Lords
Proceedings
7 July 2025
Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life
My Lords, I welcome this Statement, and I positively want to declare an interest. Two weeks ago today, my first granddaughter was born, and since then I have spent many hours holding her and talking to her. I could not agree more with my noble friend when she talks about the importance of early year…
Lords
Oral Questions
30 June 2025
2 contributions
Deep Sea Mining in International Waters
My Lords, the United Kingdom supports a moratorium on the granting of exploration contracts by the International Seabed Authority until sufficient scientific evidence is available to assess the potential impact of deep sea mining on marine ecosystems and strong, enforceable regulations are adopted b…
My Lords, as a party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United Kingdom fully supports the work of the ISA. The UK has been fully engaged in the work of the ISA since it was established, following the entry into force of UNCLOS in 1994. There are strong protections in place against deep …
Lords
Oral Questions
26 June 2025
UK Extreme Heat
I hate to disappoint my noble friend by saying that I have not read the report he references, but I will make sure I get a copy this afternoon—it is my birthday this weekend, so that will give me something to do. I referenced the summer resilience network, which is convened by COBRA as a cross-gover…
Lords
Committee Stage
25 June 2025
Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill
I hope the Committee will allow me to express my thanks for the kind words expressed on the birth of my first granddaughter. I wish other grandchildren a successful arrival in the world.
Amendment 124
Lords
Proceedings
25 June 2025
2 contributions
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, good afternoon. Welcome to the sixth and final day on the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill. If there is a Division in the Chamber, which there will not be, we will adjourn for 10 minutes and return here. It is another warm day, so the doors are open at both ends of the R…
I have not yet had a chance to see her, but I very much hope to do so soon. I may get messages and, if my expression changes, it is nothing to do with any of the speeches being made.
Lords
Oral Questions
24 June 2025
Music Education: State Schools
My Lords, until recently, I chaired a charity aimed at inspiring young people with a love of classical music. We developed teaching resources for schools based on Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique”, branded as Fantastique! for Schools. Schools that used them were delighted with them, but scaling up p…
Lords
Proceedings
24 June 2025
UK Infrastructure: 10-year Strategy
My Lords, the Government’s 10-year infrastructure strategy, and the industrial strategy published yesterday, are essential for future growth. If I had to single out one item in the 10-year strategy, it would be to develop our sovereign compute capacity for the future. I am a member of the Science an…
Lords
Proceedings
18 June 2025
Arrangement of Business
If there is a Division in the Chamber, we will adjourn for 10 minutes, but noble Lords have only to look at the screen to see that no Divisions are scheduled for today, thank heavens.
Because of the weather, we will have the doors open. I urge everyone to please drink plenty of water. I can tell th…
Lords
Proceedings
16 June 2025
Conflict in the Middle East
My noble friend the Minister is absolutely right when he says that this is an incredibly dangerous moment. I declare an interest, as I have very close family members who live in north Tel Aviv and who have spent the last two nights in a bomb shelter. Can my noble friend say more to the House about t…
Lords
Proceedings
13 June 2025
AI and Creative Technologies (Communications and Digital Committee Report)
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate, not only because of his enthusiasm but because of his concision. To pack all that into four minutes is quite a quite an achievement.
I declare my interests as an adviser to DLA Piper on AI policy and regulation, and as founder…
Lords
Proceedings
12 June 2025
Parliamentary Commercial Department
I do not think that this is just down to me. The point has been made about having the joint department here, and other noble Lords have said how joint departments are, in many ways, a way forward. We have to ensure that we are a working Parliament, from one end of the building to the other, and the …
Lords
Proceedings
12 June 2025
Arrangement of Business
Good afternoon, my Lords, and welcome to an afternoon of four Questions for Short Debate. If there is a Division in the Chamber, we will adjourn the Committee for 10 minutes, but, as can been seen from the screens, there will not be a Division. Indeed, if noble Lords do not mind my saying so, I rath…
Lords
Debate
11 June 2025
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill
My Lords, I support the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, and her amendment. I am not going to repeat the strong and powerful case that she made, but I want to pick up on a couple of issues. Whistleblowing and a complaints process are two different things—it is a point that I tried to make on Report. A c…
Lords
Committee Stage
5 June 2025
2 contributions
National Security Act 2023 (Foreign Activities and Foreign Influence Registration Scheme: Exemptions for Certain Foreign Power Investment Funds, Education, Government Administration and Public Bodies) Regulations 2025
My Lords, I am very grateful to the Minister for bringing these SIs to the Grand Committee. Like my noble friend, I shall speak briefly about one or two points, in my case, specifically about Iran and the provisions that apply to Iran and, more specifically, about the effectiveness of the Islamic Re…
If my noble friend allows me a moment’s reflection on that detail, I will respond to him with a fuller, meaningful reply. I believe that we are going to be transparent in all of this. The whole purpose of these regulations is to provide transparency and ensure that we tackle national security and gi…
Lords
Oral Questions
13 May 2025
2 contributions
Scientists: Working in the United Kingdom
The UK has a world-leading science base, supported by some of the top universities and research institutions, and offers prestigious fellowships and professorships through UKRI and the national learned academies. As the immigration White Paper sets out, we will now go further in ensuring that the ve…
I thank my noble friend. We have always been the beneficiaries of brain gain; we have been attractive to top-class overseas researchers for many years. Indeed, about one-third of our Nobel prize winners are first or second-generation immigrants. For 2025-26, UKRI has roughly £770 million for talent …
Lords
Committee Stage
13 May 2025
Methane (Environment and Climate Change Committee Report)
My Lords, before I start my speech, I will reflect the comments that we have just heard. I did not manage to get into the noble Viscount’s Oral Question today, but I am deeply concerned about what the Americans are doing to the fundamental scientific basis for our understanding of climate, so I echo…
Lords
Debate
12 May 2025
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill
My Lords, first, I thank the Minister for his very kind remarks, and I shall ensure that they are conveyed to my noble friend Lord Minto. I also thank him for the constructive manner in which he has approached the passage of the Bill. His Majesty’s Official Opposition have welcomed the Bill from the…
Lords
Proceedings
6 May 2025
Energy Grid Resilience
My noble friend the Minister has already referred to the fact that the system operator is introducing innovative new approaches. Might that involve the application of AI to managing the grid? Looking further ahead, and in the light of the report from your Lordships’ Science and Technology Committee …
Lords
Oral Questions
1 May 2025
NHS: Single-sex Spaces for Staff
My Lords, this is a timed debate and people have quite rightly put their names down for it. As the Deputy Chairman of Committees said, the gap has already been passed and I suggest that we move on to hear from the Government Front Bench.
Lords
Proceedings
1 May 2025
Arrangement of Business
My Lords, welcome to an afternoon of Questions for Short Debate. If there is a Division in the Chamber, we will adjourn the Committee for 10 minutes, but the fact is the Chamber will be full for many hours with the Bill, so I do not expect any votes whatever.
Lords
Debate
30 April 2025
2 contributions
Property (Digital Assets etc) Bill [HL]
My Lords, rather like the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, I am afraid I am also going to disappoint the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, because I do not think these amendments are necessary. But I agree with many of the things he said, especially about the evidence that we received. I had never been a Memb…
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, and agree with his amendment. My only regret is that I did not sign it, because you can have four names on an amendment and, if I had another life, I would have immediately put my name to it. I echo his comments about the noble Lord, …
Lords
Debate
30 April 2025
3 contributions
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill
My Lords, I support the Bill and my noble friend the Minister’s amendments. We had an interesting discussion about the phrase “relevant family members” in Committee. I declared an interest at that stage. I retain an interest, certainly until 20 September.
In view of the comment made by the Minister…
My Lords, I will be brief, not least because the points made by my noble friends Lord Beamish and Lady Carberry of Muswell Hill are ones with which agree.
When my noble friend the Minister replies to this debate—which is worth having, without a doubt, and raises serious issues—can he reassure the H…
+1 more contribution in this session