Lords
Proceedings
20 May 2026
Unite the Kingdom March
My Lords, women of all faiths find it difficult these days, particularly women of colour. You cannot say whether someone is Muslim or not because we do not wear a badge on our foreheads to say what we are or are not. We all get abuse. We need to change the tone and the narrative of how we are behavi…
Lords
Proceedings
23 April 2026
Women’s Health Strategy
My Lords, on osteoporosis and post-menopause in particular, we could save a lot of money in the health service if interventions came in earlier. I am very concerned that we do not talk enough about this, and we certainly are not looking particularly at lower-income households and women, especially f…
Lords
Proceedings
16 March 2026
Social Cohesion Action Plan
My Lords, can the Minister say why, in the report, there is no mention of Sikhs or Buddhists, one mention of Christians and only two mentions of Hindus? We are incredibly worried that we constantly are being ignored, and yet we are also victims of hate crime—and often from other minority communities…
Lords
Debate
9 March 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I support my noble friend Lord Goodman and the noble Lord, Lord Walney, but I would also like to see highlighted in any reports coming forward the increasing attacks on Hindu and Sikh communities. They are not being reported widely, but unfortunately they are on the increase, and we are ha…
Lords
Proceedings
6 March 2026
International Women’s Day
My Lords and Ladies, it is a profound honour to address this House for the first time and a real pleasure as well to speak alongside so many incredible women also making their maiden speeches today. I am grateful to my supporters, my noble friends Lord Wood of Anfield and Lord Livermore, for their f…
Lords
Debate
4 March 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I completely support my noble friend. I have worked in this area for over three decades and know the communities well. Sadly, unless it is very clear that those community members will be punished in the same way as the perpetrator—in many cases, there are many perpetrators —this will not b…
Lords
Proceedings
22 January 2026
Retail and Hospitality Sector
First, I must declare my interest, in that my wife, Victoria, is chairman of VisitEngland—what older Peers might call the English Tourist Board.
I congratulate all noble Lords who have made their maiden speeches. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Monckton of Dallington Forest, on securing thi…
Lords
Oral Questions
13 January 2026
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
I can assure the noble Baroness that my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary has this week spoken directly to the Iranian Government. The Iranian ambassador to the United Kingdom is being summoned to see Foreign Office Ministers today. As we speak, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 January 2026
Muslim Brotherhood
Again, I say to the noble Baroness that the Government keep all organisations under review and make assessments accordingly. For example, as she will know, we took the difficult decision to proscribe Palestine Action. We keep all these matters under review. I cannot comment or give a running comment…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
Free School Meals
There are many schools that, in thinking about the sourcing of their free school meals, see the benefits of having those responsible for buying and cooking the food in the school itself. It is up to schools to determine how they procure their free school meals, although I recognise that the last Gov…
Lords
Proceedings
11 December 2025
The UK’s Demographic Future
My Lords, I begin by declaring my interest, if perhaps a rather general one, as the incoming director-general of the Institute of Economic Affairs, which has an interest in these and many other questions.
It is a pleasure to take part in this debate and to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, who…
Lords
Debate
19 September 2025
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I am opposed to the Bill, partly on principle and partly on specific matters of detail.
On the issue of principle, first, I believe that the Bill will radically alter our society’s view of the value of life by introducing a utilitarian calculus of value. As the noble Lord, Lord Frost, and…
Lords
Debate
16 September 2025
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, I support my noble friend’s amendments, but I really want to follow on from what the right reverend Prelate said about racism. Racism has been rife in schools from as far back as I can remember, but at that time social media was not there to inflame it further. Over recent years, it has be…
Lords
Oral Questions
4 September 2025
Refugee Accommodation: Move-on Period
I am grateful to the noble Baroness for her suggestion; I will certainly examine it. It is important that society as a whole embraces individuals who have come to this country fleeing persecution, hunger, war and destitution.
For those who are not across the detail of this proposal, it is about ind…
Lords
Debate
21 July 2025
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, in response to the amendments from the noble Lord, Lord Hendy, I want to explore the fact that we currently have strong representation from the unions. We have seen, through recent strikes, that there is an ability to go out there and voice your opinion.
My worry—I would like to have this…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 July 2025
India and Pakistan: Peace Representations
My Lords, I support the vital question from my noble friend Lord Hussain, and speak to a crisis that has profound implications for not just peace between India and Pakistan but for the foundations of international co-operation in our water-stressed and climate-vulnerable world. I have noted a number…
Lords
Oral Questions
7 July 2025
Armed Forces: Recruitment and Retention
I thank the noble Baroness for her comments and all the work that she does in trying to ensure that we get diversity, which is so important to our Armed Forces. She does a brilliant job, which we need to recognise, and we need more people like her. On how we treat our veterans, she will know that th…
Lords
Debate
24 June 2025
2 contributions
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, I agree with almost everything that my noble friend said. When I was growing up, my father, who was in business, suffered the three-day week, and I understand the impact it had on his business and many like his. I also understand that productivity needs to be improved and increased. We nee…
We are talking about small and medium-sized businesses too, and they are not all going to be tech companies; they are not all going to be Amazons. They are small or medium-sized companies that keep most cities and towns going.
Lords
Oral Questions
24 June 2025
Social Care
I welcome the comments from the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, that she will look to reach out to all the different organisations, including the voluntary sector and carers themselves. She will hear from across the sector, and I am sure that the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, will make her voice heard as …
Lords
Oral Questions
23 June 2025
Official Development Assistance: Vulnerable Children
That is the aim of many countries that we are working in. They want to move on from being an aid recipient and be a partner with us, not least in the area of business and economic growth. Relationships, such as on infrastructure and in higher education, are starting to develop. I would like the FCDO…
Lords
Proceedings
18 June 2025
Child Sexual Exploitation: Casey Report
My Lords, it is really good to hear what the Minister has said, but victims will need a lot of help to readjust into normal life. We cannot just do an inquiry and leave them to fend for themselves. Will the Minister please find support for all those who have come forward, and for all the hundreds th…
Lords
Debate
18 June 2025
Employment Rights Bill
I am slightly confused. This seems to be quite a heavy-handed way of capturing workers who may have difficulties understanding their rights. Instead of being so heavy-handed about the whole approach and making it look like a two-tier system is being created, in which migrant workers in particular ar…
Lords
Debate
16 June 2025
3 contributions
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, I just want to intervene very briefly as well. I have raised numerous times that I worry that small and medium-sized businesses have been completely left out of the debate. I spend all my time speaking to small and medium-sized businesses, and most of them are very unaware and quite nervou…
Can the Minister tell me what percentage of the consultation was among BME businesses?
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Debate
10 June 2025
2 contributions
Employment Rights Bill
May I just ask the Minister a very small question? In business, we already comply with the Equality Act. Most businesses do it because it is mandated, but we would do it anyway because it is a good thing to do. Reflecting on the comments of the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, my only concern is the cultur…
I thank the Minister, but I think he is going to tie himself in knots on this one, because there are challenges that will not be rightly represented. To indulge the Minister, maybe I could have an offline conversation with him to explain where I am coming from.
Lords
Debate
10 June 2025
Employment Rights Bill
When the consultations are going on, how much consultation is being done with businesses from the black and ethnic minority communities? As I keep repeating in this House, I have been speaking to lots of businesses and I have yet to come across one that feels that it is being consulted.