Contributions
200 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, let me first compliment our new Attorney-General on his excellent maiden speech. I very much welcome his commitment to the rule of law, internationally and nationally,…23 Jul 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechI thought noble Lords needed waking up at this time of night. I will say something nice about it. A region such as Yorkshire and Humberside has a bigger population than Scotland…23 Jul 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillMy Lords, I intervene very briefly as a person who benefits very considerably from a local government pension scheme; indeed, pretty much my whole income comes from one. One thing…14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI want to clarify something that the Minister just said. Does this mean that, if my local authority pension scheme, from which I benefit, decided that an investment in Israel was…14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI am sorry, we are getting very confused, certainly at this end of the House, as to what is the issue of risk. If a country—let us forget the names of the countries in the…14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI have listened with interest to the noble Baroness. Can she explain why the rather talented and experienced Constitution Committee took a totally different view from her and was…14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillMy Lords, I intervene briefly, not because I am an expert on international law but because I have a great sense of déjà vu about the way this debate is opening up by comparison…14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillMy Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, was kind about my previous speech and almost enticed me to get up and go over some of this ground again. When I spoke on Amendment 19,…14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI refer the noble Baroness to Clause 1(7)(b), not just Clause 1(7)(a), which says “any person seeking to persuade the decision-maker to act in a certain way”. That sounds to me…14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillWith all due respect, Clause 4 applies to Clause 1(7)(b), which refers to an individual. We must perhaps ask the Minister to advise us on whether that is true.14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI am very sorry, but I must ask the Minister to address the question about Clause 1(7)(b). If she reads that clause, she will see that it could cover any individual who seeks to…14 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillMy Lords, I support Amendment 19, to which I have added my name, and I will speak to Amendment 48 in my name. Amendment 48 is focused on a simple question: does the statement of…07 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI am sorry to interrupt the noble Lord; I am trying to be helpful. It seems to me that it is even worse than he is saying. Clause 4(1) means that a democratically elected person…07 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillWith due respect to the Minister— I am sorry to interrupt when he is keeping to his script—the point I was making was that the certificate that the Secretary of State or Minister…07 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill07 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillMy Lords, despite the last debate, this amendment brings us to the heart of what I regard as a misguided Bill: Clause 3(7), which effectively provides the State of Israel with a…07 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI am a great believer in only talking about things you understand and have observed. What I have done is go very often to Gaza and the Occupied Territories and talk to some of the…07 May 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillI am glad it was “respectfully”, but I am totally unconvinced by what the Minister has said, just as, for the reasons given by the noble Lord, Lord Collins, about Clause 4, I was…07 May 2024HANSARDNHS: Long-term SustainabilityMy Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Ramsey, on her excellent initial contribution to our debates. Unlike the noble Lord, Lord Patel, my experience is that too many…18 Apr 2024HANSARDEconomic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) BillMy Lords, we are dealing with a Bill that is in highly controversial territory. If we have sloppy definitions in the Bill, it will encourage litigation. It would be a strange…17 Apr 2024