Lords
Oral Questions
8 January 2026
New Homes: Target
We have a target to eliminate the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation for families by the end of this Parliament, except in emergencies. I recognise the problems that it causes for families. We have funding of £969 million for temporary accommodation over the next three years and £950 million for…
Lords
Debate
16 December 2025
Victims and Courts Bill
My Lords, I thank the Minister for bringing this important Bill to the House, as it gives me the opportunity to speak about the vital specialist support services that victims of abuse and exploitation so desperately need. The picture we see before us with regards to this is a bleak one, far worse th…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
National Plan to End Homelessness
We had some long debates during the planning Bill about the size of accommodation and the stepping-stone type of accommodation provided in some parts of the country. The noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, initiated those discussions. We are still discussing those issues because they are very important,…
Lords
Debate
15 December 2025
3 contributions
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I have been a community worker for over 35 years now and I have dealt with many communities where one parent has found someone to do tuition, and that has acted as a bit of a kitemark. Other parents have felt they were safe because of the relationship they have with that particular parent.…
This supposes that a parent has the wherewithal, time and skill to interrogate this list. It is not making a level playing field. I have been a governor of many schools. We have people who are employed specifically to do these things. I have never met a parent who has done them. We should be sending…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
11 December 2025
Social Media: Scam Adverts and Fraudulent Content
The noble Lord is absolutely right. The Government have accepted that there is a challenge in that area. There are resources going into educational opportunities, particularly targeted at university students, to help them avoid money laundering. Some months ago I visited a scheme—as it happens, in m…
Lords
Oral Questions
9 December 2025
Facial Recognition Technology: Safeguards
The first point the noble Lord mentions is extremely important, and is why we have asked His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to examine the very issues he has raised. It will report to us shortly, in line with the consultation, which is running in parallel.
On data retention, data is used ag…
Lords
Oral Questions
13 November 2025
Jobs Market
I am grateful for that question; I know that it is something that the noble Lord cares very much about. We are doing a lot for young people. This is what is so exciting about what is happening. We have a youth guarantee, but my boss as Secretary of State has also made it clear that if an eligible yo…
Lords
Debate
12 November 2025
Sentencing Bill
My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Bailey, and I join others in the House in paying tribute to Baroness Newlove. Like the noble Baroness, Lady Chakrabarti, I was very taken with my noble and learned friend Lord Burnett of Maldon saying that lengthening sentences does not neces…
Lords
Debate
10 November 2025
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, I shall speak to my Amendment 22 and to Amendment 1. I believe that we need to look at the current rules as they stand and have a review of those rules, their effectiveness and who they fall upon. As someone who has been a youth worker for over three decades now, I have seen large parts of…
Lords
Oral Questions
3 November 2025
2 contributions
London Boroughs: Financial Support
My Lords, we will deliver fairer funding for all local authorities, including in London. This financial year, we made available up to £13.35 billion of core spending power for London. The spending review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that …
The noble Lord raises an important issue around social care. He will know that the Government are committed to delivering reform to children’s social care and breaking the cycle of late intervention so that every child is safe and can thrive. We have already invested £500 million from the transforma…
Lords
Oral Questions
30 October 2025
National Curriculum: Religious Education
This is a critical issue. To be honest, the Ofsted review has highlighted some failings in this area, which I know will have been the subject of representations to the curriculum review. Teacher training is absolutely at the top of our agenda, and this whole area comes under the heading “need to dev…
Lords
Oral Questions
29 October 2025
Jamaica: Hurricane Melissa
That is a really important point. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to Kamina Johnson Smith, the Foreign Minister in Jamaica, on Monday before Melissa hit, to have exactly that conversation. I know, because I have spoken with Ms Johnson Smith myself in Jamaica, the extent to whi…
Lords
Debate
24 October 2025
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
My Lords, I thank noble Lords for the opportunity to speak in the gap. I would like to make a few comments specifically in relation to this Bill.
I was previously the chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association. I spent many a happy hour— or not—preparing, negotiating and discussing t…
Lords
Debate
19 September 2025
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill
My Lords, I thank all those who have sent me opinions and information on this issue. I declare my interests as a registered nurse and a fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, which has adopted a neutral stance on the Bill, recognising the wide disparity of opinion within its membership.
The fury e…
Lords
Oral Questions
3 September 2025
Prostate Cancer
My Lords, my story is slightly different from that of the noble Lord, Lord Bailey. A few months ago, I had an elevated PSA. Within 36 hours, the surgery to which I go, run by the excellent Dr Sheldon, had put me on a cancer pathway and offered me an MRI. I was absolutely amazed by this efficiency. T…
Lords
Oral Questions
3 September 2025
Nitrous Oxide Misuse: Drivers
I am grateful for the noble Lord’s question. The figures for the last 12 months, which may help, show that 0.9% of adults aged 16 to 59 years old have been reported as using nitrous oxide in the past year. That sounds like a small number, but it is quite a significant number of individuals. We need …
Lords
Oral Questions
24 July 2025
Young Futures Hubs
The noble Lord is right that all the places that he talked about will have a role to play in supporting young people with mental health issues, who have had very difficult starts in their lives, helping to keep them out of crime. I hope I can reassure the noble Lord that the point about Young Future…
Lords
Proceedings
18 July 2025
Strategic Defence Review 2025
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord McCabe, on his maiden speech. If a Glaswegian can become a Brummie, everything is possible. I also put on record my thanks to the Minister for his efforts in ensuring that the armaments business throughout the United Kingdom is regionally recognised. He …
Lords
Debate
16 July 2025
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, I support Amendment 100 from my noble friend Lady Penn. I want to focus on the societal and class element of this. I come from a community that has some of the poorest social outcomes in the whole of Europe. One of the features of my community is the lack of a father in the home. I have wa…
Lords
Debate
14 July 2025
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, I support this amendment from the noble Lord, Lord Hogan-Howe. I want to come at it from a slightly different angle. This could be a vital piece to help the police with one of their weakest areas—representation in the community. I have been a youth worker for over 38 years now, and most of…
Lords
Oral Questions
3 July 2025
3 contributions
Housing Associations: Financial Assistance
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, and I declare my interest as chairman of Faraday Ventures, which is set up to provide social housing and key worker housing.
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Bailey, who I know is passionate about housing, particularly for young people. His question is very timely: just yesterday, we announced our long-term plan to deliver a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing. As part of this, we will provide the bi…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Debate
25 June 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, I declare my interests in the register—in particular, that I am a farmer and landowner in Cumbria, president of Historic Buildings and Places, and until last autumn was for six years chairman of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership. I have also been involved in rural, environmental and…
Lords
Oral Questions
23 June 2025
Business Rates Reform
I am grateful to the noble Lord for his question. As he will know, the current business rates system, with temporary reliefs for retail, hospitality and leisure, creates a yearly cliff edge for the sector, disincentivises investment, creates uncertainty and places an undue burden on our high streets…
Lords
Proceedings
18 June 2025
Child Sexual Exploitation: Casey Report
My Lords, one of the greatest failings in this horrific case of exploitation was that many, particularly police officers, were afraid to come forward. They felt that they would be accused of being racist and that would be the end of their careers. What support is the Minister going to give in the co…
Lords
Oral Questions
12 June 2025
Wildfires
My Lords, this has been an excellent debate. I thank the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, for bringing it and for his excellent speech. Having recently asked an Oral Question on this matter, I am particularly grateful for the Government’s wildfire strategy and action plan.
I congratulate the noble Lord,…