To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the effectiveness of UK soil protection policies, such as those contained in their cross compliance guidance, is evaluated, and what improvements have been seen as a result of such policies.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the effectiveness of UK soil protection policies, such as those contained in their cross compliance guidance, is evaluated, and what improvements have been seen as a result of such policies.

My Lords, my comments will follow those of my noble friend who has just sat down and of my noble friend Lady Hayter. I have been concerned for some time about the poor standard of service to many people from the banks. I want to say first of all that...

My Lords, my comments will follow those of my noble friend who has just sat down and of my noble friend Lady Hayter. I have been concerned for some time about the poor standard of service to many people from the banks. I want to say first of all that...

Lords question for short debate on whether they have any plans to ensure that retail banks treat their vulnerable customers fairly.

Lords question for short debate on whether they have any plans to ensure that retail banks treat their vulnerable customers fairly.

My Lords, the story begins with a letter, out of the blue, to a 93 year-old woman, just two days out of hospital, from her bank, giving her, after 60 years with it, “formal notice” that her account,

“will be closed and our contact with you ended”—

allegedly a decision “not taken...

My Lords, the story begins with a letter, out of the blue, to a 93 year-old woman, just two days out of hospital, from her bank, giving her, after 60 years with it, “formal notice” that her account,

“will be closed and our contact with you ended”—

allegedly a decision “not taken...

My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to hear from the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, about the experience that she has described. It is certainly the case that banks need to look at how their systems work regarding vulnerable customers. I was hoping today to raise the wider issue...

My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to hear from the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, about the experience that she has described. It is certainly the case that banks need to look at how their systems work regarding vulnerable customers. I was hoping today to raise the wider issue...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, on securing this important debate. For clarity, perhaps I should point out that although my name is Cashman, I am not a banker.

I have been concerned for some time, as someone who lives in a part of London that is both...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, on securing this important debate. For clarity, perhaps I should point out that although my name is Cashman, I am not a banker.

I have been concerned for some time, as someone who lives in a part of London that is both...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken today and I especially thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, for securing the debate and giving me this opportunity to explain how the Government try to ensure that retail banks treat their vulnerable customers fairly.

I have to say that I...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken today and I especially thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, for securing the debate and giving me this opportunity to explain how the Government try to ensure that retail banks treat their vulnerable customers fairly.

I have to say that I...

I beg to move,

That this House notes the findings of The Children’s Society’s report entitled Old enough to know better? which looked at the sexual exploitation of 16 and 17 year olds; further notes the particular vulnerability of that age group as they transition from childhood to adulthood and the...

I beg to move,

That this House notes the findings of The Children’s Society’s report entitled Old enough to know better? which looked at the sexual exploitation of 16 and 17 year olds; further notes the particular vulnerability of that age group as they transition from childhood to adulthood and the...

The hon. Gentleman’s remarks so far have been music to my ears. When I chaired the Children, Schools and Families Committee we looked at children in care. He is absolutely right about vulnerability. Does he agree that access to therapeutic care for those children at that crucial age is often...

The hon. Gentleman’s remarks so far have been music to my ears. When I chaired the Children, Schools and Families Committee we looked at children in care. He is absolutely right about vulnerability. Does he agree that access to therapeutic care for those children at that crucial age is often...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. Indeed, progress needs to be made in all manner of policy areas to deal with this issue.

Their vulnerability to child sexual exploitation is one area where we can stop failing those young people now. Their characteristics mean that this particular group of young people...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. Indeed, progress needs to be made in all manner of policy areas to deal with this issue.

Their vulnerability to child sexual exploitation is one area where we can stop failing those young people now. Their characteristics mean that this particular group of young people...

Does the hon. Gentleman share my misgivings—I make myself very unpopular on the Labour Benches in this regard—about introducing the vote at 16, which would be a move towards adulthood at 16 and therefore reinforce the problem of the shrinking of childhood? We must be very careful about that as...

Does the hon. Gentleman share my misgivings—I make myself very unpopular on the Labour Benches in this regard—about introducing the vote at 16, which would be a move towards adulthood at 16 and therefore reinforce the problem of the shrinking of childhood? We must be very careful about that as...

I realise that the House is divided over the issue of votes at 16. My personal view is that we should stay at 18. I am trying to illustrate the fact that the two years between sexual consent and legal majority is a particular zone of childhood which, as I...

I realise that the House is divided over the issue of votes at 16. My personal view is that we should stay at 18. I am trying to illustrate the fact that the two years between sexual consent and legal majority is a particular zone of childhood which, as I...

On the topic of public attitudes and misperception, is the hon. Gentleman aware of the case of Maria Cahill, who bravely came forward to the authorities, and eventually to the media, with her story of abuse within the republican movement, as a member of that movement, and how her story...

On the topic of public attitudes and misperception, is the hon. Gentleman aware of the case of Maria Cahill, who bravely came forward to the authorities, and eventually to the media, with her story of abuse within the republican movement, as a member of that movement, and how her story...

I am sad to say that I do not know of that particular case, but the hon. Gentleman makes a powerful point.

This point is so obvious that it should not need stating, but I will do so anyway, because even when it is intellectually understood, people still do not “get...

I am sad to say that I do not know of that particular case, but the hon. Gentleman makes a powerful point.

This point is so obvious that it should not need stating, but I will do so anyway, because even when it is intellectually understood, people still do not “get...

I am grateful to have an opportunity to speak in this debate and grateful that it has been secured.

The focus of the debate could not be more serious. Protecting our young people from sexual exploitation as they make the transition from childhood to adulthood

must be a priority of this House....

I am grateful to have an opportunity to speak in this debate and grateful that it has been secured.

The focus of the debate could not be more serious. Protecting our young people from sexual exploitation as they make the transition from childhood to adulthood

must be a priority of this House....

I will quickly knock two minutes off my speech, Madam Deputy Speaker.

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Patricia Gibson) and to hear about some of the good work going on in Scotland. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North West...

I will quickly knock two minutes off my speech, Madam Deputy Speaker.

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Patricia Gibson) and to hear about some of the good work going on in Scotland. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North West...

It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton), who did so much excellent work as children’s Minister to tackle child sexual exploitation.

“Old enough to know better?” is, indeed, a thought-provoking report by the Children’s Society, which has long been concerned about...

It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton), who did so much excellent work as children’s Minister to tackle child sexual exploitation.

“Old enough to know better?” is, indeed, a thought-provoking report by the Children’s Society, which has long been concerned about...

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire (Kit Malthouse) and the hon. Member for Stockport (Ann Coffey) for securing this debate, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire on his speech, which he made with great passion.

Sixteen and 17-year-olds sometimes believe...

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire (Kit Malthouse) and the hon. Member for Stockport (Ann Coffey) for securing this debate, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire on his speech, which he made with great passion.

Sixteen and 17-year-olds sometimes believe...

I declare an interest as the founder of the Early Intervention Foundation. It is a great privilege to follow the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood (Kelly Tolhurst) who made an eloquent speech. Those who see Members of Parliament from the end of 140 characters on Twitter would do well...

I declare an interest as the founder of the Early Intervention Foundation. It is a great privilege to follow the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood (Kelly Tolhurst) who made an eloquent speech. Those who see Members of Parliament from the end of 140 characters on Twitter would do well...

In the interests of time, let me put on the record that the Department for

Education has recently announced a new What Works centre for child protection. That will build an evidence base to show us the best practice available to help social workers, health workers, the police and other...

In the interests of time, let me put on the record that the Department for

Education has recently announced a new What Works centre for child protection. That will build an evidence base to show us the best practice available to help social workers, health workers, the police and other...