Contributions
140 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAgriculture BillMy Lords, I have no interests to declare but for years I shadowed Agriculture Ministers Gummer and Hogg—now the noble Lord, Lord Deben, and the noble Viscount, Lord Hailsham—and…10 Jun 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords: MembershipMy Lords, is it not obvious that somebody in No. 10 is playing party games with the constitutional role and responsibility of Members of your Lordships’ House, as set out in our…05 May 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords: MembershipMy Lords, this requires a simple yes or no. For clarity, can the Minister tell us whether the present Prime Minister has committed himself to the same self-restraint as of his…21 Apr 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]My Lords, we Liberal Democrats have consistently supported this reform, and I endorse every word of the noble Lord, Lord Grocott. I will come back to the noble Lord, Lord…13 Mar 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]The percentage of Liberal Democrat Peers in this House is precisely the same as our last election result. If we had proportionality in the House of Commons, we would have rather…13 Mar 2020HANSARDMinisterial CodeTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking (1) to review and (2) to strengthen the Ministerial Code.12 Mar 2020HANSARDMinisterial CodeMy Lords, there is a widespread perception that there is a real problem with the Ministerial Code. The central question must be: is the code no longer fit for purpose, or is the…12 Mar 2020HANSARDFlooding UpdateMy Lords, is the Minister prepared to publish a comparative table to indicate what funding was available to communities hit by flooding pre-Brexit and what is now available, with…25 Feb 2020HANSARDReferendumsMy Lords, do the Government accept that the worst failures with the 2016 referendum were concerned with transparency and funding? We still do not know who paid how much and for…12 Feb 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords: AppointmentsMy Lords, could the Minister tell your Lordships whether the criteria for appointment of political nominees to your Lordships’ House are exactly the same as those for independent…30 Jan 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords: AppointmentsTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the criteria for appointments to the House of Lords.30 Jan 2020HANSARDConstitution, Democracy and Rights CommissionMy Lords, following the point that the Minister has just made, do the Government accept that there are some priority steps required to, and I quote from the Conservative…29 Jan 2020HANSARDTrade Policy: Environmental AspectsMy Lords, as the Minister will know, this weekend a pioneering citizens’ assembly will start work, supported by six Select Committees. What steps will be taken to ensure that its…23 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillMy Lords, I am a co-signatory, with the noble Baroness, to Amendment 3, which leads this group. There is little that I need to add to what she has already said or, indeed, to what…20 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillIs the Minister really saying that Clause 41(1) is so limited in that way? Perhaps I may read it to him again: “A Minister of the Crown may by regulations make such provision as…16 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillMy Lords, my name is attached to the amendments in the name of the noble Baroness, and in addition to those I will speak to Amendment 66A, which is on a more specific question. I…16 Jan 2020HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal Agreement) BillMy Lords, I wish to speak to Amendment 12, to which my name is attached. This is quite different from most of the other amendments which have come before the Committee. It is in…14 Jan 2020HANSARDQueen’s SpeechMy Lords, I am delighted to follow the noble Lord, Lord Young, because he has of course been a long-term champion of parliamentary democracy in an unrivalled way. By contrast, Mr…08 Jan 2020HANSARDIntelligence and Security Committee of Parliament: Special ReportMy Lords, the Minister has said that the report is to be published “in due course”. Can he give your Lordships’ House an absolute assurance that that does not mean that it will be…04 Nov 2019HANSARDEarly Parliamentary General Election BillWe had some exchanges on this point last Wednesday, and as the Minister has now repeated to your Lordships, that commitment was given as long ago as May. What exactly is he…30 Oct 2019