will know, I am not responsible for the grouping of amendments. That is not a…14 Apr 2021HANSARDFinancial Services Bill24 Mar 2021HANSARDFinancial Services BillMy Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to respond to the debate. I genuinely thank all noble Lords who spoke in Committee and who have spoken today and, indeed, those with…24 Mar 2021HANSARDFinancial Services BillMy Lords, I certainly regret, along with others, that the right reverend Prelate was unable to be here to speak to his amendment, but we fully understand the reasons for that.…24 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, I do not have all those specific figures. In relation to the EnAble Fund, 41 applicants were awarded funding and 19 were elected. Some 33 disabled candidates for the…22 Mar 2021HANSARDRepresentation of the People (Proxy Vote Applications) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021That the draft Regulations laid before the House on 22 February be approved. Relevant document: 48th Report from the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. Considered in Grand…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, my noble friend raises an important point. The Government are reviewing evidence on the best ways to encourage more disabled people to run for elected office. An…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, it is the Government’s ambition to see more disabled people in public office. The Government have been clear that the responsibility for supporting disabled candidates…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, I will ensure that the important suggestions put forward by the noble Baroness are taken into account as we go forward. I reiterate the Government’s desire to see more…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, the Government’s desire is to facilitate participation. I think the House is unified behind that. The question is how we best overcome the barriers, both financial and…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, not repeating the Government’s view that we believe responsibility for supporting disabled candidates sits primarily with the political parties, and that the EnAble fund…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, I will not pursue the noble Lord’s political allegations. This Government have a desire, which I hope all parties share, to avoid all fraud in elections. In the Covid…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, I agree with the noble Baroness’s point about skills. I do not wish to repeat the point I made about the difficulty of direct funding. After the 2019 election, we put…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy Lords, I commend what political parties are doing to seek to involve disabled candidates. We have evaluated the central fund’s run; the access to elected office fund was…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeI certainly agree with my noble friend about public appointments. I am sorry to hear what he said about his report. Certainly, it is the Government’s wish to encourage more…22 Mar 2021HANSARDPeople with Disabilities Standing for Elected OfficeMy noble friend makes an important point on which all parties would, I hope, unite. The reality is that the law regarding electoral expenses, permissible donors and grant-making…22 Mar 2021