Contributions
879 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDElectoral Commission: Referendums and Elections SpendingMy Lords, the Minister said that political parties “vary considerably”. Their finances also vary considerably, and one of the structural problems in British politics is that the…23 May 2019HANSARDPolitical Parties: Donation RulesMy Lords, if we are to re-establish trust in where money for politics comes from, we need to have answers to challenges fairly quickly. It is now nearly three years since the last…22 May 2019HANSARDBrexit: Cross-party DiscussionsMy Lords, democracy is a dialogue and it requires Governments to carry their public with them and to continue to explain the rationales for their policies. Part of the problem we…16 May 2019HANSARDVeterans: InvestigationsMy Lords, I note that the Statement intends to separate the issue of what has happened in Northern Ireland from the responsibility of soldiers in conflict. While one cannot be…16 May 2019HANSARDCensus (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Bill [HL]My Lords, as my noble friend Lady Barker has made clear, we on these Benches also welcome this Bill and the proposed new census questions. This takes us into a broader debate on…13 May 2019HANSARDConduct of Debate in Public LifeMy Lords, we all agree that we are in a crisis of the sort just described by the noble Baroness, Lady Morris. I recall talking to a good friend, a young female MP, some weeks ago.…09 May 2019HANSARDYorkshire: DevolutionMy Lords, is the Minister aware that when Jake Berry, Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, gave a very discouraging response at the One Yorkshire conference in Leeds last month,…07 May 2019HANSARDElections: Online InterferenceMy Lords, the Electoral Commission is independent of government but depends on government for its resources. Given the extent to which confidence in our electoral system and…01 May 2019HANSARDBrexit: Date of ExitMy Lords, does the Minister accept that national sovereignty in a peaceful world order is not something which allows you to tell everyone else to sod off whenever you want, but is…08 Apr 2019HANSARDEuropean Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) BillMy Lords, I have been thinking hard over the past few weeks about the meaning of parliamentary sovereignty, which was one of the things that the leave campaign strongly campaigned…08 Apr 2019HANSARDVenezuela: Russian TroopsMy Lords, I am glad that ratcheting up diplomatic efforts is going well with our European partners. Has the Foreign Office done sufficient work yet on how we will replace that…02 Apr 2019HANSARDSackler Trust: DonationsMy Lords, does the Minister recognise that it is easier for national museums to attract these large philanthropic donors than for local and regional museums? We are well aware now…27 Mar 2019HANSARDHonours SystemMy Lords, given that there are good grounds for renaming the Order of the British Empire now that we no longer have a British Empire, does the Minister accept that the range of…26 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilMy Lords, may I clarify the business for this week? I have spent my career in international relations, although I am not a lawyer. The noble Baroness, Lady Deech, is entirely…25 Mar 2019HANSARDDevolved AdministrationsMy Lords, the Minister has already been asked about what has happened to the English regions. Now that we have a rather privileged relationship for the three national assemblies,…25 Mar 2019HANSARDInterserveI am glad the Government are investing in playbooks—I am not sure what sort of play is intended. It seems to be time for an overall review. Can the Minister confirm that of the 29…20 Mar 2019HANSARDInterserveTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes they are considering to the outsourcing of public services as a result of Interserve entering into administration.20 Mar 2019HANSARDLocal Authorities: Fair Funding ReviewMy Lords, the other week, the Prime Minister recognised at last—in the derisorily small offer that she made to a number of Labour MPs for industrial towns—the link between…14 Mar 2019HANSARDAircraft Carrier Task ForceTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what they consider to be the minimum size and composition of a United Kingdom aircraft carrier task force when deployed to the Pacific.13 Mar 2019HANSARDAircraft Carrier Task ForceI thank the Minister for that non-Answer. Can he confirm that the normal aircraft carrier task force requires two, three or four frigates, one or two submarines and a couple of…13 Mar 2019