Contributions
224 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAuthors, Booksellers and Libraries: Economic RecoveryMy Lords, the proposed procurement Bill is supposed to make procurement more accessible to small businesses by ensuring that the social value of contracts is considered when…10 Jan 2022HANSARDSmall Business Commissioner: Late PaymentsMy Lords, three-quarters of self-employed people suffer from late payments; many of them do not get paid at all and the situation is getting worse. It adversely affects their…07 Dec 2021HANSARDSmall Business Commissioner: Late PaymentsTo ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to extend the powers of the Small Business Commissioner to deal with late payments for small businesses and freelancers by (1)…07 Dec 2021HANSARDBBC: Government SupportMy Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Bragg, on having obtained this debate. I declare an interest, having been a BBC producer for 25 years. I am now a freelance…02 Dec 2021HANSARDQatar: Football World Cup 2022I hear what the Minister has to say about the relationship between this Government and the Qatari Government. Recently, however, two western journalists covering the run-up to the…30 Nov 2021HANSARDPolice, Crime, Sentencing and Courts BillI rise to support Amendments 294 and 298 because I believe that Clauses 55 and 56, which introduce noise triggers for public demonstrations and assemblies, are fundamentally…24 Nov 2021HANSARDOfcom: Appointment of ChairWill the Minister listen to the Conservative chair of the Culture Select Committee in the other place, who demands that the Government make clear in their new advert for the chair…26 Oct 2021HANSARDAssisted Dying Bill [HL]My Lords, I am humbled to follow the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, and to have heard what he had to say about his terrible lifetime of illness. I recognise the efforts that…22 Oct 2021HANSARDGambling Commission: DataI would like to build on the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Browne. Recent research has shown that a quarter of gamblers are 400% more likely to take out payday loans than…20 Oct 2021HANSARDUK Journalism (Communications and Digital Committee Report)I declare an interest as a freelance TV series producer developing content for Netflix and the Smithsonian Channel. I add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, for his able…13 Oct 2021HANSARDEnvironment BillMy Lords, I have added my name to Amendments 8 and 36. It has been four years since “Blue Planet II” seared on our minds the image of the pilot whale mother refusing to let go of…06 Sept 2021HANSARDSpywareI am as appalled as other noble Lords by the revelation about the use of NSO spyware against over 50,000 people across the world. How long have the Government known about the use…21 Jul 2021HANSARDEnvironment BillMy Lords, I have put my name to Amendments 133 and 133A because the DRS is one of the most important parts of this Bill. It will have a seismic effect on consumer behaviour,…05 Jul 2021HANSARDChannel 4: Funding and GovernanceThe digital streaming television world depends heavily on access to archive. At the moment Channel 4 has no archives since terms of trade agreements with content suppliers mean…01 Jul 2021HANSARDEnvironment BillMy Lords, I applaud the Government’s determination to drive down the single use of plastics. Clause 54 and its associated Schedule 9 will do a useful job in reducing plastic…30 Jun 2021HANSARDBBC: Freedom of Information LegislationMinisters have repeatedly said that the BBC’s mid-charter review into the corporation’s governance and regulation will be a transparent process. Can the Minister tell the House…24 Jun 2021HANSARDEnvironment BillMy Lords, this is my first amendment, too, in the Environment Bill, and I also welcome it. I was glad to hear the Minister state on the first day of Committee: “The Government…23 Jun 2021HANSARDEnvironment BillMy Lords, I welcome the Bill’s quest to ensure that our companies use resources sustainably and limit packaging. Equally significantly it encourages us, the consumers, to become…07 Jun 2021HANSARDPublic Service Broadcasting (Communications and Digital Committee Report)My Lords, I declare my interests as in the register. I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Gilbert, for his inspired chairing of the Communications and Digital Committee, of which I am…27 May 2021HANSARDBBC: Dyson ReportI welcome the Government’s review of the BBC’s governance. However, contrary to the noble Lord, Lord Hamilton, I was concerned this morning that the director-general of the BBC…25 May 2021