My Lords, following on from my noble friend’s point, can my noble friend the Minister confirm that any Member of this House can attend Grand Committee, and that it is recorded and can be watched back?
My Lords, could my noble friend the Minister expand on what the Government are doing regarding working with international partners to rebuild confidence ahead of any future discussions?
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Fox of Buckley, for bringing forward this important debate. The Freedom in the Arts report raises important questions about artistic freedom and the role of our cultural institutions in an increasingly polarised society. While Members may reach different co…
My Lords, my noble friend will know that many young carers take on significant caring responsibilities at an early age. What further action are the Government taking to identify and support young carers, so that their caring responsibilities do not limit their ability to reach their full potential i…
My Lords, when we speak about autism and—to expand the debate today—neurodivergence, we are speaking about people with their own strengths, challenges, perspectives and ways of experiencing the world. One point that has stayed with me came from a teacher who described the autistic spectrum as being …
My Lords, modern transport infrastructure is not simply about moving people from A to B. It is about economic growth, productivity, housing delivery, social mobility and national competitiveness. Too often, transport is viewed as a cost. In reality, it is one of the greatest investments that a natio…
My Lords, while the scheme supports energy-intensive sectors, can my noble friend the Minister set out how it will strengthen the competitiveness of our manufacturing base while still supporting jobs and growth in our communities across the country?
My Lords, like every other speaker, I start by remembering the 72 lives lost and the countless others—the victims’ families, friends and the community—whose lives were for ever changed by the fire. The tragedy that took place at Grenfell Tower in the early hours of 14 June 2017 must never be forgott…
My noble friend is quite right to raise this issue. As of January 2025, over £124 million had been paid across to 3,866 Windrush compensation scheme claims, and 94% of claims have now received a final decision. We remain committed to improving the compensation scheme to make sure that it reflects th…
My Lords, I start by congratulating my noble friends Lady Antrobus and Lord Walker of Broxton, and the noble Baroness, Lady Teather—it is always great to see a member of the Brent family on the Benches—on their brilliant maiden speeches. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak at Second Reading. …
LordsCommittee Stage9 February 20262 contributions
My Lords, I am a directly elected mayor of a London borough with a licensing authority and responsibility. I want to speak in favour of and welcome this amendment. The key word is “strategic”. It is important that we recognise that London’s nightlife and hospitality industries are essential to Brita…
Just to correct some of what the noble Baroness alluded to, I see Lewisham as a mix of inner and outer London because we have the south circular and diverse aspects to our borough. She mentioned the police station. All our police station fronts, bar one, have been closed. Lewisham has the largest po…
My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for tabling Amendment 132. Local planning authorities already carry out flood assessments as part of their duties, just as with conservation assessments, tree assessments or bat assessments. Flooding is already part of the routine of planning authorities’ assessm…
LordsCommittee Stage2 February 20263 contributions
My Lords, please forgive me—this is my first time in Committee. I declare an interest as a local authority leader here in London, as the chair of the transport and environment committee at London Councils and as an executive of London Councils. I wish to speak to Clause 27 and to Amendments 118 and …
I thank the noble Lord for his kind comments. I also work on the Local Government Association, where I have a broader purview. In some of the discussions we have heard today, I have been sitting here thinking, “We do that in London, and we need to make sure that other places do it too”. I find that,…
My Lords, it is an absolute privilege to congratulate my noble friend Lady Dacres of Lewisham on an excellent maiden speech. I am sure all noble Lords will agree with me that she is going to be a real asset to this House. My noble friend was born in south London, her parents coming from the Windrush…