Lords
Debate
13 January 2026
7 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
How nice it is to be back here again. I oppose Clauses 118, 119 and 120 standing part of the Bill. These clauses introduce a pre-emptive targeting of people based on location rather than behaviour. That should concern anyone who cares about the right to peaceful protest. Under these clauses, a senio…
My Lords, I cannot tell you how much energy and self-control it has taken to stay seated, with all these interventions and comments. First, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Blencathra, for his very kind comments and the photographs, which have obviously brought back a lot of very nice, happy memories. I…
+5 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
12 January 2026
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill
My Lords, I support the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Miller. It is an extremely good amendment, and I urge the Minister to pick it up at some future date. This is such a good amendment that it should go into legislation somewhere.
In Committee, we heard at length and with real conce…
Lords
Oral Questions
12 January 2026
Independent Water Commission
I am afraid to say to the noble Baroness that I do not accept that there was widespread public anger that nationalisation was not used as a solution. We have committed to a once-in-a-generation reset of the water sector; we have been very clear that we have no intention of nationalising it. It would…
Lords
Oral Questions
8 January 2026
2 contributions
Environmental Improvement Plan 2025
My Lords, I add my congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, on securing this timely debate. I welcome the revised EIP published by the Government. I declare my interests as a co-chair of the Water All-Party Parliamentary Group and a vice-president of the Association of Drainage Authorities.
I…
I have just been told that I can carry on because I have another five minutes; my officials will tell me when I need to stop.
I turn to the gene editing of ecosystems. We are supportive of that innovation. We have agreed the parameters for the new SPS agreement with the EU. The EU has accepted that…
Lords
Debate
7 January 2026
3 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, it was quite difficult to sit here and listen to that, but I will come to that. I very strongly support Amendment 369, and I do so with a real sense of fury that we are in this position, that we actually have to do this, and that it is not obvious to any Government that in a democracy we n…
All right, in a cold Chamber.
If we prioritise convenience over conscience, we should not be surprised when people feel shut out of political decision-making altogether. For those reasons, I support Amendments 369 and 371. In essence, protest law is a terrible mess, and we have got here by a long s…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
7 January 2026
Shamima Begum
The Government will examine and support individuals on an individual basis. It is important that those individuals who have the potential to ask for consular access do so. That is what they should be doing in this case.
Lords
Debate
6 January 2026
3 contributions
Sentencing Bill
My Lords—
I am not “this side”.
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Debate
6 January 2026
2 contributions
Sentencing Bill
My Lords, the Minister has probably been in your Lordships’ House long enough to understand how rare it is that we are getting a degree of unanimity around the House on the amendments that we have debated so far. I am the first to admit that I am not particularly socially savvy when it comes to how …
I have tabled Amendment 97A, which is again about probation capacity. I know that the Minister has done his best to convince us, and I completely understand that, with his business drive and determination, he is going to do the absolute best possible for this problem. But I remain unconvinced that t…
Lords
Oral Questions
6 January 2026
Flooding Interventions
The noble Baroness is absolutely right, and it is one of the reasons why we are investing in anti-pollution measures, working with farmers, for example, to see how we can stop run-off and better manage slurry, and working with water companies. A water White Paper is coming up that will look at many …
Lords
Debate
17 December 2025
2 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
Is the noble Lord saying that, when I was on the Bench here and he hissed at me that I should shut up because I was rude, that was okay because it did not alarm me? Does he remember doing that? We almost came to blows outside.
My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 356, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey. First, I would like to apologise for my intervention earlier. I am afraid I am getting very grumpy, and the Christmas Recess has arrived just in time.
All the amendments in this group have validity, and it migh…
Lords
Committee Stage
16 December 2025
2 contributions
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill
I very much support Amendment 6. In fact, most of the amendments in this group are sensible. Forgive my ignorance, but surely if we pass the criteria for the international treaty, what is to stop us adding things to the Bill? Is there anything? We could, could we not? It would be irrelevant for the …
May I ask the Minister something? I am so sorry if she already responded to this; if she did, I did not catch it. We could simply pass this Bill—I understand the urgency here—but we could also add something to it. I do not accept that a lot of the things we have talked about are included anywhere el…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
Free School Meals
As I suggested earlier, the Department for Education is already providing advice to schools on how to procure their provision of school meals, and how to do it effectively and efficiently. We have to give schools the ability to make their own decisions about how they provide the free school meals th…
Lords
Debate
10 December 2025
2 contributions
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill
My Lords, my name is attached in support of Amendment 18, but I did not ask for it to be. I asked for it to be attached to a different amendment in the name of the noble Earl, Lord Russell, but I think this is a great amendment anyway and I am fully in support.
My Lords, I support Amendment 15, which is absolutely vital. Every time I look at the Title of this Bill, I get irritated because there is no such thing as sustainable aviation fuel, and we really ought to accept that. Too often, we have these grand promises that are never backed up— I would argue t…
Lords
Oral Questions
10 December 2025
2 contributions
Drax
I have read the report to which the noble Baroness refers with interest, and there are questions both for Drax and for the authors of the report. Compliance with biomass sustainability requirements under Drax’s existing subsidy arrangement is a matter for Ofgem, but we work closely with it to ensure…
There are two points to make in response to the noble Baroness. The report to which she refers talks only circumstantially about old-growth forests and not old-growth forests that are in any way directly sourced by Drax. As regards the new contract for difference for the next four years that the Gov…
Lords
Oral Questions
9 December 2025
2 contributions
Facial Recognition Technology: Safeguards
The Government commenced a consultation on 4 December on the use of facial recognition technology. There is an established legal basis for the use of facial recognition technology by the police, but the Government intend to bring forward a new bespoke legal framework to provide clearer, more specifi…
The Government recognise that the algorithm needs to be examined, and that is why we have asked His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to present an urgent report to the Government on the mechanisms of the algorithm. In the meantime, facial recognition technology is a useful tool. If missing peo…
Lords
Debate
26 November 2025
2 contributions
Sentencing Bill
My Lords, I will speak to my Amendment 29A. It is not often that I feel daunted in speaking out on legislation in this Chamber, but I feel a slight nervousness when a lot of senior police officers, former judges and KCs start—
Yes, luckily they have, so I do not really need to be nervous at all.
Often, in putting my or the Green Party’s views—which obviously overlap quite a lot—I feel that I am speaking from the street. I talk to a lot of people who probably do not know much about this sort of thing, and they probably ag…
Lords
Debate
24 November 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, I thank all who have contributed to this debate and in particular the Minister, for her customary care in the answers she has given us.
What we agree on, across all sides of this House, is that chalk streams are precious, irreplaceable habitats that are gravely endangered. I am grateful t…
Lords
Oral Questions
24 November 2025
Fair Funding Review
We continue to explore this. It is very important that local authorities are able to set in their local plans the targets that they think are appropriate for their local areas. We will continue to explore with local authorities, particularly as we roll out the funding for social and affordable housi…
Lords
Debate
20 November 2025
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill
My Lords, I declare my interest as a non-executive chair of RVL Aviation.
I too congratulate the right reverend Prelate on his excellent maiden speech. Before he started speaking, I wondered whether he was going to set out the Church of England’s policy on sustainable aviation. I was pleasantly sur…
Lords
Oral Questions
20 November 2025
Water and Sewerage Companies: Statutory Consultees
The recent issues in Monmouthshire—we are terribly sorry for the people there; they have had a dreadful time over the past few days—make us even more determined to support the delivery of high-quality sustainable drainage systems to help us manage flood risk and adapt to the effects of climate chang…
Lords
Debate
19 November 2025
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I am grateful to noble Lords who have spoken in this important debate and to the noble Lord, Lord Hampton, for introducing this group. These amendments speak to deeply serious issues concerning child criminal exploitation and the protection and coercion of vulnerable people who are manipul…
Lords
Oral Questions
19 November 2025
5 contributions
Road Injuries and Deaths
We will hear from the noble Lord, Lord Wigley, please.
I think we are distinguishable.
Is the Minister aware of the figures in Wales for the reduction in road accidents and road deaths following the reduction of the speed limit to 20 miles per hour? Although that has been controversial in some areas and needs to be adjusted, none the less, if people’s …
+3 more contributions in this session
Lords
Proceedings
18 November 2025
Budget: Press Briefings
Does the Minister understand that he has to answer questions and not just butt them away?
Lords
Debate
12 November 2025
Sentencing Bill
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness.
I find myself speaking in the company of very distinguished and knowledgeable noble Lords, with great judicial experience and knowledge of the sentencing system in its widest sense. I am not in that company. I would venture to say, though, th…
Lords
Debate
11 November 2025
2 contributions
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
My Amendment 75 would insert a new clause after Clause 48 to place a duty to have due regard to family unity on the Secretary of State, immigration officers, and the immigration and asylum tribunals. This is supported by the organisation Bail for Immigration Detainees. The purpose of this amendment …
I hear so often in this Chamber that the amendments the Opposition have brought are completely unnecessary, it is already in law, and we do not have to worry our pretty little heads about it as it will all be fine. The fact is, it is not. This issue, in particular, will continue to make an awful lot…