Lord in Waiting/Government Whip — Hansard

Lords Debate 8 July 2025 3 contributions

Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

My Lords, I am grateful for the thoughtful contributions made by the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, and the noble Lords, Lord Davies of Gower and Lord German. Amendments 68, 69 and 209 raise important questions about the scope, application and oversight of the powers in the Bill. I will address the c…

I rise to speak to the amendments tabled by noble Lords on the Opposition Front Bench. As we have heard, Amendment 72 proposes to remove the requirement for an authorised officer to ensure that a person has not previously been searched using these powers. I respectfully but robustly oppose this prop…

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Lords Statutory Instrument 3 July 2025

Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2025

In that case, would the noble Lord have proscribed the Greenham women?

Lords Proceedings 2 July 2025

Welfare Reform

My Lords, we have 10 minutes left. We have plenty of time to get everybody in if we are orderly about it. Let us hear from the noble Baroness, Lady Fraser.

Lords Debate 26 June 2025

Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Cameron, for speaking to the amendments tabled by him and the noble Lord, Lord Davies. The purpose behind these two amendments is to ensure that those who possess an item believed or suspected to be used in immigration crime, and those who arrange or facilitate the suppl…

Lords Debate 24 June 2025 3 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Berkeley for tabling Amendment 323E and everyone who contributed to this short but important debate on the issue of substitution clauses. To be absolutely clear, the Government are very alert to the risks that my noble friends Lord Berkeley and Lord Hendy and …

To be clear, we are in Committee. Who knows what comes next?

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Lords Debate 24 June 2025 2 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, let accord break out across the Table. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, for tabling Amendment 320. I do not share the disbelief of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, in hearing it, but only because I probably have more than the passing acquaintance with bits of t…

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, for tabling Amendment 321. We recognise the concern underpinning the amendment and agree that workers finishing late at night should be able to travel home safely and affordably. We are aware that for some workers, particularly thos…

Lords Oral Questions 19 June 2025 8 contributions

English Marine Protected Areas: Bottom Trawling and Dredging

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. I very much welcome last week’s announcement that progress will be made in marine protected areas, as currently 90% of the UK’s MPAs remain open to bottom trawling. Does the Minister agree that, given the state of fish stocks, this is an important move…

My Lords, I wonder if the Minister could help me clarify something. I have a cutting from Fishing News , “the voice of the fishing industry”. When Minister Zeichner addressed the Shellfish Association last week, he said that this news about the ending of bottom trawling will be “very, very grim” for…

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Lords Oral Questions 19 June 2025 8 contributions

Rivers and Estuaries: Derelict Boats

My Lords, the abandonment of vessels is a growing problem on our estuaries and rivers; it is effectively a form of marine fly-tipping. Can the Minister note that there is no real way of tracing the owners of most recreational vessels? This means that the cost of removal often ends up as a cost for l…

My Lords, are the Government aware of the recent operation by Bath & North East Somerset Council to remove five sunken boats from the River Avon, after unsuccessful efforts to get any owners to do so? There may be many good or bad reasons for the abandonment of boats, but does the Minister endor…

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Lords Debate 18 June 2025 10 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble Lords, Lord Sharpe of Epsom and—in absentia—Lord Fox, for tabling Amendments 271ZZA, 274, 277, 278 and 328. Before I go any further, I think we all join the noble Lord, Lord Goddard, certainly from our Benches, in wishing the noble Lord, Lord Fox, the very best and speedi…

We have had a fair amount of scrutiny of the wider proposal, rather than the Bill’s specific fair work agency proposals. As I said, over the past nine years since 2016, there have been 33 different strategies and reports, including—but certainly not limited to—the Taylor report. This is not an area …

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Lords Debate 16 June 2025 6 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, for introducing these amendments tabled by his noble friend Lord Sharpe of Epsom. I thought that, with the contribution from the noble Lord, Lord Jackson of Peterborough, we were starting the history lessons a little early today—early in terms o…

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lords, Lord Freyberg and Lord Clement-Jones, and the noble Viscount, Lord Colville of Culross, for tabling their amendments, all concerning the creative and cultural sectors. I am pleased to be having this debate on how this important sector is being supported by…

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Lords Debate 13 June 2025 2 contributions

Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill [HL]

My Lords, this has been an interesting and, at two points in particular, a confusing debate from my perspective. Before I go into some of the detail of my noble friend Lady Lister’s Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill, I want to respond to the intention to oppose Clause 1 and the comments from t…

I thank noble Lords for this short but interesting debate on this group of amendments. I will try to be brief, given the time. My noble friend Lady Lister’s amendment effectively requires that the grace period not begin until an individual has received their e-visa. A newly granted refugee has digi…

Lords Debate 13 June 2025 3 contributions

Environmental Targets (Public Authorities) Bill [HL]

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, on his Private Member’s Bill, and thank him and all noble Lords who took part in the debate on Amendment 1. I look forward to hearing the noble Lord’s remarks shortly. He rightly highlights through his Bill, and his contributions so far during its…

My Lords, I thank the noble Viscount, Lord Trenchard, for his amendment. He made some points about the new formation of Great British Energy-Nuclear. I am afraid that some of the detail that he asked for regarding the corporate structure of that body is a little beyond my bailiwick, so I undertake t…

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Lords Oral Questions 11 June 2025 7 contributions

United Kingdom Jobs Market

My Lords, 274,000 jobs have already vanished on this Government’s watch and the OBR has already warned that the Employment Rights Bill will have an additional negative impact on levels of employment. Why are the Government so stubbornly pursuing and continuing with this legislation —which can only b…

My Lords, as an MP, it was an absolute pleasure to visit schools, but it was really hard to be unaware of a growing despondency among young people—a real lack of hope for the future, particularly among those who were not hopeful of a university place. Can my noble friend tell us what the Government …

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Lords Debate 10 June 2025 8 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble Lords, Lord Jackson of Peterborough and Lord Sharpe of Epsom, for their amendments relating to the provision of facilities to trade union officials and representatives, and the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, for speaking to them. I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Fo…

I will try to address those points now. Of course we care whether reps, when undertaking any role—whether it is health and safety, learning, or workplace negotiation—comply with the law and are trained in a suitable manner. That does not mean we should necessarily be scrutinising every single thing …

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Lords Debate 10 June 2025 3 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Sharpe of Epsom, for his amendment and I hope, perhaps, that the lack of contributions means that we will make some good progress in Committee today.

On the noise from a sedentary position, I mean in numerical terms, if not in substantive debate. As the noble Lord, Lord Sharpe of Epsom, just outlined, Amendment 213AA seeks to makes specific provisions for access into hospital workplaces by specifying circumstances in which access may be reasonab…

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Lords Statutory Instrument 9 June 2025

Official Controls (Plant Health) and Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) Regulations 2025

My Lords, from that point of view, I had not originally intended to speak, but I suspect I may be the last Back-Bench contributor. In the true spirit of equality, it may be useful if I can make a few comments in relation to that. I am sure that the Front Benchers do not really object to being detain…

Lords Debate 5 June 2025 9 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Holmes of Richmond, for his amendment concerning the licensing of employment businesses. I join the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, in saying how nice it is to see him in his place this afternoon. I share the privilege that the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, noted as I responde…

My Lords, my reputation seems to precede me on this amendment. I am very grateful to my noble friend Lord Faulkner of Worcester for tabling Amendment 201 and have enjoyed a slight diversion in subject matter on the Employment Rights Bill. It is truly a pleasure to be able to continue the discussions…

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Lords Debate 3 June 2025

Employment Rights Bill

Give it a go.

Lords Debate 3 June 2025 2 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who contributed to this short but focused and interesting debate. I too regret that the noble Lord, Lord Holmes of Richmond, was unable to attend; with my Whip’s hat on, I note that perhaps if we had made better progress on earlier days of Committee then we would ha…

My Lords, I thank all who have contributed to this short debate, in particular the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Moulsecoomb, for stepping in very ably. There seems to be a pattern of noble Lords needing to step in during the groups I respond to, but I very much appreciate her moving the amendment o…

Lords Debate 19 May 2025

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I respectfully point out that we have now had more than two hours on this group of amendments and that we have just come up to 12 minutes for the response to this long debate. A fair person would say that this is excessive free speech. I respectfully ask the noble Lord to bring his remarks…

Lords Oral Questions 19 May 2025 11 contributions

Public Transport: Expansion and Electrification

As the Minister will know, surface transport emissions are our largest proportion of emissions in the UK at the moment—about a quarter. The Government have done a fair bit on the buses side, which I welcome, but will they commit to 2030 being the first year when we ban new diesel buses from our road…

Has the Minister made any assessment at all of the effectiveness of the Coventry very light rail system? As its name implies, it is easier and cheaper to construct than conventional urban tramways. In particular, has any assessment been made as to the relevance of that system to possible development…

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Lords Debate 15 May 2025

Renters’ Rights Bill

My Lords, before we start the debate on the first group, it may not surprise noble Lords that, in place of my noble friend Lord Wilson of Sedgefield, today I remind noble Lords, for the final time in Committee, of the protocol around declaring interests. Noble Lords should declare relevant interests…

Lords Oral Questions 14 May 2025 8 contributions

Water: Supply and Infrastructure

I thank my noble friend for that Answer—his first Oral Answer from the Dispatch Box—and I hope all the others are as good as that. Is it correct that, at the current rates of consumption, by 2050 this country will be 5 billion litres of water a day short—that is one-third of our supply—and that the …

My Lords, the Minister just mentioned 2050. It is a fact, unfortunately, that the government target for reducing leakage by 2050 is only 50% from the current level of leakage, which is, of course, far greater than it should be. Does the Minister agree that we ought to have a more ambitious target th…

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Lords Debate 13 May 2025 6 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, this has been another wide-ranging debate and I am grateful for the contributions of all noble Lords. As the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, my opposite number, just said, it has been a moving and profound debate that has demonstrated the complexities of the issues in front of us. There is unanimit…

I am very happy to write to my noble friend with more details. We will cover some of the issues on carer’s leave in the round later in my speech, but I thank him for his intervention.

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Lords Debate 13 May 2025 6 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I beg to move that the debate on this amendment be adjourned.

My Lords, it has been agreed by the usual channels that we break at a time convenient for the Minister to make a Statement, thus allowing her to continue her other business outside the House.

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