My Lords, I will focus on the cultural importance of live music, which can enrich the lives of us all. The response to the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, shows that there is feeling around the House on just that. It supports artistic expression, preserves musical heritage and strengthens communities. Liv…
My Lords, I welcome the Bill—as I am sure do my colleagues involved in promoting it—on ensuring that there is a treaty to protect the oceans, but I note that the Government have made merely the first step towards ratification. Before that, we have to have secondary legislation, but there is no sign …
My Lords, I join in the congratulations to my noble friend Lady Helic for securing the debate. Her deep knowledge of the issue derives from her personal experience and expertise. We are also fortunate to hear today from the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Peach, who was our UK envoy to the western Balk…
My Lords, the Government recognise the need for a strong collective voice for countries committed to free media, especially in today’s fragmented world. The Media Freedom Coalition provides that voice. The UK will raise its profile and expand its reach as a truly global partnership. We will foster e…
There are many examples that the noble Baroness could have selected, but those two are particularly pertinent at this time. Clearly, we do everything we can that is necessary to keep journalists safe in this country—that is a commitment that I do not think any Government of this country would ever s…
My Lords, I congratulate John Grady MP, who introduced the Bill in the House of Commons, where he secured all-party support. I thank all those who supported the Bill in this House as it made its way through Second Reading. Every Member who participated at Second Reading supported the Bill.
I am als…
My Lords, I will not detain the House, because, as we all know, there is important business ahead. However, I congratulate and thank the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, for her work on the Bill and for having brought it to the stage where it is poised on the brink of the statute book. As someone who, i…
My Lords, I understand that no amendments have been set down to this Bill and that no noble Lord has indicated a wish to move a manuscript amendment or to speak in Committee. Unless, therefore, any noble Lord objects, I beg to move that the order of commitment be discharged.
My Lords, I understand that no amendments have been set down to this Bill and that no noble Lord has indicated a wish to move a manuscript amendment or to speak in Committee. Unless, therefore, any noble Lord objects, I beg to move that the order of commitment be discharged.
My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to present this Bill to the House today. It was guided through the House of Commons by John Grady MP, whom I congratulate for his work, and it received cross-party support.
The Bill seeks to amend the 2018 Space Industry Act in a way that should strengthe…
My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, and to congratulate her on having outlined so clearly the purpose of the Bill, and for the skill with which she did so. She did it so well that I hope it has given the House every reason to know that we should give the B…
My Lords, to fund a necessary increase in defence spending, the Government have taken the decision in the current fiscal circumstances to reduce our official development assistance budget. We remain fully committed to tackling global challenges and, as a ratifier of the UN Convention on the Rights o…
I thank the noble Baroness again and should just say how well regarded she remains in the department; when I saw this Question this morning, there were many kind comments about her. She is absolutely right to remind us of the importance of this, and particularly of nutrition. The UK led the recent N…
My Lords, I often walk in the hills—I love them—and the heather, so I have frequently thought about this. In the old days, you would normally find firebreaks burned into them. The trouble is that there has been a big movement from a lot of people who do not really know much about the hills or heathe…
My Lords, the Foreign Secretary hosted the London Sudan Conference on 15 April to galvanise international efforts towards ending this conflict and improving vital humanitarian access. No formal new contact group has been established, but attendees agreed to increase diplomatic co-ordination and enga…
We should not underestimate the importance of the Sudan conference, which was to raise the profile. One really important thing was that the African Union co-chaired it and was part of the process and the dialogue. The current focus of the UK Government is on co-ordinating existing initiatives and in…