Lords
Proceedings
21 May 2026
Offshore Oil and Gas: Venting and Flaring
Why does my noble friend think most of the media, a good many Members of this House and informed opinion outside actually think exactly what the noble Lord, Lord Gove, asked—that we have relaxed the view on Russia? Why has that impression got around?
Lords
Proceedings
19 May 2026
Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address
In view of the practical issues that my noble friend has raised, would it be possible to give this House and the other House 24 or 48 hours’ notice of when the release is going to be? It will not be any good coming back after the Recess on the Monday and all of a sudden being told on that day, “The …
Lords
Oral Questions
14 April 2026
2 contributions
Single-sex Spaces: Equality and Human Rights Commission Guidance
My Lords, I refer my noble friend to the Written Ministerial Statement issued today by the Minister for Women and Equalities. Under Sections 14(7) and 14(8) of the Equality Act 2006, if the draft code is approved by the Secretary of State, it is laid before Parliament. If neither House disapproves t…
I understand that the Secretary of State, Bridget Phillipson, has responded positively to the request for a meeting, and I hope that will take place shortly. I have said repeatedly in this House—as a consequence of the repeated questions—that we must get this right. It is too important to not get ri…
Lords
Debate
20 March 2026
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, as usual, I came to listen and not to speak, but there are a couple of things that have been said to which I want to react. I agree entirely with my noble friend Lady Hayter, to be honest.
I will not go into the details, but I lost my first wife before the internet. There were no internet…
Lords
Debate
10 March 2026
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill
My Lords, given that this is the final time we will consider this Bill, I offer some concluding words as a departing hereditary—as a defender of the indefensible who has long championed our presence in this House and has sought to shine a light on the value of our long period of public service. I sa…
Lords
Debate
4 March 2026
2 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I will contribute briefly on this group. In general, the amendment produced by my noble friend the Minister is to be applauded. It is massive and detailed—but this is one of the issues. We are on Report in the House of Lords. The House of Commons will never get the chance to discuss this. …
This amendment has just turned up here. It is for this House; it was not dealt with in the Commons. That is why we are debating it. It is a brand-new amendment. It is extensive—two or three pages.
I know I am a bit out of date, having been here so long since I left the other place, but the Commons …
Lords
Proceedings
4 March 2026
Security Update
To follow up the point about universities made by the noble Lord, Lord Young, the Xinjiang province of China grows 20% of the world’s cotton. Since it became technically possible to check garments for where the cotton was grown, the laundering of that cotton by the Chinese—because they do not want t…
Lords
Proceedings
3 March 2026
Gibraltar Treaty
My Lords, can my noble friend kindly write to the noble Lord, Lord Vaux, about flights into Gibraltar over Spanish land? I only ever visited in 1977 and 1979, in solidarity when the Spanish had closed the border. It is a great place for tourism but, if I remember correctly, there is a very tight tur…
Lords
Oral Questions
3 March 2026
British Farming: Competitiveness
One of the important things that we are doing in Defra and other departments is trying to have a better collaborative relationship with local authorities. Much of what we want to do as a Government will be delivered by local authorities so, unless we support them better, we will not be able to deliv…
Lords
Proceedings
27 February 2026
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, before my noble friend sits down, I want to raise the point with him that I am getting really irritated by constantly hearing Peers on the wireless complaining about filibustering. It has happened twice this week—it happens every week. The fact of the matter is that I have been here every …
Lords
Proceedings
26 February 2026
Transnational Repression in the UK (JCHR Report)
My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of human rights at Liberal International. It is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Rooker. His focus on querying suspicious non-suspicious deaths over the past nine years is very serious and, from these Benches, we echo his concern and call for a cold …
Lords
Oral Questions
12 February 2026
2 contributions
Flour Milling Sector
My Lords, it is usual for our one-off debates to highlight a problem or defect that requires attention. That is not the case with this issue. I simply want to celebrate a small, specialist, highly productive sector of the economy, namely the flour milling sector. I have a minor technical interest, w…
My Lords, I am grateful to have the opportunity to take part in today’s debate. As the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, to whom I offer my profound thanks for putting the UK flour-milling sector on the agenda of the House of Lords. As he well knows, I always try to take part in his debates because we share …
Lords
Proceedings
5 February 2026
US Department of Justice Release of Files
I very much welcome the openness of the answers that my noble friend has been giving to what are very serious, important questions. I want to raise an issue that has not been raised. I happen to be very keen to avoid having an elected president in this country, and therefore to preserve the monarchy…
Lords
Oral Questions
2 February 2026
2 contributions
Single-Sex Spaces: EHRC Guidance
My Lords, the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s code of practice for services, public functions and associations provides guidance on all protected characteristics, not solely on sex and gender reassignment. The EHRC has submitted its draft code to Ministers and we are reviewing it with the car…
Let me reassure all noble Lords. We have set out our expectation that service providers follow the law as clarified by the Supreme Court ruling and seek specialist legal advice wherever necessary. The Prime Minister has underlined this recently. We have always been absolutely clear that due process …
Lords
Debate
30 January 2026
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I agree with Clause 1. If there was a vote on it, I would vote for it. I may not carry the Committee with me but, having sat through Committee and one day of Second Reading— I could not attend the first day—I feel we have reached the point where, if the Bill were a tree, we have dealt with…
Lords
Debate
23 January 2026
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I will give a specific example. On 8 January, at col. 1416, the noble Lord, Lord Stevens, made a short speech, which consisted of about six specific questions. One of them was about the interaction of the health service and the Bill. Later that evening, I said to my noble and learned frien…
Lords
Oral Questions
21 January 2026
Great Western Railway: Infrastructure
I could do without anybody storing water in the aquifer next to the Chipping Sodbury tunnel and cutting. If they try it, there will be some serious legal action. The water companies have their part to play in managing surface water, just as landowners do and just as Network Rail does. It is an incre…
Lords
Debate
9 January 2026
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
With respect, he did not say that. The noble Lord, Lord Stevens, said it would not be done “in effect”, the implication being—I do not disagree with what the noble Baroness is saying—that the Government have given a date which is beyond when this is expected to be law. The Minister did not say, “We’…
Lords
Debate
8 January 2026
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
I am grateful for those recent interventions. They certainly help me, and I am sure they assist the House. But it also assists the House to know that this House is more respected, not less, for giving extensive scrutiny to the Bill. This is the view of people, including those, such as Charlotte Iver…
Lords
Debate
21 November 2025
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, in the circumstances, I do not feel that we can justify more than two hours on this group. I think we should move to wind up this debate.
Lords
Debate
14 November 2025
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I support the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, in raising this question. Whether or not the suggestion from the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, is the right way of addressing this issue is genuinely a moot point. But she is absolutely right to raise the whole question of the fitness for purpose o…
Lords
Oral Questions
9 September 2025
2 contributions
Grenfell Tower: Bureau Veritas
My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Rooker for continuing to probe on this important matter. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry thoroughly and independently examined the cause of the fire and the roles of various actors. While it was referenced in the final report, the inquiry did not criticise Bureau Ve…
To respond to my noble friend’s important points, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry thoroughly and independently examined the cause of the fire and the roles of various actors and set out its findings publicly. Although referenced within the final report, the inquiry did not criticise Bureau Veritas for it…
Lords
Debate
9 July 2025
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill
My Lords, on a debate such as this, the House really misses the Countess of Mar—if only she was still here. I can recall her one day bringing a delegation to a department where I was a Minister, and after she left, I told the civil servants, “One day, I will be a Back-Bencher and she is my model”. T…
Lords
Debate
9 July 2025
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill
I have just a practical question, really. There is a Peer who came into this House and did not make a maiden speech for 10 years because he considered the peerage an honour. Then, one day, the Prime Minister said to that person, “By the way, with your experience, I’ve got a bit of a job I want you t…