Contributions
879 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBrexit: Civil Service CodeMy Lords, the Civil Service Code states very clearly, regarding integrity: “You must … comply with the law”. The Government’s legal position states that parliamentary sovereignty…17 Sept 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies BillMy Lords, I hesitate to intervene on Welsh and Scottish matters, in particular on the complications of the geography of Wales, beyond saying that of course all the regions of this…15 Sept 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Artificial IntelligenceMy Lords, the National Data Strategy has been published for consultation. Can the Minister assure us that the House of Lords will be included in that consultation? Perhaps the…09 Sept 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies BillMy Lords, the Minister quoted the manifesto commitment not to lower the voting age. I have just checked the Conservative manifesto and it has the parallel commitment: “We will…08 Sept 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies BillMy Lords, I declare an interest as the Lords Minister in the coalition who had to carry through the change in patterns of electoral registration. I still carry some of the scars…08 Sept 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies BillMy Lords, the case for extending voting to 16 year-olds is getting stronger year by year. We already have the problem that our generation—the elderly Members of the House of Lords…08 Sept 2020HANSARDTreaty Scrutiny: Working Practices (EUC Report)My Lords, I was struck by the quotation from Walter Bagehot’s volume, The English Constitution , in paragraph 8 of the most recent report we are debating. He clearly stated 150…07 Sept 2020HANSARDRepresentation of the People (Electoral Registers Publication Date) Regulations 2020My Lords, it matters enormously to English democracy to get the 2021 local elections right, after cancelling the local elections this year. Delaying the date for completing and…03 Sept 2020HANSARDConstitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010My Lords, I welcome the reiteration of the Government’s commitment to the impartiality of the Civil Service. However, since the Act was passed, particularly in the last few months…29 Jul 2020HANSARDEU: Future Trade AgreementMy Lords, the political declaration of last October also committed us to pursuing a continuing dialogue and close relationship on foreign and security policies. The new Russia…29 Jul 2020HANSARDParliamentary Constituencies BillMy Lords, I reiterate what we from these Benches have said about this Bill: we welcome a number of its proposals; we have reservations about specific aspects, on which we will put…27 Jul 2020HANSARDParliament: Restoration and Renewal ProjectMy Lords, I understand that the Prime Minister’s letter proposing that both Houses of Parliament might relocate to York had already been sent when the Minister answered questions…22 Jul 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords and Machinery of Government: Consultation on ChangesMy Lords, if one wants to distribute civil servants around the country, proper devolution for England would be the best way by far to do that. The Conservative manifesto last…15 Jul 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords and Machinery of Government: Consultation on ChangesTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to consult relevant Parliamentary select committees about the constitutional implications of, and (2) to await the outcome…15 Jul 2020HANSARDHouse of Lords: RelocationMy Lords, if, as the Minister has just confirmed, the final decision is a matter for Parliament alone, can he explain the justification for the extensive press briefing last week…14 Jul 2020HANSARDLibyaMy Lords, the Government now have some hundreds of British troops in other parts of the Sahel working closely with the French in combating tribal warfare and Islamic extremism.…13 Jul 2020HANSARDIntelligence and Security Committee: Russia ReportMy Lords, I am sorry that the Minister has used the term “wild charges” to describe the question asked by the noble Baroness, Lady Jones. I have read in a number of serious…09 Jul 2020HANSARDEU: Customs ArrangementsMy Lords, we are often told that effective border management requires active co-operation between states on both sides of the border. A number of recent reports suggest that the…08 Jul 2020HANSARDDavid FrostMy Lords, both the Prime Minister and Michael Gove cited President Roosevelt as the model for this Government’s approach. When I was first a student in the United States, I was…30 Jun 2020HANSARDData StrategyTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote a wider public debate about their future data strategy.24 Jun 2020