Lords
Proceedings
23 June 2026
G7 Summit
As the Government have decommissioned the last minesweeper and the last frigate we had in the Gulf, what assistance can we practically offer in the very important task of clearing the mines and safeguarding shipping, assuming the ceasefire holds?
Lords
Statutory Instrument
23 June 2026
Carbon Budget Order 2026
My Lords, as a Member of Parliament, I was unable to vote for the original climate change legislation. It seemed to be totally unrealistic, it was likely to be extremely expensive, and I thought it would be self-defeating. It was quite obvious that a large number of important economies around the wo…
Lords
Proceedings
22 June 2026
HS2 Ltd: Consultants
When will we have a realistic timetable and budget to complete the works on this much-delayed railway line?
Lords
Proceedings
18 June 2026
Steel Tariffs
This is a very large increase in costs for steel processors, so what is the Government’s estimate of the job losses and business losses that are sure to follow such a comprehensive, large increase in a major cost to these businesses?
Lords
Proceedings
17 June 2026
2 contributions
Thames Water
My Lords, do the Government agree that Thames Water needs to put in a lot of new, larger waste pipes and an extra reservoir to cater for the extra population that we have experienced in the area? What is the Minister’s rough estimate of how much capital this new investment will take?
Pursuant to the Minister’s kind reply to me, I welcome the Government’s wish to have more reservoirs. She might like to ask about the Abingdon reservoir plan for the Thames area, which has long been around. It was much needed when I was MP for my local area and is even more so now.
Lords
Proceedings
16 June 2026
Russian Shadow Fleet
To deter these ships, surely it is important that the Government tell them what would happen to their cargo and what would happen to their vessel if they persist.
Lords
Proceedings
15 June 2026
Immigration: Eurodac and SIS II
Should not every migrant arriving by illegal boat be asked who they paid, who told them about the service, and who was driving the boat? If they do not co-operate, should not the authorities look at their bank records and their phone records?
Lords
Proceedings
10 June 2026
New Towns: Laying the Foundations (Built Environment Committee Report)
My Lords, in 2004 the Labour Government were struggling with a shortage of homes and rising housing costs, so I offered some published advice on how, for example, they could initiate the construction of a new garden city by the Thames. I provisionally called it Thames Reach—it was in the Ebbsfleet a…
Lords
Proceedings
9 June 2026
Further Education Colleges: Recovery of VAT
Why do the Government so often favour a model that takes a lot of tax off institutions, people and companies and then has to give some back by way of grant to help pay for it? Is that not just a double handling charge that we do not need?
Lords
Proceedings
9 June 2026
Water Companies
We do need more capacity for reservoirs and water storage. Where have the Government and the regulator got to in granting the permits so that work can get under way to make that much-needed provision?
Lords
Proceedings
8 June 2026
Royal Mail
Is not the financial performance of Royal Mail so much better than that of the nationalised Post Office, with Royal Mail requiring no subsidy from taxpayers and the Post Office sending colossal bills for big losses and for damaging treatment of staff who require compensation?
Lords
Proceedings
2 June 2026
Steel Import Restrictions
How many job losses will there be in the steel-using industries in the United Kingdom as a result of the new higher tariffs?
Lords
Proceedings
20 May 2026
Supermarkets: Voluntary Price Caps
Will the Minister congratulate the supermarkets on being competitive, with good prices, despite all the costs the Government are imposing on them? Does he agree that their net profit margins are very low, showing that the problem of rising food prices rests elsewhere?
Lords
Proceedings
19 May 2026
Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address
Why has there has such a long delay in the publication of basic materials, such as Lord Mandelson’s application and his declaration of interests, which are of great interest to everyone but surely cannot pose any difficulties?
Lords
Proceedings
28 April 2026
2 contributions
Middle East: Economic Update
In Washington, the Chancellor pledged to avoid unnecessary trade restrictions. Can we look forward to the Government cancelling the bad idea of introducing a large carbon border tax or tariff, which would be a penalty on British consumers and a further boost to costs, making British industry less co…
Tariff free!
Lords
Oral Questions
28 April 2026
National Emergency Plan for Fuel
I do not quite recognise the noble Lord’s description that the four refineries in this country are at risk. Those are very large and stable refineries. As he knows, they continue to refine the forms of crude coming into the UK into petrol and other fuel products. Those refineries are set up to provi…
Lords
Statutory Instrument
27 April 2026
Agriculture (Delinked Payments) (Reductions) (England) Regulations 2026
My Lords, as somebody who lives in Devon, I look forward to a long period of the cream teas of the noble Earl, Lord Devon, for which he will regrettably have more time to produce as a result of the delinking of the hereditary peerage and the legislative process of this country.
I listened carefully…
Lords
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
Steel Sector
The Government remain in positive and constructive conversations with Jingye. I know that the noble Lord would not expect me to comment on the specifics of that deal. All I can say is that we are hoping for a positive outcome. The real importance for us is ensuring that we have a steel industry that…
Lords
Statutory Instrument
21 April 2026
Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 (Amendment) Order 2026
My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing this order. As she has set out, it is a sensible and largely technical measure that would bring the law on ministerial and officeholder salaries in line with the current practice of excluding Permanent Secretary salaries from the calculation of annual s…
Lords
Oral Questions
21 April 2026
Electricity: Domestic Pricing
Imposing an extra windfall tax, on those elements of the system that are within the renewables orbit but outside the CfD arrangements, takes away the excess profits that those elements make as a result of being aligned with gas in charging those volatile prices. So it is a very sensible thing to do,…
Lords
Oral Questions
20 April 2026
Trains: Punctuality
The noble Lord needs to get up to speed with the history of HS2, because it has been comprehensively mismanaged by every Government who have had anything to do with it, and by the board and, sadly, by the management of the company that is building it. This Government have faced the most enormous tas…
Lords
Debate
14 April 2026
Ministerial Salaries (Amendment) Bill
My Lords, I am delighted to add my support to this Bill. As with all new arrivals, I have had to learn a great deal from scratch about the workings of this House—right from the first day, when, on the occasion of my introduction, I very nearly forgot to shake the Lord Speaker’s hand on my way out of…