Lord Bellingham

91 parliamentary sessions on record in this archive

91 sessions page 4 of 4
Lords Oral Questions 16 July 2025
Diplomatic Missions: Unpaid Charges
I detect some co-ordination across the House this afternoon. We consider these to be debts, and we would like them to be paid. Like TfL and the Mayor of London, we continue to use our diplomatic best efforts to bring that about.
Lords Oral Questions 10 July 2025
Falkland Islands: Fisheries Exports Tariffs
I wish the noble Lord had had that conversation with the previous Government, but he is right. I have been to the Falkland Islands—I went in 2018—and it is an incredibly important part of the British family in terms of its sovereignty. As regards what happens next, a key point in our conversations w…
Lords Oral Questions 3 July 2025 2 contributions
Music Festivals: Hate Speech
My Lords, the Prime Minister has been very clear that there is no excuse for hate speech. Performers making threats or inciting violence should not be given a platform at any event. The Culture Secretary has confirmed that she will be having conversations with the BBC and festival organisers to ensu…
First, let me just say to the noble Lord that my right honourable friend the Culture Secretary is in urgent conversation with the BBC and has requested urgent clarification on what action was taken and why it was not taken in the way in which the noble Lord has mentioned. If he will allow me, I will…
Lords Proceedings 30 June 2025
UK-Mauritius Agreement on the Chagos Archipelago
My Lords, I am delighted to have listened to the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Prentis, give an absolutely wonderful oration and to demonstrate how the one-in, one-out principle might usefully be applied on Wednesday. A deal is not a deal until it is done. Regardless of what happened before July…
Lords Debate 19 June 2025
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, I was not originally planning to trouble this chorus, so I will be very brief. It is a pleasure to follow my noble friend Lord Moynihan. I absolutely endorse and support his Amendment 185A, which he spoke to just now in very cogent and powerful terms. If we can ensure that there is more sp…
Lords Debate 17 June 2025 2 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, I open this important group of amendments on regional care co-operatives with my Amendment 107D. We will hear later about the stresses and pressures on local authorities in relation to the cost of children’s homes. The establishment of regional care co-operatives was a key recommendation …
My Lords, I am very grateful to the Minister for the extremely comprehensive response that she has given the Committee; it lasted a while but she covered a lot of ground on a lot of amendments. I certainly agree with what she had to say about the wider strategy of trying to fix the current placemen…
Lords Debate 12 June 2025 2 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, my Amendment 83 seeks to address what is currently a series of gaps in the information that we have about the effectiveness of the virtual school head role. Clause 6 extends the statutory duties of the VSH role to children with a social worker and children in kinship care. The question is …
I am very grateful for the comprehensive and courteous way that the Minister has responded to the amendments. Can she comment on the need, as I see it, for some sort of report back to Parliament?
Lords Proceedings 10 June 2025
Winter Fuel Payment
My Lords, following on from the question asked by the right reverend Prelate, I hope that the Minister is aware that roughly 750,000 pensioners on pension credit and therefore eligible for the winter fuel allowance applied for it last winter but have not yet had it. Will he look at this problem?
Lords Oral Questions 4 June 2025
Alaa Abd el-Fattah
I reassure the noble Lord that we have asked for access, which the Egyptian authorities have so far refused, but we have been in constant touch with his lawyer. The noble Lord is right about some of the conditions, but we are absolutely determined to ensure that he remains safe. We have made that ca…
Lords Oral Questions 3 June 2025
Farmers: Competitiveness
As I mentioned in response to the noble Baroness, it is important that when we reform our SFI we look at how we can support upland farmers more. It is also about getting the right balance between levels of grazing and environmental support. I will give a quick shout-out for Cumbrian sheep. Herdwick …
Lords Debate 22 May 2025
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, I was not going to speak in this group, but I want to add my support to my fellow Norfolk Peer and noble friend Lord Agnew and ask the Minister a question. We have talked about local authority resources and the pressure that local authorities are under. Norfolk County Council is the strate…
Lords Oral Questions 20 May 2025
Sudan: Ceasefire Talks
Our engagement with international partners continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict. We seek to do that in terms of the influence they may have to bring the two parties to the negotiating table. Individuals and entities breaching the UN arms embargo …
Lords Proceedings 13 May 2025
Protection of Prison Staff
My Lords, one of the main causes of violence in prisons is the ready availability of illegal drugs. The Minister’s boss, the Secretary of State, stated the other day that it was her intention to try to rid our prisons of drugs by the end of this Parliament. Is that a realistic pledge?
Lords Oral Questions 13 May 2025
Uncollected Financial Penalties
What the Government will do is write to the noble Lord. After much time in this House, I know that this issue comes up very regularly. If there was a simple answer to that question, I am sure it would have been found. Nevertheless, it is a real issue. It undermines confidence in the parking fines sy…
Lords Oral Questions 8 May 2025
EU-UK Summit: Visa Waiver Agreement
I am given some challenges at the Dispatch Box, but I have to say that that is a particular one. The point that I am trying to get across is that the discussions, particularly at the summit, have to consider the broadest range of issues that are facing us through the reset and setting up strategic p…
Lords Proceedings 6 May 2025
Energy Grid Resilience
My Lords, further to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, about solar panels on the roofs of new houses, will the Minister also look at prioritising solar panels on the roofs of shops, supermarkets and warehouses? Quite often one goes on to an industrial estate and sees a lot of flat roo…

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