Lords
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
Royal Navy: Nuclear Submarines
Of course, the Government’s position is to maintain the position that we have had over many decades. I appreciate the point that the noble Lord raises. He will know—because the debate often rages about this—that the fact he can say that and can speak without fear or favour in this Chamber in a democ…
Lords
Proceedings
14 January 2026
Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes
My Lords, the Minister will have gathered that all parts of this House feel very strongly indeed on this matter. It is quite outrageous that people’s bodies should be used in that way. I pick up one point that was mentioned on the Front Bench: surely, in extremis, there should be custodial sentences…
Lords
Committee Stage
12 January 2026
Pension Schemes Bill
My Lords, I apologise that I, too, missed Second Reading, for reasons outside my control. When you are in a party with two or three Members, it is very difficult to spread yourself in all directions. I have an interest in this area going back to when I was a trustee of the National Assembly’s pensio…
Lords
Proceedings
6 January 2026
Venezuela
My Lords, surely we should stop being mealy-mouthed about this issue. There is no basis in the international framework of law that can justify this action. If Russia had marched into Ukraine a few years ago, kidnapped its President, put him on trial in Moscow and locked him up, we would be shouting …
Lords
Proceedings
6 January 2026
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief
My Lords, I welcome, without reservation, the change made by the Government. The Minister will be aware of the considerable concern that there was among small farmers in Wales and the impact that the uncertainty was having on their sector. In that context, can he also have a look at the threat to th…
Lords
Oral Questions
6 January 2026
Flooding Interventions
Absolutely. The noble Lord makes an important point: floodwater does not recognise boundaries, as I think we all know. I live in Cumbria, which, again, is a community with a border with one of the devolved nations. I meet regularly with my Welsh and Scottish counterparts, as well as those in Norther…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 December 2025
National Plan to End Homelessness
I agree with the noble Lord about the scandal of homelessness. That is exacerbated in the wintertime. Of course, we want to see both more homes and more buildings generally brought back into use. The Government’s strategy on delivering more housing is looking at this from a number of different angle…
Lords
Oral Questions
25 November 2025
Wales: Further Devolution
The noble Lord raises an interesting point. There are still six months until the elections, and I would expect to see another Labour Administration elected next year. We will be working hard to deliver, as we do every day for the people of Wales and for the people of the United Kingdom. With regard …
Lords
Oral Questions
19 November 2025
2 contributions
Road Injuries and Deaths
My Lords—
The noble Lord makes a good point. I saw recently some very revealing figures on the reduction of accidents in Wales as a consequence of the imposition of the 20 miles per hour speed limit, although there are other views about its blanket introduction; the Government’s view is that introducing lower…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 November 2025
Teachers: Music, Drama, Art and Design, and Dance
I am sure that the noble Lord’s wife is doing an enormously important job in developing an interest in harping in the pupils whom she teaches. We need to ensure that we have qualified teachers with access to the support for their specialisms—which, for example, the Government aim to provide through …
Lords
Oral Questions
12 November 2025
2 contributions
Barnett Formula: Wales
The Barnett formula is a key part of the arrangements for pooling and sharing risk and resources across the UK. It is simple and efficient and provides a clear and certain outcome. The inclusion of a needs-based factor in the Barnett formula ensures that it accounts for the high relative needs of th…
I thank the noble Lord for that question. The Barnett formula does reflect the higher level of needs in Wales. A 5% needs-based factor in the formula ensures that Wales receives fair funding. It is the biggest uplift since 1998, when devolution started. As far as the railways are concerned, the UK G…
Lords
Debate
5 November 2025
Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
My Lords, I too, like my noble colleague, have not intervened on this Bill until now, but I feel compelled to, having listened to the noble Lord, Lord Dubs. If anybody has a right to speak on this issue, he has. If we have a duty to listen to anyone on this issue, our duty is to listen to him. A Lab…
Lords
Oral Questions
5 November 2025
Prison Services: Insourcing
Across the English and Welsh prisons, we have 270 local contracts, with 88 education suppliers, including many voluntary organisations. I have regular meetings and conversations with Welsh colleagues as well. Even though I live just over the border in England, when I wake up in the morning and open …
Lords
Debate
27 October 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, I will speak very briefly on this, because the Hillside case arose in Merioneth in 1967, where I happened to be the parliamentary candidate in the 1970 election. I remember the considerable controversy there was about the application for 400 houses to be built in the vicinity of Aberdyfi, …
Lords
Debate
20 October 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill
My Lords, I intervene very briefly. As the noble Lord, Lord Lansley, rightly pointed out, many of these matters were not dealt with in Committee, but they are arising now. The Minister referred to Capel Celyn and the controversy that arose in Wales with regard to what was known as the Tryweryn Valle…
Lords
Oral Questions
14 October 2025
Prisoners: Reoffending
I believe that everybody who leaves prison should have the opportunity for a full life after they have served their punishment. We need to run prisons well, and it is difficult to run them well when they are 99.9% full. That is why our focus in the Sentencing Bill is on a sustainable justice system,…
Lords
Oral Questions
10 September 2025
Nuclear Regulatory System
As I said to my noble friend, we will do everything as speedily as possible. We will move forward on this. I say to the noble Lord: safety is of paramount importance, of course it is, and there cannot be any compromise on that, but we have to get on with this. In the mid-1990s, 25% of our electricit…
Lords
Oral Questions
22 July 2025
Great British Energy: Nuclear Development
The preferred bidder is Rolls-Royce and I think we are ahead of the curve in all this. We are investing in the technology and we want to see it coming online in the medium to long term—some time in the 2030s. This technology will revolutionise nuclear power in the country, so that we can spread out …
Lords
Debate
16 July 2025
Employment Rights Bill
My Lords, I intervene briefly to thank the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, for introducing the amendment. Anyone who heard the interview on Radio 4 this morning could not but have been moved by the circumstances that are the background to the amendment.
I speak as one who had the experience of …
Lords
Oral Questions
16 July 2025
Parthenon Sculptures: Return
The loan of documents, whether it is from the British Museum or the British Library, is routine. I am happy to raise this particular point with the British library, but it operates independently of the Government, so a decision on that would be for its trustees.
Lords
Oral Questions
15 July 2025
Taxes
We listen carefully to all Budget representations, but as I say, I will not speculate on the next Budget now.
Lords
Proceedings
14 July 2025
Road and Rail Projects
My Lords, the Minister is familiar with the intricacies of the Barnett formula. I know that because he has quoted it to me in the past. Will he therefore confirm that the Barnett formula, as far as rail is concerned, will indeed generate money for Wales from those projects that are England-only, suc…
Lords
Oral Questions
8 July 2025
Data Centres: Energy and Water Consumption
The AI growth zones can be distributed right the way around the country. There is a very specific plan for each of those proposals, and they must be looked at with local engagement with the relevant authorities. I am sure there will be contact with the devolved Governments as part of that.
Lords
Proceedings
24 June 2025
UK Infrastructure: 10-year Strategy
My Lords, I join the cross-party consensus on the issue of skills. The Minister referred to the 16 to 19 year-old skills requirement age group. Does he also accept that, if we are going to successfully get investment into sectors such as the energy sector, which is a key part of the development the …
Lords
Oral Questions
12 June 2025
Ethics and Integrity Commission
The noble Lord raises an excellent point. I am just assured by my noble friend sitting to my right that we are working on that in the English devolution Bill and that conversations are ongoing.