Lords
Proceedings
7 September 2026
9 contributions
Public/Private Partnerships
My Lords, the 10-year infrastructure strategy sets out our approach to private finance and infrastructure through a range of approaches. Public/private partnerships are one model, and the strategy sets out the circumstances in which these are considered. The 2025 Budget considered that public/privat…
We committed to getting Britain investing again to support our wider economy. In April, we launched targeted support with a new regulatory regime to improve access to financial guidance, moved the long-term asset fund into the stocks and shares ISA and welcomed the industry-led Invest for the Future…
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
4 September 2026
Preparing for an Ageing Society (Economic Affairs Committee Report)
My Lords, before we start, I want to make a short statement. As set out on Today’s Lists, speeches in all three debates should be limited to three minutes, with the exception of those of the movers, winders and Ministers. I know from experience that if everyone goes over by just a few seconds, those…
Lords
Proceedings
3 September 2026
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, before we consider the next Motion, I remind Members that, as set out in today’s list, speeches in the debate should be limited to three minutes, with the exception of those of the mover and the Minister. I am sure I speak on behalf of Members across the House when I say that I would be gr…
Lords
Debate
23 July 2026
7 contributions
Electricity Bills: VAT Removal
My Lords, before I respond to the noble Lord’s Question, I just put on record my appreciation for the work that my noble friend Lord Livermore has done for both the Government and the Treasury in this House. I know that he will be missed at the Dispatch Box. I am sure that noble Lords also want to t…
The priority of this Government is the cost of living. We want to bring the cost of living down to give people breathing space over the coming years. The OBR stated that we were due to spend £1.8 billion over the next three years on digital ID, funded from within existing settlements through reprior…
+5 more contributions in this session
Lords
Statutory Instrument
22 July 2026
National Savings (Remediation Scheme) Regulations 2026
My Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses for their comments on what is a very important issue. To put it in some context, in March, the Minister for Pensions announced that National Savings & Investments had identified serious failings in its bereavement claims process, affecting thousands of esta…
Lords
Proceedings
9 July 2026
Foreign Interference in UK Politics
My Lords, before we move on to Back-Bench questions, I remind the House that the next 20 minutes are reserved for questions from Back-Benchers only. I know that the whole House would appreciate these rules being adhered to in order to ensure that as many noble Lords as possible get a suitable opport…
Lords
Proceedings
8 July 2026
Arrangement of Business
As usual, I want to make a couple of remarks, as I have done over the last five sessions. I remind noble Lords that they should declare any relevant financial interest the first time they speak at each stage of the Bill. This means that, in Committee, relevant financial interests should be declared …
Lords
Proceedings
6 July 2026
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, I want to highlight a few key areas before we begin. On general rules, I remind noble Lords that they should declare any relevant financial interests the first time they speak at each stage of a Bill. This means that, in Committee, relevant financial interests should be declared during the…
Lords
Committee Stage
1 July 2026
Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL]
My Lords, I want to address a few key areas before we begin. First, we are starting today with the debate on an adjourned group. Only those noble Lords present earlier in the week at the start of the group should contribute. We have a list to help manage that. I am expecting, based on the adjourned …
Lords
Proceedings
29 June 2026
Arrangement of Business
Before we start to debate the first group, I remind the Committee of the rules on declaring interests. Noble Lords should declare any relevant financial interest the first time they speak at each stage of a Bill. This means that, in Committee, a relevant financial interest should be declared during …
Lords
Proceedings
23 June 2026
G7 Summit
Before we move on to Back-Bench questions, let me respectfully say that they are Back-Bench questions, so we want questions and not statements. Bearing that in mind, I would ask the Conservatives to go first.
Lords
Committee Stage
22 June 2026
Financial Services and Markets Bill [HL]
My Lords, before we start the debate on the first group, I remind the Committee of the rules on declaring interests. Noble Lords should declare any relevant financial interest the first time they speak at each stage of a Bill. This means that, in Committee, relevant financial interests should be dec…
Lords
Proceedings
18 June 2026
9 contributions
Face-to-face Banking Services
The Government are committed to ensuring that people who need face-to-face banking can continue to access essential services. Therefore, the Government have commissioned an independent review into access to banking services to assess whether the change in branches is causing detriment, and to whom. …
I thank the noble Lord for that question. We must take into consideration that 93% of adults now use online banking, but the Government still take access to face-to-face banking seriously. We have set a target of 350 banking hubs across the country through this Parliament, and 239 are already operat…
+7 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
16 June 2026
Social Media Ban for Under-16s
These should be short interjections with questions, not statements, if the noble Lord does not mind.
Lords
Committee Stage
15 June 2026
3 contributions
Contracts for Difference (Definition of Eligible Generator) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
My Lords, these regulations were laid before the House on 14 May 2026. This instrument seeks to make changes to the eligibility criteria for the contracts for difference scheme, which is the Government’s main tool for incentivising low-carbon capacity in the electricity system.
Investing in the fut…
My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their comments and questions. It has been useful to hear what they have to say, and I am pleased that all sides agree with what we intend to do with this SI.
Two things come to mind: the first is that this is just an enabling power—it does not mean that it is going…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
15 June 2026
4 contributions
Pollution Prevention and Control (Fees) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026
My Lords, the Pollution Prevention and Control (Fees) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 were laid before the House on 14 May. Before outlining the provisions made by this draft instrument, I will briefly provide some context.
The DESNZ Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Deco…
My Lords, I thank noble Lords and the noble Baroness for their questions on this. I will confront head-on the issue that is tangential to this whole debate, which the noble Lord managed to make a substantive point of in his speech. Obviously, I have known Tony Blair for a long time, longer than most…
+2 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
1 June 2026
Middle East: Economic Response
Before we move on to Back-Bench questions, I have been asked to remind noble Lords that the next 20 minutes are only for Back-Bench questions and not for Front Benches.
Lords
Proceedings
20 May 2026
King’s Speech
My Lords, before we move on, I remind noble Lords on all sides that there is an advisory limit of five minutes for speeches. If we could stay within that, that would be great, because obviously we want to finish at a reasonable time this evening, and we have to show other noble Lords who are speakin…
Lords
Proceedings
19 May 2026
King’s Speech
My Lords, before we move on to the Back Benches, we have over 70 speakers taking part in the debate, including four maiden speakers, and I know that noble Lords are looking forward to well-informed and concise speeches. I encourage noble Lords to stick to the four-minute advisory time limit, so that…
Lords
Committee Stage
18 May 2026
2 contributions
Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2026
I beg to move that the Committee considers this package of changes to the money laundering regulations. They are aimed at improving the effectiveness of the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime.
The money laundering regulations sit at the heart of the UK’s preventive, r…
My Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses for their questions. They were many in number so we will scour Hansard and, if there are any that I do not answer, we will of course respond with letters.
I turn first to the points made by the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett; I hope to cover them all, though not…
Lords
Proceedings
18 May 2026
King’s Speech
Can the noble Baroness bring her remarks to an end? It has been five minutes, and the time limit is four.
Lords
Debate
24 April 2026
2 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
The 12 minutes include the interruptions I have suffered.
I pay tribute to all those who have written to encourage us as we fulfil our duties as legislators in your Lordships’ House in scrutinising this flawed and very dangerous Bill.
My Lords, it is an absolute privilege to follow the very moving and focused speech of the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Prentis. Perhaps the one good thing about the last year that has been a real revelation, and something that I respect enormously, is the number of people who have shared their e…
Lords
Debate
23 April 2026
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I will refer first to the amendments on rural affairs and the areas of competence. The issue here is not the areas of competence; the lack of an area of competence for rural affairs will not impede strategic authorities or disadvantage those who live and work in rural areas. The Bill is no…