Contributions
25 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTributes: Lord LamingMy Lords, it is with great sadness that the Lords spiritual join all noble Lords in marking the passing of Lord Laming, a great friend to so many of my colleagues, a man whose…22 Jul 2026HANSARDPerforming Artists and Musicians: Access to the EUMy Lords—22 Jul 2026HANSARDPerforming Artists and Musicians: Access to the EUMy Lords, income from overseas tours often helps cathedrals sustain music programmes, scholarships and outreach work in rural and disadvantaged communities. Have the Government…22 Jul 2026HANSARDFarming and Food Production: Land Use FrameworkMy Lords, if the vision of the land use framework is realised, 9% of utilised farmland will be removed from food production for nature restoration. We will therefore be asking…21 Jul 2026HANSARDEU Technological Sovereignty PackageMy Lords, technological sovereignty is not simply about developing domestic capabilities but about the values that guide their development. What steps are His Majesty’s Government…20 Jul 2026HANSARDSocial Housing Bill [HL]My Lords, I support Amendment 89 and acknowledge the remarkable contribution made by the noble Lord, Lord Bird, to tackling homelessness over many years. That challenge is…20 Jul 2026HANSARDAI Regulation BillI too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, on securing this debate. Given the pace of AI development, it could not be more timely. As Pope Leo said in his recent encyclical:…04 Jun 2026HANSARDYoung People and WorkMy Lords, I want to ask the Minister about the issue of AI in this context. I speak with some personal experience, in that my son’s partner has recently been made redundant as the…04 Jun 2026HANSARDPension Schemes BillMy Lords, I speak in favour of Amendment 55, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes. There is a questionable theory of change in the Bill—that bigger pension schemes are…19 Mar 2026HANSARDAnimal Welfare Strategy: Rural CommunitiesMy Lords, we would all like to see the minimising of pain and distress to animals prior to slaughter, yet currently a substantial number of animals are slaughtered without prior…12 Feb 2026HANSARDTerminally Ill Adults (End of Life) BillI thank the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, for raising a very important issue in this amendment. However, I am concerned that, as it stands, as the noble Baroness said, this…30 Jan 2026HANSARDSuperintelligent AIMy Lords, it is appropriate that this debate happens the day after the Church celebrated the life and work of the great divine Thomas Aquinas, one of the founding intellectual…29 Jan 2026HANSARDGrass-roots Music VenuesMy Lords, I thank the Minister for his answers. Across the country, churches provide the largest network of performance spaces available to professional and amateur groups for…26 Jan 2026HANSARDPublic Services: Online CommunicationsMy Lords, the passion displayed in this House for digital inclusion is extraordinarily commendable, but these difficulties are compounded in rural areas by very poor connectivity.…02 Dec 2025HANSARDSmall FarmsTo ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that agricultural policies improve the profitability and long-term viability of small farming enterprises.01 Dec 2025HANSARDSmall FarmsI thank the Minister for his Answer. Farming is a long-term business, and long-term strategic planning is necessary for profitability. Yet we have seen over the course of the past…01 Dec 2025HANSARDAsylum PolicyMy Lords, I declare an interest as a participant in the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Three and a half years on, we have a delightful Ukrainian family still living in our house. In…20 Nov 2025HANSARDHydrogen and Fuel Cell IndustryMy Lords, we accept that the use of hydrogen is to help us to reduce our carbon footprint but recognise that there are a variety of different ways by which that hydrogen can be…19 Nov 2025HANSARDBudget: Press BriefingsMy Lords, over the last few months not only have the bond markets been affected by this speculation, but people have made life-changing financial decisions, in part fuelled by…18 Nov 2025HANSARDFarming and Rural CommunitiesMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, for introducing this important debate. I speak as the Bishop of the most rural diocese in the Church of England.…03 Apr 2025