Lords
Oral Questions
23 February 2026
US Tariffs
As I mentioned, the cool-headed approach that the Government are taking includes many of our global trading partners. It is worth reminding the House that, while the US is a critical trading partner, with £330 billion of bilateral trade, the EU makes up 40% of our global trade and is an incredibly i…
Lords
Oral Questions
12 February 2026
2 contributions
Security of Candidates, MPs and Elections
The Government thank the Speaker’s Conference for its recommendations. A response was provided last year, which we understand will be published after the Recess. I hope it goes without saying that the UK remains a strong and resilient democracy. The Government are determined to keep it that way and …
My Lords, the murders of our colleagues Jo Cox and David Amess weigh very heavily on the minds of all in this House and in the other place, and even more heavily, if I may say so, in the minds and hearts of their families. I thank my noble friend and her colleagues for their tireless and admirable w…
Lords
Proceedings
10 February 2026
Standards in Public Life
My Lords, I hesitate to rise because I was slightly late, but as the noble Lord opposite was late—my Whips are saying that no, I cannot.
Lords
Debate
6 February 2026
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, many points have been made around the Chamber about disability. The most recent large survey, carried out by Opinium in February 2024 of nearly 11,000 respondents in the UK, showed that 75% of the general population were supportive of the Bill and 14% opposed it. Of those who had a disabil…
Lords
Committee Stage
4 February 2026
3 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, Amendment 140 would strengthen the link between economic growth and health improvement, complementing the Government’s intention for devolution to support inclusive growth in stronger communities while maintaining local flexibility.
Devolution should give local leaders the tools to make a…
My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend the Minister for her response, because she clearly understands the issues. I am super-grateful for all the contributions from noble Lords around the Room.
We are all absolutely in agreement that good health is a prerequisite for economic growth in our…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Committee Stage
29 January 2026
2 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Can I just make a brief statement? While it is right and proper that each and every amendment and clause is debated, I deeply regret how party-political the last two contributions have been. What we are all doing here is trying to do the best for this country and not make these things party-politica…
My Lords, I am pleased to follow the noble Lord, Lord Bichard. I agree with so much that he said—but I shall speak to Amendment 196, which would introduce a duty on local public service partners such as NHS bodies, the police and fire authorities to co-operate with strategic authorities and principa…
Lords
Debate
23 January 2026
6 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I merely point out that this is not a choice between investing in palliative care or changing the law so that we have an assisted dying service. We need to do both. I am mindful of the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Stevens, about the lack of response from the Department of Health and …
I mentioned the future of palliative care. I did not mention the costs of an assisted dying service, which I am very willing to ask for as well, but at that stage I was focusing on palliative care.
+4 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
22 January 2026
Number Plates Intended to Defeat Enforcement Cameras
I certainly support my noble friend’s statement in that regard. We are dealing here with a particular issue, that this boil needs to be lanced. It is not indicative of our whole society crumbling.
Lords
Committee Stage
20 January 2026
2 contributions
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 7 and 128 in my name. I am grateful to the noble Lords, Lord Best and Lord Cameron of Dillington, and the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, for their support. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Lansley, for what he said in his earlier remarks.
The Eng…
My Lords, I am grateful to all noble Lords who have participated in this short debate and to my noble friend the Minister for her response.
I am of course delighted that mayors are empowered to support every part of their constituency; it must be their aspiration that they do so. It is very good th…
Lords
Debate
16 January 2026
2 contributions
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I too warmly welcome the return of my noble friend Lady Campbell—the most extraordinary person and advocate for disabled people and so many more in our societies. I just remind the Committee that, in all these discussions about burdens and people who have had a stroke— I am terribly sorry …
My Lords, I recognise that the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, will have heard this before, as will have many others, but the fact of the matter is that the Bill talks about assisted dying. “Dying” tells you what it is all about, so I do not think that we need to have the word “suicide”. I say this becaus…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 January 2026
Toilet-training: Support for Parents
My noble friend raises the rollout of Best Start family hubs. We are investing £500 million in this rollout and have committed to every local authority area having a hub, delivering over 1,000 hubs by 2028 and reaching an estimated 500,000 additional children. I do not know the specifics of the part…
Lords
Proceedings
18 December 2025
UK-EU Common Understanding Negotiations
My Lords, I warmly welcome this great initiative, which is a matter for celebration. I am especially pleased that, as my noble friend Lord Reid said, it is open to all kids. As my noble friend the Minister said, we all have a responsibility to ensure that kids in all our areas, including the Forest …
Lords
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
Women’s Health Strategy
As my noble friend rightly observes, the Government have committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030. We already expect musculoskeletal services to be fully incorporated into integrated care planning and decision-making. I am also glad that, since 2022…
Lords
Proceedings
15 December 2025
Resident Doctors: Industrial Action
My Lords, I share the outrage, fury and frustration about this industrial action. My noble friend the Minister and others around the Chamber are absolutely right to pay tribute to the workforce, and I give a particular shout-out to nurses. We are always focused on doctors—I hope noble Lords present …
Lords
Debate
15 December 2025
3 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, in moving Amendment 330A, I will speak to Amendment 330B, tabled in my name and those of the noble Lord, Lord Russell of Liverpool, and the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, and to Amendments 330AZA and 356E, tabled in my name and that of the noble Lord, Lord Russell of Liverpool. In doing so, …
I am sure my noble friend is correct that it is, or should be, covered in guidance, but patently the judge looking at the case that I mentioned was not aware of this and said the fact that the victim had been contacted via LinkedIn was not something he could take a view on. He did not know that this…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
15 December 2025
UK Research and Innovation: Ethnic Minorities
Just to add to the starkness of those numbers, it is 160 black professors out of 22,885 professors overall. These are stark figures, and we need to do things to make sure that we get opportunity right. Yes, the figures are also stark for grants. It is interesting that the analysis of schemes that ha…
Lords
Debate
12 December 2025
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, forgive me. What the noble Baroness is saying is extremely interesting, but the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, has already said that he will seek a meeting with the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay, and all other noble Lords who are interested in this. He is not rejecting the amendments…
Lords
Proceedings
11 December 2025
Grooming Gangs: Independent Inquiry
My Lords, I welcome the Statement and I certainly welcome the appointment of my noble friend Lady Longfield as the chair of this very important inquiry; she has the requisite experience and skills. Like others, I regret that it took so long but I understand that it is a complex situation. I have one…
Lords
Oral Questions
26 November 2025
Domestic Abuse: Emergency Accommodation
I thank my noble friend for her question. I think there is a broad acceptance, even by the police forces, that the police response to domestic abuse in the past left something to be desired. The Home Office is investing £13.1 million in the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Pu…
Lords
Debate
21 November 2025
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
I apologise for interrupting my noble and learned friend, but I just point out that the BMA itself is very clear that the doctors should be able to make their own judgment in all these cases.
Lords
Proceedings
19 November 2025
Gaza and Sudan
My Lords, I am glad that my noble friend the Minister quite rightly recognised that Sudan is not just an African problem, as it were, and I am delighted by all that she says about what our Government are doing. The noble Lord, Lord Purvis, rightly says that more aid will be needed, and indeed it wil…
Lords
Oral Questions
18 November 2025
Election Law
As I explained, we are doing our best to look at all forms of identification and how that might impact on voter registration. We want to be as broad-minded as we can. I will expand a little more. The secondary curriculum will also build on the introduction of civic citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 …
Lords
Proceedings
10 November 2025
Curriculum and Assessment Review
My Lords, I warmly welcome the review and the Government’s response. I particularly welcome the emphasis on preparing young people for a changing world and the statutory requirement to teach citizenship at key stages 1 and 2. This is imperative in order to make the democratic process relevant to you…
Lords
Proceedings
29 October 2025
Prisoner Release Checks
My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend for his explanation about the £500, which has been all over the media and was referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Marks. It makes eminent sense that this was an operational decision; it has saved vast amounts of money and enabled this vile person to be…
Lords
Oral Questions
27 October 2025
Child Poverty Strategy: Migrant Families
Again, I find myself in the difficult position that I am not able to give details of the new child poverty strategy because it is not published as yet; it will be published very shortly. The points that my noble friend raised will undoubtedly be considered, but I cannot give her an answer from the D…