Lords
Proceedings
24 June 2026
Darfur: Atrocities
My Lords, I draw attention to my entries in the register on organisations working in the Middle East and on conflict resolution. I thank the Minister. At a time when there is a lot of challenge in the air and on budgets, I know that she prioritises the issue of conflict-related sexual violence, havi…
Lords
Proceedings
18 June 2026
Steel Tariffs
My Lords, I note and welcome the recent agreement reached by the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of India, on the FTA and its commencement date in July. However, there is another issue on the horizon when it comes to steel tariffs, which is the imposition from 1 January next year of the carbon…
Lords
Proceedings
16 June 2026
Official Development Assistance: Bilateral Allocations
My Lords, I appreciate the challenge the Minister is facing with the cuts, and I agree with my noble friend about the protection of certain ring-fenced things, including the priority on the WPS agenda. Will the Minister leverage that more extensively, working together with colleagues in the Ministry…
Lords
Proceedings
15 June 2026
2 contributions
Middle East: Iran Conflict
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question of which I have given private notice. I draw attention to my interests in the register as an adviser to the Arab Ambassadors Council and organisations working on conflict resolution in the Middle East.
My Lords, I am sure that the Minister and all noble Lords will join me in recognising the important role of Pakistan—bohat bohat shukria to Pakistan, and shukran to Qatar for their able support in getting to where we are. But the agreement is still to be signed on Friday, as we know, and we are all …
Lords
Proceedings
9 June 2026
Cuba: Humanitarian Situation
My Lords, the Minister will be aware that in 2023, the previous Government signed the PDCA, which was a political agreement that looked at humanitarian areas and covered human rights. What is the status of that agreement? My understanding is that it is yet to be ratified. In that light, are we also …
Lords
Proceedings
5 June 2026
Artificial Intelligence: Impact on Human Relationships and Society
My Lords, I too join the chorus in thanks to the most reverend Primate for her excellent and thoughtful introduction to this debate—and, of course, for the impeccable timing. As we have already heard from the noble Lord, Lord Knight, Anthropic’s co-founder has called for a “brake” on AI. At the same…
Lords
Proceedings
2 June 2026
Steel Import Restrictions
My Lords, just to share with the noble Lord opposite, there were extensive discussions: the CPTPP was signed and the India trade negotiations were started under the previous Government. I should know, because I was involved in them. I have a simple question. Having worked with our counterparts and f…
Lords
Proceedings
2 June 2026
Bosnia and Herzegovina
My Lords, with the resignation of Christian Schmidt as the high representative, who, as anyone who met him will know, was frustrated by Republika Srpska’s claims under Mr Dodik, and in paying tribute to the noble and gallant Lord, can I ask what efforts the UK Government are making to ensure we get …
Lords
Proceedings
21 May 2026
3 contributions
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda: Ebola Outbreak
My Lords, I welcome the noble Baroness’s statement and particularly her proactive engagement on the ground. One of the experiences from the Covid pandemic was the link-up between the private sector and our international partners to scale up with India. Based on the response she gave earlier, that th…
My Lords—
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Proceedings
21 May 2026
2 contributions
Processed Russian Oil Products: Sanctions
My Lords—
My Lords, I speak as the Minister responsible for taking through the SAMLA regulations. First, can the Minister respond as to why Section 55 has not been applied in this case? Secondly, it is customary, as I used to do with the noble Lords, Lord Collins and Lord Purvis, to give headlines to all peop…
Lords
Proceedings
28 April 2026
Middle East: Economic Update
My Lords, I declare my interest as a member of the International Relations and Defence Committee. Does the Minister agree with the assessment made by the chair of the committee, the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, about complacency in the Government? Bearing in mind that the theme of this Statement is t…
Lords
Proceedings
27 April 2026
Antisemitic Attacks
My Lords, I thank the Minister for the strong Statement and pay tribute to my noble friend Lord Wolfson. He made the important point that we must attack and tackle all forms of extremism. As someone who has served in government, in the Foreign Office and at the Home Office as the Minister for counte…
Lords
Proceedings
20 April 2026
Security Vetting
My Lords, I am sure the noble Baroness will join me in paying tribute to our many diplomats around the world who do a sterling job in representing our country. I have a very simple question. She talked about the judgment of the then permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, Sir Olly Robbins. …
Lords
Oral Questions
16 April 2026
Southport Inquiry: Prevent Programme
The noble Lord mentions an important point: we are very cognisant of online radicalisation, and the Home Office is looking at what steps we can take to improve the take-down of difficult sites and to look at tracing back those sites. We are continually monitoring the whole issue of counterextremism …
Lords
Debate
14 April 2026
2 contributions
Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill
My Lords—
My Lords, I did not intend to speak, but we need to put the record straight on the issue of the 11 rounds of negotiations. I agree with the Minister that the previous Government had discussions with the Government of Mauritius in good faith, but as I have said to him, both inside and outside the Cha…
Lords
Proceedings
14 April 2026
Middle East
My Lords, I welcome the Statement and draw attention to my interests in the Middle East and in working with conflict resolution organisations. Will the Leader of the House join me in commending, as my noble friend Lord True did, the role of Pakistan in its convening of the important bridge of diplom…
Lords
Oral Questions
26 March 2026
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan
My Lords, I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Alexander, for securing this really important debate on the rights and welfare of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. I am grateful to the House of Lords Library for its recent briefing and to Mr Nasir Mir, a senior member of Imran Khan’…
Lords
Oral Questions
26 March 2026
Antisemitism in International Human Rights Bodies
I meet regularly with our FORB envoy, David Smith, and support him very much in the work that he is doing around the world on this. I acknowledge, as I find myself doing very frequently at the Dispatch Box, the work that the noble Lord led in his time in the Foreign Office.
Lords
Oral Questions
25 March 2026
Media Freedom Coalition
I absolutely commend the noble Lord for the work he has done. It was in 2019 that this was set up, so it has gone from strength to strength. His point about expanding membership is really important. One of the things we seek to do, using the leadership we can provide, is to expand that membership, p…
Lords
Oral Questions
12 March 2026
Anti-Muslim Hostility: Non-statutory Definition
Yes, it is really important that we make sure that the reporting and recording are done. In terms of support for other faith groups, we will work with and celebrate our faith and belief communities to improve the understanding of different religions, to support tolerance and to build a more cohesive…
Lords
Oral Questions
9 March 2026
3 contributions
Iran and the Middle East
My Lords, I beg to ask a Question of which I have given private notice, and I draw attention to my entry on the register of interests as an adviser to the Arab Ambassadors Council.
My Lords, we condemn Iran’s strikes on its neighbours. They are unacceptable and threaten regional stability. Keeping people safe and defending national security is the Government’s first duty, and we continually assess potential threats to the United Kingdom. We continue to have discussions at ever…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Proceedings
6 March 2026
International Women’s Day
My Peers, I am very pleased to take part in this debate; I thank the Minister for ensuring that we have such a debate. I congratulate my noble friend on her excellent maiden speech and look forward to the maiden speeches of other Peers later.
The United Nations’ theme for International Women’s Day …
Lords
Committee Stage
4 March 2026
UK-India: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
My Lords, it is good to follow the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, who was a highly respected and highly successful Minister; I salute him for that. I congratulate my noble and learned friend Lord Goldsmith, the former chairman of the relevant committee. I also thank the secretariat for what was a superlati…
Lords
Oral Questions
25 February 2026
2 contributions
Imran Khan: Imprisonment
My Lords—
We want those imprisoned, particularly when they are undergoing such intensive medical treatment, as I believe has happened—I think a successful operation took place in January, and there has been further treatment since—to have access to family members, whether through visits or other means. That i…