Contributions
146 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCrime and Policing BillMy Lords, I can see what the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson, is saying about Third Reading, but it would be wiser to vote for this amendment now—if noble Lords have any conscience at…02 Mar 2026HANSARDTobacco and Vapes BillMy Lords, I will be very brief. I am worried not about whether it is right or wrong to try to stop smoking but about whether this would work. There is no point in passing laws…24 Feb 2026HANSARDFair Work Agency: Small and Micro BusinessesMy Lords, should we not remember Reagan’s great stricture that “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help”?17 Dec 2025HANSARDBorder Security, Asylum and Immigration BillMy Lords, I will briefly speak to something that has always puzzled me. Article 8 has two paragraphs. The first is about “the right to … private and family life”. The second…03 Nov 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure BillMy Lords, I want to make a quick point. If you are trying to build a lot of houses, you have to sell them. The rate of sale determines the rate of building: if you do not sell the…27 Oct 2025HANSARDRoad PricingDoes the Minister agree that there is in fact a huge privacy issue here? If, maybe in a marriage, someone can see where their other half has been going when they are not around,…18 Sept 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I have seen two of these instances happen before. On legal advice given to a Minister not being revealed to this House, I can remember a huge row about it, and the House…09 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillJust to help the noble Lord’s confusion, there are the courtesy titles of the younger sons of certain levels of the peerage.09 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I remember what you might call the good old days before the first reform, when a lot of hereditaries got chucked out. In those days, although there were nominally a lot…09 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, I shall say just a few words about Amendment 4, which I support wholeheartedly. It is a move in the right direction. The problem is that if this House does not have some…02 Jul 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, it may be worth thinking about where this power for the Prime Minister to appoint Lords came from—I am thinking of the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Butler. It…02 Jul 2025HANSARDInvestigatory Powers (Communications Data) (Relevant Public Authorities and Designated Senior Officers) Regulations 2025In case it may help, I was involved in the original RIPA 2000 and discussions about this. I remember the whole thing about ambulances. The reason it was thought of then was…01 Jul 2025HANSARDAI and Creative Technologies (Communications and Digital Committee Report)My Lords, paragraph 154 made me think about what on earth I could usefully add to this comprehensive and very pertinent report. We were consistently reminded that the creative…13 Jun 2025HANSARDWildfiresMy Lords, I often walk in the hills—I love them—and the heather, so I have frequently thought about this. In the old days, you would normally find firebreaks burned into them. The…12 Jun 2025HANSARDData (Use and Access) Bill [HL]My Lords, there is another little problem, pointed out to me by a senior member of a publishing company, World Wide Publishing. It has a lot of research material and things for…11 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillVery briefly, because we are talking about the time periods here, you have to be very careful because accrued holiday goes into that, and if you do not give people notice before…21 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillI would like to take the noble Lord up on this, because I have had experience with this. When an employee has been behaving very difficultly and sometimes they want to go anyway,…21 May 2025HANSARDClimate Change: Wildfire Strategy and Action PlanWould the Minister look at the policy on moorland and the selective burning of firebreaks? Some of the policies, which do not allow any burning at all, mean that, if it does…08 May 2025HANSARDRenters’ Rights BillMy Lords, I will say a few words, particularly in response to the comments of my noble friend Lord Cromwell about loading costs on to the landlords. The problem is that, if you…06 May 2025HANSARDRenters’ Rights BillThe Minister said, significantly, that the Government are going to connect 99% of premises. That is not enough, looking forwards, because a lot of people sometimes move around,…06 May 2025