My Lords, I declare an interest as a Civil Service pensioner, though one with the reassurance that existing pensioners are not affected. I welcome that interest is being paid on late payments, and that is compensation for other damage. However, what assurance can the Minister give that the payments …
My Lords, there is much that is good in the measures in the King’s Speech and certainly much that is well intentioned. However, I am left with the uncomfortable feeling that, overall, the contents of the speech do not, in a phrase often used by the noble Lord, Lord Hennessy, rise to the level of eve…
The Government are committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone, including children. Industry-led guidance to improve protections to players in relation to loot boxes was published in 2023. A 12-month implementation period ended in July 2024, and we commissioned indepen…
Clearly, protection for children is key. But as the noble Lord rightly states, loot boxes are not currently legally considered gambling, as individuals are not able to cash out their purchases as currency. Where unlicensed gambling is identified, the Gambling Commission has shown that it will take s…
My Lords, does the Minister agree with me that detailed codes of conduct can never ensure good behaviour, and constant allegations across the Dispatch Box of breaches of the code undermine public confidence in the integrity of public life rather than enhance it?
Can the Minister explain why no fewer than three witness statements were required from the Government? Are we to conclude that the Government did not make their position sufficiently clear in the first two statements?
While I have huge respect for the noble Lord, I absolutely will not. This was an independent decision made by the CPS: there was no ministerial or special adviser involvement. The Deputy National Security Adviser, without interference, gave three different witness statements to the CPS for its use. …
My Lords, I will briefly add one argument in support of my noble friend’s amendment. There is widespread criticism of the competence and indeed the commitment of some of those who have been appointed to this House. Many of us think that some of those criticisms have been justified. If there is a lim…
Before the noble Baroness sits down, can she help me on a procedural point? If Amendment 13 were to be passed, Amendment 13A is clearly sensible. We are going to consider Amendment 13A first. Will it be possible to agree Amendment 13A and then vote against Amendment 13?
My Lords, I intervened in Committee to explain why I could not support Amendments 5 and 6. I will repeat my argument briefly now. These two amendments would put the committee, HOLAC, into a position where it overruled the Prime Minister. In one case, the Prime Minister could make appointments to the…
My Lords, a core principle of government in this country is that Ministers are ultimately accountable for decision-making. Therefore, it is right that we are the principal representatives of the Government in the public sphere. As the Civil Service management code, released in 2016, makes clear, civ…
I think I need to reassure your Lordships’ House, but especially the noble Lord, that there is no guidance that would prohibit leaders within the Civil Service engaging with or talking to their staff in any fora. The only guidance that exists about what would need to be gridded at No. 10—the noble L…