Lords
Proceedings
11 June 2026
Sustainable Drainage Systems
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that at the micro level, small areas of open ground such as gardens, and particularly front gardens, are an important part of a natural drainage system, particularly in urban areas? Can she tell the House whether there is any active discouragement coming from loc…
Lords
Proceedings
8 June 2026
School Admissions: Selective Inclusion
My Lords, does my noble friend or her department have any information about the number of teachers currently working in our schools who have themselves at some time in the past needed special educational provision? To what extent are those teachers able to contribute to the way in which we provide f…
Lords
Proceedings
4 June 2026
EU-UK Creative Sector Cultural Exchange Arrangements
My Lords, I hope I am not stepping on anyone’s toes but, to pick up the point that my noble friend Lady MacLeod just made, the focus of this discussion tends to be on touring. In fact, as my noble friend indicated, the lives of many musicians depend on their being able to take up employment in the E…
Lords
Proceedings
3 June 2026
World Cup Ticket Prices
My Lords, while wishing the very best success to all the teams from the UK competing in the World Cup, will my noble friend accept that other forms of entertainment are available over the summer?
Lords
Proceedings
21 May 2026
Youth Offending
My Lords, on a similar subject, what assessment has the department made of the involvement of organisations, particularly arts organisations, that are not specifically involved with the criminal justice system but can help young people at risk of involvement with the criminal justice system? They ha…
Lords
Proceedings
20 May 2026
Disadvantaged Pupils: Music Attainment Gap
My Lords, while welcoming the positive things that my noble friend has said, is she confident that the messaging going to schools is clear about the value of music education and that attention is being drawn to the considerable body of evidence about the benefits of music education and the wider aca…
Lords
Oral Questions
27 April 2026
National Museums and Galleries
I agree that it has been an iconic policy. We are just at the very early stages of exploring this. However, we are clear that we should be looking at ways to increase access for all young people from underrepresented groups from the UK. Unfortunately, the most recent DCMS participation survey demons…
Lords
Debate
15 April 2026
Victims and Courts Bill
My Lords, I now call the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, to make a virtual contribution.
Lords
Debate
26 March 2026
2 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, does the noble Baroness wish to test the opinion of the House on Amendment 84?
My Lords, before we move to the next amendment, I need to tell the House that there has been a slight revision to the voting figures on the last vote, on Amendment 121. The figures as announced were Contents 152; Not-Contents 126. The latter figure has been revised to 128. The outcome is not affecte…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 March 2026
Plan 2 Student Loans: Repayment Terms
I absolutely support my noble friend’s view of the value of a university education; it cannot always be measured in monetary success. But obviously, the outcomes of students going to different institutions is a measure that is looked at—how many of them get into employment, what that employment is a…
Lords
Proceedings
16 March 2026
Conduct Committee
My Lords, under Standing Order 68, no debate is allowed on this Motion. I must therefore now put the Question that this Motion be agreed to.
Lords
Oral Questions
11 March 2026
Iranian State-sponsored Cyber Attacks: Mitigation and Preparation
I thank my noble friend for the question, which is interesting. I have not been made aware that any of those behaviours have yet happened. Anyone who watches the news is aware of quite how volatile and uncertain the world is. You can understand why that is. What I would say, both to members of your …
Lords
Oral Questions
10 March 2026
Special Educational Needs: Dyscalculia
My noble friend touches on a really important issue, that of transition to different stages of education, when too many children and young people are extremely vulnerable. It is a broad area—the whole idea of rolling out restorative practice throughout schools, so that there is a much better underst…
Lords
Debate
23 February 2026
Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill
My Lords, I should advise the House that if this amendment is agreed to, I cannot call Amendment 15 by reason of pre-emption.
Lords
Oral Questions
11 February 2026
Smart Motorways
My noble friend raises an interesting point, but I have to go back to the fact that 793 people were killed or seriously injured on the motorways in 2023, compared with 1,120 on A-roads. Making sure that we consider carefully how we can improve driver safety, whether that means looking at young peopl…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 February 2026
Youth Unemployment
My noble friend raises an interesting point. There seems to be some evidence that young people are doing less of that type of work. This is part of what Alan Milburn will look at in his review, which will consider the causes of the growing numbers of young people who are neither earning nor learning…
Lords
Proceedings
2 February 2026
Arrangement of Business
Good afternoon, my Lords. I remind the Committee that, in the event of a Division in the Chamber, the Committee will adjourn for 10 minutes from the sound of the Division Bell.
Lords
Proceedings
29 January 2026
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, I remind the Committee that, if there is a Division in the Chamber, the Committee will adjourn for 10 minutes from the sound of the Division Bell.
Lords
Committee Stage
22 January 2026
2 contributions
Pension Schemes Bill
My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, who has tabled the lead amendment in the first group, is not currently here. Before I call it, I ask whether any other Member present wishes to move her amendment. I give the Committee a moment to think about that, because if no one wishes …
I thank noble Lords.
Clause 11: Relevant schemes: value for money
Lords
Proceedings
22 January 2026
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, in the admittedly unlikely but none the less possible event of a Division in the Chamber, the Committee will adjourn for 10 minutes from the sound of the Division Bells.
Lords
Oral Questions
8 January 2026
Buses: Safety and Security
My noble friend is absolutely right. The Bus Services Act 2025 mandates training for all bus drivers, to make buses part of the safer streets initiative to deal with violence against women and girls. The department is actively producing guidance for bus operators and local authorities about how that…
Lords
Proceedings
8 January 2026
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, I remind the Committee that, in the admittedly unlikely event that there is a Division in the Chamber, the Committee will adjourn for 10 minutes from the sounding of the Division Bells.
Lords
Oral Questions
18 December 2025
Preschool Children: Digital Technology
My noble friend makes an important point. I note, for example, the Children’s Commissioner’s suggestions and advice this morning that Christmas would be a good time for us as adults to put down our phones and focus on family time and interaction with children in particular, while the NHS website pro…