Contributions
1,161 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEU Referendum: Lessons LearnedAs the noble Lord will know, that is not the Government’s policy, nor would it be consistent with the decision of the electorate two years ago. To return to the first part of his…20 May 2019HANSARDEU Referendum: Lessons LearnedI entirely agree with the noble Baroness. I welcome what Facebook has already done in identifying political advertisements on its system. A review of online advertising was…20 May 2019HANSARDEU Referendum: Lessons LearnedWere there to be another referendum, as the noble Lord knows, there would have to be primary legislation first, so noble Lords would have an opportunity to amend it. Last time,…20 May 2019HANSARDEU Referendum: Lessons LearnedMy Lords, as I listened to my noble friend warm to his theme of trust, I asked myself whether his infamous depiction in House of Cards of the Government Chief Whip—a position I…20 May 2019HANSARDEU Referendum: Lessons LearnedMy Lords, the Government have no plans to establish a public inquiry on the conduct of the EU referendum. We continue to actively consider the recommendations made by Parliament,…20 May 2019HANSARDCensus (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Bill [HL]That the Bill be now read a second time.13 May 2019HANSARDCensus (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Bill [HL]Sorry, did I misspeak? All the questions are compulsory, apart from the religious question and the two questions before us today—corrigendum. The new question on past service in…13 May 2019HANSARDCensus (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Bill [HL]In so far as the compulsory question is concerned—the binary question of male/female—the guidance is minded to say, “Fill in what was on your birth certificate”. If you have…13 May 2019HANSARDMobile Phones: Public Alert SystemsMy Lords, the Government recognise the potential benefits of an emergency alerting scheme that sends text messages to mobile phones. The Cabinet Office has undertaken further work…13 May 2019HANSARDMobile Phones: Public Alert SystemsI understand the noble Lord’s impatience, and commend him for the regularity with which he has addressed this issue. Ministers have made it absolutely clear that doing nothing is…13 May 2019HANSARDMobile Phones: Public Alert SystemsI agree. One of the themes that came out of the debate in July, which the noble Lord participated in, was the importance of getting the message right and of any message coming…13 May 2019HANSARDMobile Phones: Public Alert SystemsOne of the advantages of cell broadcasting technology as opposed to SMS texting, which is the alternative scheme, is that cell broadcasting is better proofed against the risks…13 May 2019HANSARDMobile Phones: Public Alert SystemsAgain, I understand the noble Lord’s impatience which, for all he knows, may be more widely shared than he thinks. What has changed over recent years is that previous trials were…13 May 2019HANSARDMobile Phones: Public Alert SystemsCell broadcasting does not run the risks of congestion on the network that the previous system, SMS, did.13 May 2019HANSARDMobile Phones: Public Alert SystemsI am flattered that the noble Lord thinks that I have such influence that the moment a Question is tabled to me, I immediately ask for a workshop to be established. The workshop…13 May 2019HANSARDCensus (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Bill [HL]My Lords, I am grateful to all those who have taken part in this relatively short debate, and particularly welcome the broad support for the legislation we have brought forward. I…13 May 2019HANSARDCensus (Return Particulars and Removal of Penalties) Bill [HL]My Lords, I am delighted to present this Bill today. This may be some noble Lords’ first encounter with the census legislative process. I have an advantage, in that I was…13 May 2019HANSARDPublic Appointments: DiversityWhen I re-read my noble friend’s document I was struck by the sentence: “Currently, talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not”. He is absolutely right. One of his…09 May 2019HANSARDElections and Referendums: Foreign InterferenceAs I have said before from this Dispatch Box, there is no evidence of successful interference in the electoral process in this country, either in referendums or elections. As I…09 May 2019HANSARDElections and Referendums: Foreign InterferenceMy Lords, the UK has a robust electoral system with processes in place to defend it, and there is ongoing work to ensure our elections remain secure. The Government are committed…09 May 2019