Lords
Proceedings
20 May 2026
King’s Speech
My Lords, I start by declaring my railway interests, as I will be speaking a lot about the Railways Bill in my remarks this evening. All these interests are unpaid. They include presidency of the Heritage Railway Association and of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group. I am a member of the Railway Heri…
Lords
Oral Questions
13 April 2026
Rail Freight
My noble friend clearly knows a lot about it—probably more than I do—but I was at the launch of the Class 99 locomotives last autumn, which I think are the ones he is referring to. There are 30 being leased and operated through GB Railfreight, and he is right that they will be versatile to run anywh…
Lords
Debate
11 March 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I have added my name to Amendment 384, which is similar to the one tabled by the noble Earl, Lord Attlee, and debated in Committee on 15 January. Police charges for abnormal loads are a cause he very much made his own, as the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson, said, and I am sorry that his retire…
Lords
Oral Questions
4 March 2026
Taiwan
I thank the noble Lord for all his work on Taiwan over many years. I used to share an office with him; it was full of Taiwan memorabilia, so I can attest to his commitment. On a serious point, I entirely endorse his remarks about the work of the office and our people there. Obviously, noble Lords kn…
Lords
Committee Stage
10 February 2026
2 contributions
Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Prescription of Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers) (England) Regulations 2026
My Lords, I am very pleased that the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, has called this debate, which is so important for the arts. He has summarised the arguments extremely well. I am grateful, too, to the noble Lord, Lord Livermore, for his introduction.
I am grateful for the briefings from both the…
My Lords, we had to hit pause, but I shall resist the temptation to hit rewind and repeat what I said. I was echoing the points that have been made: a lot of the problems here are with the way the Valuation Office Agency tries to understand the particular nature of these important businesses. At the…
Lords
Proceedings
10 February 2026
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, if there is a Division in the Chamber while we are sitting, and it is quite likely that there will be, this Committee will adjourn as soon as the Division Bells are rung and resume after 10 minutes.
Lords
Proceedings
19 January 2026
Northern Powerhouse Rail
My Lords, I thank every noble Lord who has spoken in this exchange and warmly welcome the Statement that was made last week in the other place. I congratulate the Minister on getting his head around the facts and being able to explain what is happening with such clarity—for example, to the right rev…
Lords
Debate
15 January 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Earl, Lord Attlee, on tabling these important amendments, on working so hard on this clause over many years and on speaking so persuasively about it tonight. I have added my name to Amendment 413, as has his noble friend, the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson of Whitley B…
Lords
Proceedings
9 December 2025
Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure
My Lords, I thank the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Winchester for bringing these two Measures to your Lordships’ House. I will address the Abuse Redress Measure first.
This is yet another Measure that we have recently discussed in the Ecclesiastical Committee—one of a number of crucial piec…
Lords
Committee Stage
19 November 2025
Football Governance Act 2025 (Specified Competitions) Regulations 2025
My Lords, I first share in the felicitations that my noble friend Lady Evans of Bowes Park and the noble Lord, Lord Addington, sent to the Scottish team on their result last night. I send my best wishes to all the home nations for good results in the next World Cup.
The regulations before the Grand…
Lords
Oral Questions
11 November 2025
3 contributions
Police: Records
It is very important that the police properly retain records, balancing the public interest of archiving with keeping people’s data only for as long as necessary and proportionate. That is why, in 2023, the College of Policing introduced a code of practice and authorised professional practice, which…
Following the recommendations of Bishop James Jones that came out of the Hillsborough inquiry, there was a request for a code of practice on public sector record keeping to be introduced within the police. The code was introduced in 2023, following consultation and the support of the previous Govern…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
11 November 2025
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, we are debating Amendment 102 to Clause 45, and the noble Earl, Lord Howe, was in full flow.
Lords
Debate
5 November 2025
2 contributions
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
My Lords, I cannot call Amendment 47A, as it is an amendment to Amendment 47.
Clause 48: Refugee Convention: particularly serious crime
Amendment 48
My Lords, I just say to noble Lords that it is very hard to hear the speeches from the Front Bench if there is a lot of chattering on my right.
Lords
Debate
28 October 2025
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, very briefly, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hogan-Howe, on making progress, along with the cosignatories of that amendment. I also congratulate the noble Lords, Lord Faulkner and Lord Parkinson, who have realised a lifelong dream of putting children back to work on the railways.
Lords
Debate
21 October 2025
Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill
My Lords, there being an equality of votes, in accordance with Standing Order 55, which provides that no proposal to amend a Bill in the form in which it is before the House shall be agreed to unless there is a majority in favour of such amendment, I declare the amendment disagreed to.
Lords
Debate
21 July 2025
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, for making an excellent speech which I could very easily have made myself—there was nothing in it with which I disagreed. He rightly referred to the fact that he and I tabled an identical amendment in Committee. We have c…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 July 2025
2 contributions
Diplomatic Missions: Unpaid Charges
My Lords, of 31 responses received, some agreed to settle debts, others disputed charges and some refused to pay the London congestion charge, claiming exemption under the Vienna convention. FCDO action since 3 April 2025 has helped reduce national non-domestic rates debt by £287,142, car parking fi…
My noble friend is right, and it is the Government’s position, consistent with that of the previous Government, that these are charges, not taxes, and should be paid.
Lords
Debate
15 July 2025
Football Governance Bill [HL]
My Lords, while I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Goddard, on many aspects of sports policy, I have to say that, in character, I am afraid I disagree with him again on what he opened up with this evening. It would be remiss of this House not to seriously congratulate Chelsea on winning the FIFA Worl…
Lords
Debate
1 July 2025
Renters’ Rights Bill
My Lords, I understand that it has been agreed that a number of amendments are regarded as consequential on Amendment 8.
Amendment 9
Lords
Debate
16 June 2025
Employment Rights Bill
I advise the Committee that if this amendment were agreed to, it would not be possible for me to call Amendment 264A for reason of pre-emption.
Lords
Debate
5 June 2025
2 contributions
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, Amendment 201 is in my name and that of the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay. I thank him for agreeing to put his name to it—I am delighted, and I look forward to his speech.
The amendment’s purpose is to remove what is, in effect, an unintended consequence of a piece of outdated…
My Lords, when the Minister has his meeting with the Members of this House who are interested in this issue, I think he will need to hold it in quite a large room. I am very gratified by the strength and quantity of support that there has been for this amendment and issue from across the Chamber.
I…
Lords
Debate
4 June 2025
4 contributions
Malvern Hills Bill [HL]
My Lords, I should express my gratitude to the Malvern Hills Trust for inviting me to present the Bill on its behalf.
I am sure that none of your Lordships needs me to describe the iconic beauty of the Malvern Hills. I now live in the city of Worcester and for much of my life I have been in Malvern…
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, for his usual expert introduction of the Bill today. The promoters would have been hard pushed to find a more suitable and capable Peer to move the Second Reading.
Assuming that your Lordships give the Bill a Second Reading, I w…
+2 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
2 June 2025
2 contributions
Channel Tunnel: International Rail Strategy
My Lords, we welcome the recent report. This Government support a thriving international rail passenger services market, given the benefits of greater choice, new services and lower fares, as well as the opportunity of serving Ashford, Ebbsfleet and Stratford with international trains. We are also k…
I thank my noble friend. I think I was there when the Deutsche Bahn train was at St Pancras in 2010; sadly, as my noble friend says, that did not materialise. There is currently a real opportunity for more passenger traffic to more destinations, and this Government are determined to seize it. For ex…