Lords
Proceedings
27 January 2026
Death of a Member: Lord Flight
My Lords, I regret to inform the House of the death of the noble Lord, Lord Flight, on 24 January 2026. On behalf of the House, I extend our condolences to the noble Lord’s family and friends.
Lords
Proceedings
13 January 2026
Leave of Absence
My Lords, I am due to travel to the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in New Delhi. Accordingly, I seek leave of absence from your Lordships’ House from tomorrow until I return next Monday 19 January.
Lords
Proceedings
12 January 2026
Election of Lord Speaker
My Lords, I have known and worked alongside the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, for many years, since we represented neighbouring constituencies in the House of Commons in the 1980s. Michael was Conservative MP for Stirling, on the east bank of Loch Lomond, while I was a Labour representative for Dumbarto…
Lords
Proceedings
5 January 2026
Arrangement of Business
I wish all noble Lords a happy and, I hope, warm new year.
Lords
Oral Questions
18 December 2025
Jobs Market: Wider Economic Implications
With the jobs market hugely influenced by the availability of training, in particular apprenticeship training, should we not positively welcome the £820 million for the youth guarantee scheme, with its emphasis on quality? Is not the lesson that the Government have learned from the YOPs and communit…
Lords
Proceedings
18 December 2025
Retirement of a Member: Baroness Ford
My Lords, I should like to notify the House of the retirement, with effect from today, of the noble Baroness, Lady Ford, pursuant to Section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014. On behalf of the House, I should like to thank her for her much-valued service to the House.
Lords
Proceedings
11 December 2025
Lord Speaker’s Statement
My Lords, before we come to the Statement, I should remind the House that noble Lords should not refer to any specific cases currently before the courts, and that they should exercise caution with respect to any specific cases that might subsequently come before the courts in order not to prejudice …
Lords
Oral Questions
19 November 2025
Ukraine: UK-USA Discussions
My Lords, the UK fully supports President Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s illegal war, and we remain in regular contact with the US at every level. Last week, G7 Foreign Ministers agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire and that the current line of contact should be the starting point for nego…
Lords
Proceedings
12 November 2025
Death of a Member: Baroness Newlove
My Lords, I regret to inform the House of the death of the noble Baroness, Lady Newlove, on 11 November. On behalf of the House I extend our condolences to the noble Baroness’s family and friends.
Lords
Oral Questions
3 November 2025
London Boroughs: Financial Support
My Lords, does Westminster City Council in particular need additional support when a band H house worth £60 million in the borough carries a council tax of £2,100 a year, while a similar band H house worth £300,000 in Cumbria, in my former constituency, carries a tax of £4,600 a year—double Westmins…
Lords
Proceedings
28 October 2025
Retirement of a Member: Baroness Meacher
My Lords, I should like to notify the House of the retirement with effect from 28 October of the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, pursuant to Section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014. On behalf of the House, I thank the noble Baroness for her much-valued service to the House.
Lords
Proceedings
23 October 2025
Conduct Committee
My Lords, under Standing Order 68A, no debate is allowed on this Motion. I must therefore put the question.
Lords
Proceedings
20 October 2025
2 contributions
Leave of Absence
My Lords, this week I am due to travel to Poland, at the invitation of the Marshal of the Polish Senate. Accordingly, I seek leave of absence from your Lordships’ House from tomorrow, Tuesday 21 October, until my return on Thursday 23 October.
I thought that would get a laugh, so I sat down.
Lords
Proceedings
16 October 2025
Lord Speaker’s Statement
My Lords, before Oral Questions, I have a short Statement to make.
I have served as Lord Speaker since the House was kind enough to place its trust in me in 2021. As you may be aware, the election for my successor to the post was due to take place in July next year. However, for reasons I will expl…
Lords
Oral Questions
13 October 2025
Jobs Market
My Lords, that concludes Oral Questions for today.
Lords
Proceedings
13 October 2025
Death of a Member: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem
My Lords, I regret to inform the House of the death of the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, on 26 September. On behalf of the House, I extend our condolences to the noble Lord’s family and friends.
Lords
Oral Questions
16 September 2025
Undocumented Migrants
My Lords, surely if we really want to reduce undocumented migrant movement pull factors, we should stop the emphasis on the resolution of conflict through costly military interventions that provoke worldwide population movements and plunder our development aid budgets. Is not the answer, in part, to…
Lords
Proceedings
12 September 2025
Death of a Member: Lord Howarth of Newport
My Lords, I regret to inform the House of the death of the noble Lord, Lord Howarth of Newport, on Wednesday 10 September. On behalf of the House, I extend our condolences to the noble Lord’s family and friends.
Lords
Proceedings
1 September 2025
Retirements of Members
My Lords, I should like to notify the House of the retirements, with effect from 25 July, of the noble Baroness, Lady Bryan of Partick, and from 31 August, of the noble Lord, Lord Aberdare, pursuant to Section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014. On behalf of the House, I thank the noble Lords f…
Lords
Proceedings
1 September 2025
Death of a Former Member: Lord Boswell of Aynho
My Lords, I regret to inform the House of the death of the noble Lord, Lord Boswell of Aynho, on 30 August. On behalf of the House, I extend our condolences to the noble Lord’s family and friends.
Lords
Proceedings
1 September 2025
Deaths of Members
My Lords, I regret to inform the House of the deaths of the noble Lords, Lord Desai, on 29 July, Lord Sawyer, on 3 August, and Lord Paul, on 21 August. On behalf of the House, I extend our condolences to the noble Lords’ families and friends.
Lords
Proceedings
24 July 2025
Retirements of Members
My Lords, I should like to notify the House of the retirements, with effect from today, of the noble Lords, Lord Glendonbrook and Lord Boswell of Aynho, pursuant to Section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014. On behalf of the House, I thank the noble Lords for their much-valued service to the H…
Lords
Proceedings
14 July 2025
Deaths of Members
My Lords, I regret to inform the House of the deaths of the noble Lord, Lord Blair of Boughton, on Wednesday 9 July and the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, yesterday. On behalf of the House, I extend our condolences to the families and friends of the noble Lords.
Lords
Proceedings
9 July 2025
Black Rod
My Lords, lastly and briefly, I pay my own tribute to Sarah Clarke for her dedicated service to this House. I wish her the greatest success in her future career.
Sarah has served Parliament with distinction for over seven years, most notably at the lying-in-state of Her late Majesty the Queen. In r…
Lords
Oral Questions
8 July 2025
2 contributions
ARIA: Scoping Our Planet Programme
Oh!
I have a question for the Minister; I am pretty sure that the answer will be that he has no idea, and that will not be any reflection on him because I do not have any idea either. What has been the total cost to the public purse of the implementation of freedom of information legislation for all the…