Lords
Proceedings
9 September 2026
2 contributions
National Infrastructure Projects: Devolution
My Lords, there is hard evidence—we have just had a Conservative speaker.
Thank you. As I was saying, we know that infrastructure development in this country is more expensive than in many other developed countries and takes longer, mainly due to our planning system and the way that regulators in this country are risk-averse and often work in silos. Can my noble friend ex…
Lords
Proceedings
7 September 2026
Jackdaw and Rosebank Oil and Gas Fields
My Lords, I wonder whether my noble friend would confirm that under the Conservatives, production in the North Sea reduced by half between 2010 and 2024—which is no surprise because it is a super-mature basin—and that giving consent to these two oilfields, which I know my noble friend cannot comment…
Lords
Proceedings
7 September 2026
Public/Private Partnerships
My Lords, does my noble friend accept that where some PFI projects went wrong it was usually because the people negotiating the contract at the local level on behalf of the public sector did not have the expertise to do so effectively? However, as a result of public/private partnerships between 1997…
Lords
Proceedings
3 September 2026
Government Political Priorities and Legislative Agenda
My Lords, I want to start this debate by paying tribute to Sir Keir Starmer for his immense services to the country. He took Labour to a landslide general election victory. He inherited a country reeling from 14 years of Conservative rule resulting in a weak economy, failing public services and shoc…
Lords
Proceedings
21 July 2026
Farming and Food Production: Land Use Framework
My Lords, can my noble friend knock this nonsense about solar development on the head, once and for all? Is it not a fact that, if you were to take all the schemes that have been proposed to develop solar energy on agricultural land, it would amount to a very small percentage of agricultural land?
Lords
Proceedings
21 July 2026
2 contributions
Department for Science, Information and Technology: Abolition
My Lords—
My Lords, is not the point here that this country is brilliant at innovation, thanks to our wonderful science base, but that we are hopeless at adoption and taking advantage of it? So many British inventions are being developed with investment overseas. Surely putting science and technology within t…
Lords
Proceedings
20 July 2026
People with Learning Disabilities: Acute Illness
My Lords, the tragedy is that Lord Rix many years ago pointed out the same problems and no progress has been made. My noble friend is putting faith in ICBs, but she knows that their resources will be reduced in terms of headcount. Going back to the question by the noble Lord, Lord Harper, does she n…
Lords
Proceedings
20 July 2026
National Energy System Operator: Blackout Risk
My Lords, first, in welcoming my noble friend’s response, can he confirm that there was no loss of supply to customers on the occasion of the incidents referred to? Secondly, in response to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, in which he attacked the Government’s investment in wind and …
Lords
Proceedings
16 July 2026
Key Stage 2 Exam Results
My Lords, I welcome the review. The Minister will know that the SATs exams at the end of year 6 are very important in the life of children and their parents. With results coming nine days late, some schools have already broken up, having broken up last week, and most schools break up tomorrow, so sc…
Lords
Proceedings
13 July 2026
Climate Change: Housing Insurability, Mortgage Lending and Financial Resilience
My Lords, on the issue of financial resilience and climate change, has my noble friend seen the CBI report that came out a few weeks ago, showing that the net-zero economy is now worth over £100 billion and is promoting growth in all parts of the UK? Having said that, what does he make of the leader…
Lords
Proceedings
1 July 2026
IVF Treatment
My Lords, with the abolition of NHS England, ICBs will be given many more responsibilities in the future. However, does the Minister agree that their record on IVF, where they are not following the clear, specific guidance that they have been given, does not induce confidence in ICBs’ performance? I…
Lords
Proceedings
30 June 2026
Civil Service Pension Scheme
My Lords, following on from the question from the noble Lord, Lord Spellar, is it not a fact that government has become vulnerable because so many services have been outsourced and there are very few companies that can win contracts? Therefore, there is not much option but to use Capita. Do we not h…
Lords
Proceedings
29 June 2026
Nottingham Maternity and Neonatal Services
My Lords, to continue this theme, the report describes a bullying and toxic culture, with junior midwives not being sufficiently supported when dealing with complex cases. It was a culture that did not allow them to refer such cases up the chain. There was a constant turnover in senior midwifery lea…
Lords
Statutory Instrument
23 June 2026
Carbon Budget Order 2026
My Lords, this has been a very interesting debate so far. I thank my noble friend for his very detailed explanation of the order before us. I am not sure that we are spending much time on the detail of the order, as he requested, and we are clearly turning this into a debate about net zero and clima…
Lords
Proceedings
8 June 2026
UK Defence Capability
My Lords, on this issue of reprioritisation, given the fiscal restraints we are operating in, it is pretty clear that some resources will have to be found from other expenditures in government. Does he think the Government are doing enough to get across to the public why this is so important at the …
Lords
Proceedings
3 June 2026
Cabinet Manual: Guidelines for Government Formation
My Lords, does my noble friend reflect that when the noble Lord talks about chaos, we should go back to the coalition Government, when his party signed up to austerity, which caused such damage to our country? It also agreed to the disastrous NHS reform Bill brought in by Andrew Lansley—the noble Lo…
Lords
Oral Questions
26 March 2026
AI Growth Lab
The specific proposals around the AI growth lab are separate from considerations on the development of superintelligent AI and the risks that poses. We are extremely fortunate in the UK to benefit from the AI Security Institute, which is testing those models and is also able to advise the Government…
Lords
Debate
25 March 2026
2 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
I am addressing the point of impact assessment, which had not been properly debated.
My Lords, this has been an incredibly long time coming. This Bill has endured 15 days in Committee and six days on Report in your Lordships’ House. It has been a mammoth of a task, but throughout the Bill’s passage, I am pleased to say that we have executed our duties in this House as diligently as …
Lords
Oral Questions
24 March 2026
Public Transport: Accessibility
I am delighted that my noble friend raised that. It is one of several stations that have been completed in the West Midlands; all are accessible and all will make travel around the West Midlands easier, which will improve economic growth and access to jobs and homes.
Lords
Oral Questions
23 March 2026
Migraine Care: 10-year Health Plan
As I know my noble friend is well aware, the eligibility criteria are set independently by NICE. They are based on clinical evidence and cost-effectiveness, rather than being set by Ministers. However, it is worth saying that the introduction of oral CGRPs, which do not require specialist initiation…
Lords
Debate
18 March 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
Can I just go back to the point the noble Viscount raised a minute or two ago? He said that such investigations must be undertaken with great sensitivity. He referred to the investigation of rape cases. I put it to him that all experience shows that the police and, indeed, prosecution authorities so…
Lords
Proceedings
18 March 2026
Digital ID: Public Consultation
My Lords, I endorse what my noble friend has said; I hope we all give this a great deal of support. Does he agree with me that it is a great pity that the pilot scheme abolished by the coalition Government in 2010 was not allowed to run? All the indications are that it was very popular with those wh…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 March 2026
UK Public Servants: International Secondments
My noble friend is absolutely right, and it suggests quite how unserious Reform UK is about governing. We have an independent Civil Service for a reason. It acts without fear or favour; it is subject to a stringent code of conduct, and it is there to make sure that our public services are delivered.…
Lords
Proceedings
9 March 2026
Energy Markets
My Lords, can we come back to the North Sea and the Opposition’s obsession with it? Can my noble friend confirm that between 2010 and 2024, production in the North Sea halved? It is a super-mature basin that, even if new licences were to be granted, would have a marginal impact. On the issue of gas …
Lords
Oral Questions
9 March 2026
Crown Estate: Wales
My noble friend is absolutely right that we need to think about energy security. One thing that is coming out of what is happening, tragically, in the Middle East at the moment is that, because oil and gas prices are set internationally, this impacts on every country’s economy. That is why we need t…