I thank the Minister for that reply. I hope he has read the adaptation report of the Climate Change Committee, in which it warns very clearly about the effects of increased flood and wildfire risk to the financial sector and the economy more generally. The Minister will remember the effect of the US…
I appreciate that. The Sargasso Sea is extremely important for hundreds of species, so will the Government advocate for the highest level of protection, under which all industrial fishing, in particular, is banned?
My Lords, in moving Amendment 80 I shall also speak to Amendment 103. My name is also on Amendment 140, and I have no doubt that the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, will expertly present that. I also support the other amendments in this group.
We experienced, of course, the most extraordinary heatwave…
My Lords, we have rightly been very proud of our universities, but we have to secure their future, as the noble Baroness said. How are we supporting universities in this new era? What are we doing to ensure that we encourage those from overseas to come to study and research here, that they are not p…
My Lords, it is excellent that the British Council has been appointed as the UK’s national agency for the Erasmus programme. As we seek a closer relationship with the EU, how can we make sure that the British Council can play a full part in this, unhampered by this huge Covid debt?
My Lords, is the Minister aware that I have been instructed by my ecstatic kids that I need some updated Arsenal kit? Should I go along with what they suggest?
I thank the noble Baroness for her contribution to the commission and its report. A resilient domestic battery sector is essential to the future of our automotive industry, our energy security and our transition to net zero. The Government have demonstrated our commitment to support the UK’s battery…
As the noble Baroness highlights, the UK understands the need for gigafactories. We have two gigafactories committed to delivering a combined 55 gigawatts of capacity by 2030. We largely agree with the thrust of the recommendations in the report. On the specific question of attracting another major …
My Lords, this group of amendments relates to heated tobacco and its inclusion in the Bill, and in particular the rising age of sale. It is essential that the measures in the Bill apply to all tobacco products without exception. We have learned repeatedly that, where legislation leaves loopholes, th…
My Lords, I am delighted to have the support of the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, on my earlier amendment on the communications strategy, and that she has come around to my point of view on this. It clearly is vital that we have an excellent, proactive communication strategy in relation to this new poli…
My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 203 in my name, which is also supported by my noble friend Lady Walmsley. She is sorry that she cannot be here today because of ill health. I know she is keeping a close eye on us, but I hope she takes it easy and will be back with us soon.
Amendment 203—to chan…
My only comment on this group is that we would not support Amendment 26, which would require a fund to be set up for age-verification technologies. If any fund were to be set up—we do not see the need for it—then it should be funded by the tobacco industry. I note with great interest that the Minist…
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Northover. It is an equal pleasure to have the opportunity to join in the thanks and congratulations to the noble Baroness, Lady Featherstone, on securing this debate and her opening of it. I also join in the congratulations to my noble f…
Of course.
On the British Council, I am sure that we will continue to work on the problems raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Alexander, and I stress the Government’s commitment to it. I also draw attention to the fact that the Government increased the budget of the BBC World Service by £32 million…
LordsCommittee Stage17 November 20253 contributions
My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 171 in my name, which contains some echoes of Amendment 167 in the names of the noble Lord, Lord Kamall, and the noble Earl, Lord Howe; I thank my noble friend Lady Walmsley and the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, for their support.
Noble Lords wil…
You can see the colour.
+1 more contribution in this session
LordsCommittee Stage13 November 20254 contributions
My Lords, the amendments in this group draw attention to a practice that rightly causes outrage—the inclusion of images on vapes that are used to market them to particular groups, most often children. There are images of vapes that feature, for example, characters from “The Simpsons” and other popul…
My Lords, this group contains a number of amendments tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Udny-Lister, which relate to what he identifies as burdens that are potentially being placed on the industry when assessing the harms of products. There is much here that can and should be explored through consultati…
+2 more contributions in this session
LordsOral Questions11 November 20252 contributions
We will hear from the Labour Benches next and then the Lib Dem Benches.
I completely agree about the role of the BBC in soft power, particularly the World Service and BBC Verify, which do a tremendous job. I would go so far as to say that they are saving lives every day with the work that they do.
On the issue of art, it is right that the British Council makes these de…
My Lords, these amendments seek to mandate further consultations on measures in the Bill. Such things always sound very reasonable. However, it seems to us that the Government either have already consulted or intend to consult where needed. I would be more sympathetic if the consultation here was wi…
LordsCommittee Stage30 October 20256 contributions
My Lords, Amendment 12, in my name and that of my noble friend Lady Walmsley, and Amendment 148, in my name, would require the Secretary of State to make regulations obliging tobacco manufacturers and importers to provide sales data by geographical area. Before the Minister says that there is alread…
My Lords, this group is about the polluter paying and responsibility across a wide range of areas. On Amendment 12, on the practice of disclosing sales data, it is already in place in the United States—full data to the Government and partial to public sources. It is also the practice in Canada, so t…
+4 more contributions in this session
LordsCommittee Stage27 October 20253 contributions
My Lords, most of the amendments here may seem limited in scope but, as we have heard, they have in fact been set down to seek both to delay and to water down this Bill.
This weekend, my daughter and I visited my 24 year-old nephew where he is currently studying. As we walked along, he rolled cigar…
My Lords, I shall speak to Amendments 24 and 25 in this group. They were tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Brixton, who is unfortunately unwell today; I am speaking at his request.
These amendments would apply mandatory age-verification procedures for the sale of tobacco, vapes and non-medic…
I am advised that legislation is making its way through Parliament and will come to this House in due course, so we will have plenty of opportunity to debate it.
We discuss our position on this and many other issues—but specifically this—with our US counterparts on a regular basis, as the noble Baroness will understand. She is completely right that support for a two-state solution must remain central to everything we do and say on this issue. I fear that som…
I talked about money in my previous answers, but our commitment to be advocates and continue to push for a change in country on the rights of women and girls is often as important. Maintaining access to safe abortion and family planning advice and products is a key commitment from the Government tha…
My Lords, I also thank the Minister for repeating the Statement in the House. Reports of Indian military strikes against locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan, as well as shelling by Pakistan, are indeed very alarming. Particularly as we have here two nuclear powers, it becomes eve…
My Lords, I shall address the Statement that was made in the Commons and that has just been, in effect, repeated in the Lords. It addresses the announcement made by the Israeli Prime Minister that the
“Israeli Security Cabinet has approved a plan to expand and intensify Israel’s military operations…