Contributions
2,386 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMinisterial and other Maternity Allowances BillThat the Bill be now read a second time.22 Feb 2021HANSARDMinisterial and other Maternity Allowances BillMy Lords, it is a privilege to respond to the debate, which I have listened to intently and with deep consideration for what everybody has said. If I may be allowed a personal…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsMy Lords, I have not noticed the Green Party fail to target its efforts on specific constituencies, but the noble Baroness may be able to advise me otherwise. I do not think it…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsMy Lords, in our judgment, it cannot be right that the limits for parliamentary by-elections have not been updated in more than 20 years. By updating for inflation, as is…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsMy Lords, we think it important to engage with the political parties, and we do so. Obviously, the reporting of donations has to be and is transparent; I strongly agree with the…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsMy Lords, I certainly agree that any consideration of electoral law and, indeed, electoral practice needs to reflect on the position of smaller parties. The Government have been…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsMy Lords, I agree, but I would not want to give the House the impression that the Government do not think that there are matters that need to be addressed and considered. Notional…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsNo, my Lords. I strongly disagree; the noble Lord should think carefully before spreading such charges. If one looks at the record of donations that the Liberal Democrats have…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsThat is an interesting suggestion. As a former leader of a London borough, I am not sure where I should go in responding to it. It is certainly true that modes of campaigning are…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsMy Lords, I did reply to the Question, saying that we were undertaking a consultation and that a range of views were received from different parties. When the time comes to make…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsNo, my Lords. I am not certain whether the noble Lord speaks for his party in his Question or in the rather intemperate letter that he sent to the Minister for the Constitution on…22 Feb 2021HANSARDPolitical Parties: Expenditure LimitsMy Lords, the Government engaged with political parties on spending limits last year. A range of views were received and, following that engagement, we uprated candidate spending…22 Feb 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Border ControlsMy Lords, we have moved from “what if?” through to “what now?” to “what then?” The fact is that a decision was made by the British people to leave the EU customs territory and the…04 Feb 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Border ControlsMy Lords, I agree with the noble Lord. I will end as I began, by condemning all violence and threats of violence. Flexibilities have been invoked. They are required on both sides,…04 Feb 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Border ControlsMy Lords, I will not anticipate from this Dispatch Box what might be the progress of negotiations. I take note of the point made by my noble friend, given his great experience. In…04 Feb 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Border ControlsMy Lords, my noble friend has made an important point and he is quite right about the involvement of the parties. One of the sad aspects of this has been the bypassing of the…04 Feb 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Border ControlsMy Lords, this is an ongoing process and obviously, as the noble Earl will know, my right honourable friend sent a further letter to Vice-President Šefčovič this week embracing a…04 Feb 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Border ControlsMy Lords, the position of businesses and the impact on them are obviously something that the Government monitor and watch with concern. My right honourable friend the Chancellor…04 Feb 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Border ControlsMy Lords, I underline what I said in my first Answer. It is clearly hugely disappointing and surprising to many that the EU proposed to take such a significant step without any…04 Feb 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: Border ControlsMy Lords, I know that the whole House will join me in strongly condemning all threats and intimidation. These will never guide the actions of Her Majesty’s Government. But there…04 Feb 2021