Lords
Oral Questions
9 September 2025
Grenfell Tower: Bureau Veritas
Of course, housing is devolved in Scotland, and it is up to Scottish Ministers to do what they need to. I am sure that my colleague from the Treasury sitting on the Bench with me has heard what my noble friend said and will take the necessary action.
Lords
Proceedings
2 September 2025
Friendly Wifi Certification
My Lords, clearly in general terms, and particularly as this is so much a self-regulating House, we do need to ensure that the authorities are working with Members. I can think of a number of recent issues that have drawn great concern, not only from those involved in governance but from the House m…
Lords
Oral Questions
21 July 2025
Official Development Assistance
It would be a very strange former Minister for Development who would not regret a reduction in the budget—or any Minister in any department, because that is not what any of us is here to do. The Liberal Democrats prioritising certain budgets ahead of others is for them to answer, not me.
Lords
Proceedings
17 July 2025
Post Office Horizon Inquiry: Volume 1
My Lords, I was astonished by the contribution from the Opposition Front Bench, not just because, as the noble Baroness from the Liberal Democrats said, I had assumed this was specifically on the report and not on the Green Paper, but because the noble Lord was talking about the future of the Post O…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 July 2025
2 contributions
European Convention on Human Rights
My Lords, this Government are fully committed to the protection of human rights, domestically and internationally, and remain unequivocally committed to the international human rights framework. As the Lord Chancellor set out in a speech to the Council of Europe, we encourage a constructive dialogue…
I agree with the sentiments behind my noble friend’s question. The ECHR has achieved 75 years of success, but we cannot shy away from developments in our societies. The ECHR and our relationship with it need to change. We are committed to engaging constructively with our friends within the ECHR.
Lords
Proceedings
16 July 2025
Afghanistan
My Lords, further to the point raised earlier by a noble Lord opposite about the lies, misinformation and fake news being spread, let us not pussyfoot around: it is by Nigel Farage and other members of Reform UK. Can the Minister confirm that this could actually put some of the people concerned in f…
Lords
Oral Questions
16 July 2025
Newspapers: Foreign Ownership
I was not aware of the point that my noble friend raises. I will take that back to the department and write to him in due course.
Lords
Oral Questions
15 July 2025
Rutland Lieutenancy
I think that is probably a question for my noble friend Lord Collins to answer, rather than me. But the point is that this issue of devolution will provide greater power and decision-making, and greater funding, for all our local areas. That is a benefit to all of us in the country, and I look forwa…
Lords
Debate
9 July 2025
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill
My Lords, I was sitting here with unusual patience, but the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, has encouraged me to intervene to make just one point. The Bill says it is to:
“Remove the remaining connection between hereditary peerage and membership of the House of Lords; to abolish the jurisdiction of the H…
Lords
Oral Questions
8 July 2025
Forest Risk Commodities
I reassure my noble friend that I regularly talk to my counterparts in the Scottish Government, as I do with the Welsh Government and the Northern Irish Government. Working closely with the devolved Governments is very important, and we can learn from each other.
Lords
Oral Questions
7 July 2025
Unpaid Tax
It is not for me to comment on individual tax affairs, but of course HMRC will treat every taxpayer fairly.
Lords
Proceedings
3 July 2025
British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty
My Lords, my memory is not as good as it used to be, so can the Minister help me? How long ago were the Chagossians removed from their homeland? How many discussions and debates did the previous Government have on this matter, and has she heard any more hypocrisy from the Opposition Front Bench than…
Lords
Debate
2 July 2025
2 contributions
House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill
My Lords, I welcome the setting up of the Select Committee. It is a great step forward. As the noble Baroness knows, I have been particularly concerned about the question of retirement age. I must declare an interest, by the way.
No, I used to be director of Age Concern Scotland, so I have a particular interest in this. Could my noble friend confirm that this Select Committee would be able to consider all aspects of a retirement age—for example, whether it should be different for current Members and new Members, and whether …
Lords
Oral Questions
2 July 2025
NHS, Armed Forces and Civil Service Staff: Public Meetings
My noble friend makes a very important point. We are living in an age of disinformation and there is a responsibility on all of us to make sure that there are clear communication channels, especially when we talk about issues pertaining to policy that has been made by politicians. I also think it is…
Lords
Oral Questions
1 July 2025
UK Weapons Systems
I would like to think I had been able to answer most of the questions that have been asked so far, but I am not sure about this one from my noble friend. I will have a go. First, what the SNP stands for is completely and utterly incoherent. I remember the time a few years ago—I think it was 2012—whe…
Lords
Oral Questions
17 June 2025
Cladding: High-rise Buildings
I will take my noble friend’s request forward. I am always happy to talk to colleagues across other government departments, and let me assure my noble friend that I am always happy to talk to him.
Lords
Oral Questions
16 June 2025
Social Energy Tariff
On behalf of my noble friend Lord Foulkes and with the permission of the House, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper.
Lords
Proceedings
12 June 2025
Spending Review 2025
My Lords, in contrast to the moaning dirge we have from the Front Bench opposite, my inbox is full of emails congratulating the Government on the spending review, and from some unexpected sources, such as Liz Cameron, director of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, who welcomes the Acorn carbon captu…
Lords
Proceedings
12 June 2025
Parliamentary Commercial Department
Can the noble Baroness the Leader confirm that all those individuals—and I mean individuals rather than collective groups of people—who sign contracts on behalf of this House have professional indemnity insurance? Can she explain to the House what that level of cover is and what decisions were made …
Lords
Oral Questions
12 June 2025
Ethics and Integrity Commission
The noble Lord tempts me into areas that are not appropriate, but he is right that there has to be a trusted and valued ethics and standards process in each part of our nations and regions. With regard to the devolved Assemblies, that is wholly a matter for the devolved Governments, but I would hope…
Lords
Oral Questions
12 June 2025
2 contributions
Political Parties and Elections Act 2009
My Lords, if we are talking about motes and beams in different parties, will the Government now publish the redacted elements of the Intelligence and Security Committee’s Russia report on Russian money flowing into the Conservative Party? While I am on my feet, do the Government intend to simplify i…
Let me assure my noble friend that the Government remain steadfast in addressing the threat posed by disinformation and foreign interference in our democratic processes. Safeguarding the UK against such threats is and will always be an utmost priority.
Lords
Oral Questions
11 June 2025
Economic Growth
I very much agree with my noble friend on every word that he said. The spending review that we saw this afternoon from the Chancellor set out capital spending that increases growth by 1.4% in the long term. Every single penny of that capital spending has been opposed by the party opposite. The spend…
Lords
Proceedings
10 June 2025
Winter Fuel Payment
My Lords, I declare an interest as co-chair of the all-party group on older persons. Is the Minister aware that Age UK, which really understands this issue and campaigned on it, welcomes unreservedly the Government’s decision—unlike the Conservatives, who say that they welcome the decision but would…
Lords
Oral Questions
12 May 2025
UK-US Trade
I would be very delicate about suggesting such a thing, but one of the things that we do really well within this nation is that, whichever side of the House we are sitting on, we all want to see the opportunity to trade and understand the value that it contributes to the UK economy. I think we can a…