The Chancellor is entirely at liberty to set out what she wants to set out at any given point. As I said, there has much speculation ahead of the Budget. I am not going to comment on the Budget. We will do things in the usual way. She has asked the OBR to produce a new forecast for the Budget. She w…
My Lords, what plans do the Government have for looking after the children who continue to come into this country? In the past they have been kept in completely unsatisfactory hotels, and many have vanished without trace.
My Lords, it has been a great privilege to sit here all day and listen to noble, and noble and learned, Members of this House. The problem is that when you are the penultimate speaker, most of the good ideas and suggestions have already been made. I pay tribute to my noble friend Lady May, the noble…
All the questions today highlight the significant range of challenges. There are ongoing discussions at a variety of levels within government with the EU as part of the discussions following the EU reset. I will not give a running commentary on negotiations, but I am happy to meet the noble Baroness…
My Lords, does the Minister have any information about how many companies are paying ransom demands? To what extent do the Government deal with insurance companies, advising them whether to pay ransoms or not pay them?
My Lords, I do not doubt the sincerity of the Government in wanting to put right this situation as quickly as possible. In the Autumn Budget, £11.8 billion was set aside for that purpose, but as we have heard, the amounts that have so far been paid have been pitiful. Can the noble Baroness give the …
My Lords, I have been listening quietly to the debate, and I think I am the first person to rise who has actually chaired a newspaper company, albeit a small regional company, in this country.
It is my view that, where someone has 15% control, they have a presence in the boardroom; it depends on ot…
Ticketless travel is a real problem. Operators have to be on their toes, because leaving gates open at times when people travel means that they will just walk through them. It is not necessarily the case that those passengers do not have tickets, but it is certainly no deterrent to people who do not…
My Lords, the Minister has been very helpful in her answers so far, but, to go back to the question of the noble Lord, Lord Harris, there seems to be a bit of a gap between the defence strategy, the conversations that we have here and the amount of money that is going into defence, and the message t…
Of course, one has to be very sympathetic about the considerable disruption that Brock causes. Since they took office, the Government have been thinking about what else can be done. My department has signed a contract with Lydden Hill racetrack to be a contingency site for the Kent and Medway Resili…
I declare an interest as deputy patron of Outward Bound and former chair of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Those charities both focus on engaging children in challenging outdoor activities, but music has exactly the same potential to build resilience, self-confidence, perseverance and teamworking sk…
My Lords, it is an honour and a privilege to be making my maiden speech in this House on this important issue affecting our country and, indeed, the growth agenda of the Government. I begin by extending my thanks to Black Rod, the Clerk of the Parliaments and the doorkeepers, who have eased my entry…
My Lords, the capital investment contained in the spending review will be very welcome in many parts of the country. The problem will be making sure that it is money well spent. As those of us who were here in the morning heard, public bodies often are not the greatest at making sure they can build …
The noble Baroness makes a very important point about the need to support young people leaving care. That, of course, is the reason for making personal advisers available to young people in that position. It is why, as we have been, and will be, debating in the Bill that comes later and more broadly…
My Lords, the threat of ransomware and ransoms are clearly appalling crimes undertaken by cybercriminals. The Home Office—and I can speak only for the public service and Government—has concluded a consultation on world-leading proposals to strike at the heart of the ransomware business model, cuttin…
My Lords, I declare my interests as a vice-president of the Local Government Association and as a member of the Beckfoot multi-academy trust in West Yorkshire and of the Leeds Diocesan Learning Trust.
The Bill before us today is, in part, a disappointment. While some parts go some way towards furth…