Lords
Proceedings
3 June 2026
Cabinet Manual: Guidelines for Government Formation
My Lords, over the past 27 years, the Parliaments of Scotland and Wales have functioned well after elections in which no party has had a single majority, but in similar circumstances at Westminster, there could be absolute chaos in terms of deciding who is invited to Buckingham Palace and when. Shou…
Lords
Proceedings
1 June 2026
Donations to Political Parties
My Lords, immediately prior to the last general election, the then government party decided to increase the maximum expenditure by political parties standing in every seat in Great Britain by 80%, increasing the amount of money that could be spent from around £20 million to £36 million. It did not d…
Lords
Proceedings
18 May 2026
King’s Speech
My Lords, I am mindful of the irony of raising issues of democracy in what is now an entirely appointed Chamber. My expectation when I entered the House in 1999 was that there would soon be elections to this place, and I never thought that it would take 29 years just to complete the removal of the r…
Lords
Proceedings
18 May 2026
King’s Speech
My Lords, I am mindful of the irony of raising issues of democracy in what is now an entirely appointed Chamber. My expectation when I entered the House in 1999 was that there would soon be elections to this place, and I never thought that it would take 29 years just to complete the removal of the r…
Lords
Debate
3 March 2026
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Lansley, who deserves much personal credit for his work on these issues. The noble Lord, Lord Forbes of Newcastle, and I are on the same side on these issues. I will speak in support of Amendment 202, because it would be a good thing to requi…
Lords
Debate
24 February 2026
4 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I oppose Amendment 1 and the associated amendments tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Murray of Blidworth, because I believe wholeheartedly that a country free from the harms of tobacco would transform the public health of this nation and prevent huge amounts of human suffering. We heard from …
My Lords, with respect, I am not part of any extreme fringe, and the views I have enunciated are shared almost entirely by the medical profession in this country. For decades, the tobacco companies had evidence that tobacco was linked to lung cancer, yet they kept denying until it was proven by show…
+2 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
4 February 2026
2 contributions
Think Tanks: Funding
My Lords, it is for each individual think tank to publicise and declare their sources of funding. Think tanks with charitable status must follow Charity Commission guidance, ensuring political activity remains subsidiary and exclusively furthers their charitable purposes. The Government are committe…
I thank the noble Lord for his work in this space to make sure that we have faith and trust in the many democratic institutions that are part of the wider ecosystem. On the substance of his question, electoral law already covers think tanks that donate or spend during regulated election periods. Our…
Lords
Oral Questions
4 February 2026
2 contributions
NHS: Corridor Care
Oh!
I agree with the need for more adult social care, but there is a whole range of factors that affect discharge delays, including the number of people who present. What the noble Lord outlined was not right and not the way in which his mother-in-law should have been dealt with. I know he would not exp…
Lords
Proceedings
21 January 2026
Local Elections: Cancellation
My Lords, there has been all-party consensus on the postponement of elections in the past—for example, in World War II, for foot and mouth disease, and for Covid—but there was no such all-party agreement in this case, and no such extenuating circumstances can be justified. But, if there were, would …
Lords
Oral Questions
12 January 2026
Defending Democracy Taskforce
The noble Lord will know that there is a judicial process ongoing about the application for the new embassy for the Chinese authority. As part of that ongoing discussion, the Home Office and security services have been consulted. There will be an outcome, but that outcome has not yet been made, and …
Lords
Oral Questions
8 January 2026
Vaccine Health Technology Assessment
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Ritchie of Downpatrick, for securing this timely and important debate and for the eloquent way in which she laid out her argument. We saw the value of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic. Millions of people rolled up their sleeves, with the impact not jus…
Lords
Oral Questions
11 December 2025
Wheelchair and Community Equipment Strategy
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, for introducing this debate, which is of great importance. I am the main carer for my wife, who is severely disabled, and I have calculated that we probably need at least nine pieces of equipment to lead any kind of reasonable life. She has a hospital bed…
Lords
Oral Questions
24 November 2025
NHS: Wheelchair Services
The points that the noble Lord has raised are crucial—not least that, as I alluded to earlier, one type of wheelchair does not suit everybody. That is why I am keen to see the results of the Wheelchair Quality Framework , which, as I mentioned to my noble friend, was published in April. That sets ou…
Lords
Oral Questions
18 November 2025
Election Law
I am sure that the noble Lord’s party, along with all other political parties, will be invited to comment on the elections Bill when it is in draft, and I am sure they will do so.
Lords
Oral Questions
13 November 2025
Hillsborough Law
My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for their valuable contributions. It would be wrong not to pay particular thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for his advocacy concerning the Hillsborough families and for public accountability more widely.
The Government’s Public Office (Accountability) Bill, wi…
Lords
Committee Stage
3 November 2025
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, Amendments 141 and 143 would require the Government to consult on introducing health warnings on each individual cigarette by printing them on the cigarette papers. These amendments are necessary because the Government have not yet committed to consulting about these warnings, let alone in…
Lords
Debate
24 October 2025
Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill
I thank the noble Lord, Lord Rennard; he is right to flag up that more work is to be done on elections. That is why, in response to the noble Lord, Lord Jamieson, I referred to the forthcoming elections Bill. I am sure that noble Lords in this House, where there is indeed a great deal of expertise i…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 October 2025
Fracture Liaison Services
My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Black and other noble Lords for their valuable contributions, which appear unanimous. This is clearly an important issue, which speaks to one of the fundamental objectives of any Government, regardless of political persuasion, when it comes to health—namely tha…
Lords
Oral Questions
9 September 2025
Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination Programme
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Ritchie of Downpatrick, for securing this debate today on RSV, particularly on vaccines for children. I pay tribute to her for continuously raising awareness of RSV. As she reminded me, when I was a Minister she raised it a number of times and continues to …
Lords
Debate
5 September 2025
Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill
My Lords, I thank all Members of both Houses for their hard work in progressing this Bill. The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and it is essential that we take the necessary steps to ensure that voting is as accessible as possible for all constituents. I am sure that your Lordship…
Lords
Oral Questions
3 September 2025
Prostate Cancer
I thank my noble friend Lord Mott for securing this important debate and for sharing some of those startling statistics. I also thank other noble Lords who contributed today and shared their personal experience. Time constraints and a Paddington Bear stare from the noble Baroness, Lady Anderson, pre…
Lords
Oral Questions
24 July 2025
2 contributions
Voting at 16
My Lords, the Government will introduce legislation as soon as time allows during this Parliament to give 16 and 17 year-olds the right to vote in all elections. We recognise that too many young people are not currently registered to vote. We are committed to improving voter registration and support…
My Lords, let me first say that the Government were elected on a clear mandate, which included lowering the voting age to 16 for all elections in the UK. This is a major change in the electoral franchise and we need to get it right. Changes of this magnitude to the electoral law require careful plan…
Lords
Oral Questions
24 July 2025
“Hillsborough Law”
I take the point that the noble Lord makes, and we will see what the recommendations are. As I have said in answer to earlier questions, it is foreseen that, under the duty of candour, the professionals involved could be subject to criminal and professional consequences with the full might of the la…
Lords
Oral Questions
21 July 2025
Weight Loss Medication
I completely concur with the noble Lord’s last comments. Issues around weight and food choices are exceptionally complex, but the impact on emotional health is enormous. We have to work with the systems and the life sciences sector to make sure that we do proper longitudinal studies that can help NI…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 July 2025
Specialty Medical Training
My Lords, first, I should declare my interests. We are not allowed any more just to say, “I refer my interests as in the register”. Very quickly, I am a professor of politics at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, and I am helping that university set up its medical school at the moment. It wants to ta…