Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

Lords second reading. Agreed to on question. Bill committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

My Lords, I should make it clear at the outset that I am pro-lobbying—how could I not be, given how much I have done in my time? It has been particularly helpful in the Lords. We do not have constituents to inform us of what needs doing, or not doing,...

My Lords, I should make it clear at the outset that I am pro-lobbying—how could I not be, given how much I have done in my time? It has been particularly helpful in the Lords. We do not have constituents to inform us of what needs doing, or not doing,...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter of Kentish Town, on her success in the Private Members’ Bill ballot. Although the Official Opposition cannot support the Bill in its current form, it is a very interesting Bill which seeks to address one of the most important issues in...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter of Kentish Town, on her success in the Private Members’ Bill ballot. Although the Official Opposition cannot support the Bill in its current form, it is a very interesting Bill which seeks to address one of the most important issues in...

My Lords, I am very pleased to contribute to today’s debate and it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness. Like many Members, I occasionally show visitors, including Americans, around the House. I take them to Central Lobby and I say, “Here it is. It is a place; it...

My Lords, I am very pleased to contribute to today’s debate and it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness. Like many Members, I occasionally show visitors, including Americans, around the House. I take them to Central Lobby and I say, “Here it is. It is a place; it...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate. I was much entertained by his speech. He, along with the Bill’s proposer, rightly said that this is not about trying to restrict lobbying activity; rather, it is about trying to introduce transparency in lobbying activity....

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate. I was much entertained by his speech. He, along with the Bill’s proposer, rightly said that this is not about trying to restrict lobbying activity; rather, it is about trying to introduce transparency in lobbying activity....

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lady Hayter on bringing forward this Bill, and I agree with every single word of her introduction.

Going back to first principles, I agree that lobbying is a useful part of democracy. Like many Members of this House, I have done my fair share...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lady Hayter on bringing forward this Bill, and I agree with every single word of her introduction.

Going back to first principles, I agree that lobbying is a useful part of democracy. Like many Members of this House, I have done my fair share...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, on this excellent Bill, enabling us to have a crucial discussion about transparency. We have a huge problem with public trust in government. Just 27% of the population trust the national Government. There is very good evidence that transparency is one...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, on this excellent Bill, enabling us to have a crucial discussion about transparency. We have a huge problem with public trust in government. Just 27% of the population trust the national Government. There is very good evidence that transparency is one...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter of Kentish Town, on bringing forward the Bill. I understand why she has done so, but I want to make a more general point about what effect the Bill might have.

One of the big problems we have had over many years...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter of Kentish Town, on bringing forward the Bill. I understand why she has done so, but I want to make a more general point about what effect the Bill might have.

One of the big problems we have had over many years...

My Lords, I agree with a great deal of what has been said by a number of speakers, which has the advantage that I will be able to shorten my contribution to today’s debate.

This is a modest Bill that seeks to improve an Act that is not up to the...

My Lords, I agree with a great deal of what has been said by a number of speakers, which has the advantage that I will be able to shorten my contribution to today’s debate.

This is a modest Bill that seeks to improve an Act that is not up to the...

I congratulate my noble friend Lady Hayter of Kentish Town on her success in the ballot for Private Members’ Bills—I have asked her to advise me on my future selection of lottery numbers—and on her compelling introduction to this important and overdue Bill. Like my noble friend and other speakers,...

I congratulate my noble friend Lady Hayter of Kentish Town on her success in the ballot for Private Members’ Bills—I have asked her to advise me on my future selection of lottery numbers—and on her compelling introduction to this important and overdue Bill. Like my noble friend and other speakers,...

My Lords, I warmly welcome the Bill introduced by the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter. I congratulate her on bringing this important measure before the House and seeking to bring the United Kingdom more closely into line with jurisdictions including Scotland, Canada and others, all of which have adopted broader approaches...

My Lords, I warmly welcome the Bill introduced by the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter. I congratulate her on bringing this important measure before the House and seeking to bring the United Kingdom more closely into line with jurisdictions including Scotland, Canada and others, all of which have adopted broader approaches...

My Lords, I am pleased to add my support to my noble friend Lady Hayter of Kentish Town. We need more lobbying transparency in the Lords.

We have been here before. My noble friend encouraged me to table a Private Member’s Bill on this topic back in 2016. I remind the...

My Lords, I am pleased to add my support to my noble friend Lady Hayter of Kentish Town. We need more lobbying transparency in the Lords.

We have been here before. My noble friend encouraged me to table a Private Member’s Bill on this topic back in 2016. I remind the...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to be in the Chamber discussing a piece of legislation on a Friday morning; it is a bit of a change from the atmosphere of the Colosseum that we have been used to on Friday mornings this year. Nevertheless, the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter,...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to be in the Chamber discussing a piece of legislation on a Friday morning; it is a bit of a change from the atmosphere of the Colosseum that we have been used to on Friday mornings this year. Nevertheless, the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter,...

My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to speak in the gap. I did not put my name down to speak because I was at a Madonna concert last night and I was not absolutely certain that I would be available. That is relevant, in that I was a guest of...

My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to speak in the gap. I did not put my name down to speak because I was at a Madonna concert last night and I was not absolutely certain that I would be available. That is relevant, in that I was a guest of...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, on winning the legislative lottery. I too am envious of her luck and thank her for choosing this focused but important topic.

I used to work for a consultancy firm and some of that work involved lobbying, so I have personal experience...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, on winning the legislative lottery. I too am envious of her luck and thank her for choosing this focused but important topic.

I used to work for a consultancy firm and some of that work involved lobbying, so I have personal experience...

My Lords, this has been a thought-provoking debate, with excellent contributions from all sides of the House. Private Members’ Bills are so often a good way to start a debate on a topic that otherwise would not be discussed in so much detail. The noble Baroness, Lady Hayter of Kentish...

My Lords, this has been a thought-provoking debate, with excellent contributions from all sides of the House. Private Members’ Bills are so often a good way to start a debate on a topic that otherwise would not be discussed in so much detail. The noble Baroness, Lady Hayter of Kentish...

My Lords, first, I thank my noble friend Lady Hayter for bringing forward this Bill and facilitating such a thought-provoking debate on such an important topic. I find myself in the very unusual position, for a Lords Minister, of actually speaking from the Dispatch Box on a policy area that...

My Lords, first, I thank my noble friend Lady Hayter for bringing forward this Bill and facilitating such a thought-provoking debate on such an important topic. I find myself in the very unusual position, for a Lords Minister, of actually speaking from the Dispatch Box on a policy area that...

My Lords, I do not know what flatters me most. I think it is the noble Lord, Lord Hayward, moving from Madonna to myself—which I think is the biggest vote of confidence I have ever had from anyone.

I am delighted by those who have come today. I do not know...

My Lords, I do not know what flatters me most. I think it is the noble Lord, Lord Hayward, moving from Madonna to myself—which I think is the biggest vote of confidence I have ever had from anyone.

I am delighted by those who have come today. I do not know...

I thank the noble Baroness for giving way. I find it rather disappointing that she is conflating today’s debate with a debate we had yesterday on political party funding, when I raised some serious concerns about the asymmetry of the Government’s approach. I did not necessarily want to go any...

I thank the noble Baroness for giving way. I find it rather disappointing that she is conflating today’s debate with a debate we had yesterday on political party funding, when I raised some serious concerns about the asymmetry of the Government’s approach. I did not necessarily want to go any...

The issue is whether we want greater trust in democracy. That is what the Bill is about. The idea that we start putting technical and administrative difficulties—

The issue is whether we want greater trust in democracy. That is what the Bill is about. The idea that we start putting technical and administrative difficulties—