Lords debate on King's speech (third day) on health, education, housing and welfare.

Lords debate on King's speech (third day) on health, education, housing and welfare.

My Lords, in the time available to me, I would have liked to address my remarks to the effect that the new legislation will have on two of my main areas of interest: equalities and prisoner welfare. However, that would have made a very short speech indeed. The word “equality”...

My Lords, in the time available to me, I would have liked to address my remarks to the effect that the new legislation will have on two of my main areas of interest: equalities and prisoner welfare. However, that would have made a very short speech indeed. The word “equality”...

My Lords, it has been a pleasure to listen to so many eloquent, insightful and passionate contributions in this debate on the gracious Speech. I rise to speak in favour of the Government’s leasehold and freehold reform Bill, which represents a crucial step in eliminating the opaque management fees, exploitative...

My Lords, it has been a pleasure to listen to so many eloquent, insightful and passionate contributions in this debate on the gracious Speech. I rise to speak in favour of the Government’s leasehold and freehold reform Bill, which represents a crucial step in eliminating the opaque management fees, exploitative...

My Lords, on behalf of all noble Lords, I thank His Majesty for his gracious Speech. I am truly honoured to be a Minister in his Government and to open this debate.

I always said that I wanted to be a different kind of Minister, and today is no different. Over...

My Lords, on behalf of all noble Lords, I thank His Majesty for his gracious Speech. I am truly honoured to be a Minister in his Government and to open this debate.

I always said that I wanted to be a different kind of Minister, and today is no different. Over...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing today’s debate on the humble Address with such a personal and heartfelt speech. It was a privilege to be present to hear the King’s first Speech of his reign to this House earlier this week, and it is a privilege to open...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing today’s debate on the humble Address with such a personal and heartfelt speech. It was a privilege to be present to hear the King’s first Speech of his reign to this House earlier this week, and it is a privilege to open...

My Lords, I will largely speak to the health and care aspects of the gracious Speech, while colleagues who are more expert will cover some of the other areas.

I have been very struck that, when talking about the gracious Speech, whatever question the Health Secretary is asked, his answer is...

My Lords, I will largely speak to the health and care aspects of the gracious Speech, while colleagues who are more expert will cover some of the other areas.

I have been very struck that, when talking about the gracious Speech, whatever question the Health Secretary is asked, his answer is...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to contribute to this debate on the King’s gracious Speech, and to acknowledge His Majesty’s Government’s commitments for this Session. I declare my interests as chair of Look Ahead, a housing association that supports homeless people, and as a non-executive director at NHS England.

First,...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to contribute to this debate on the King’s gracious Speech, and to acknowledge His Majesty’s Government’s commitments for this Session. I declare my interests as chair of Look Ahead, a housing association that supports homeless people, and as a non-executive director at NHS England.

First,...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to participate in this debate on the gracious Speech. I declare my interests as recorded in the register.

I begin by joining noble Lords across the House in welcoming the indication in the Speech that the Government will legislate for a ban on smoking. As...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to participate in this debate on the gracious Speech. I declare my interests as recorded in the register.

I begin by joining noble Lords across the House in welcoming the indication in the Speech that the Government will legislate for a ban on smoking. As...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure for me to follow Sarah Mullally, the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London. She has a very interesting—I was going to say “past” but I think they call it a “back story” today. She has done a huge amount in the National...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure for me to follow Sarah Mullally, the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London. She has a very interesting—I was going to say “past” but I think they call it a “back story” today. She has done a huge amount in the National...

My Lords, I follow other noble Lords, in welcoming and supporting the measures to reduce smoking, but like the right reverend Prelate, I am most concerned this afternoon about the lack of any broad-based public health programmes in the gracious Speech. Public health, after all, is central to successful healthcare...

My Lords, I follow other noble Lords, in welcoming and supporting the measures to reduce smoking, but like the right reverend Prelate, I am most concerned this afternoon about the lack of any broad-based public health programmes in the gracious Speech. Public health, after all, is central to successful healthcare...

My Lords, a gracious Speech is a helpful indicator of a Government’s position and their intended programme for the coming years. This speech is quite clear: it is a series of individual bits and pieces with not a strategy in sight. That is something we should pay a great deal...

My Lords, a gracious Speech is a helpful indicator of a Government’s position and their intended programme for the coming years. This speech is quite clear: it is a series of individual bits and pieces with not a strategy in sight. That is something we should pay a great deal...

My Lords, I declare my various housing interests on the register, including as chair of the Devon Housing Commission, whose work informs my comments today. I welcome the Government’s proposals in the Renters (Reform) Bill and the announcement of important legislation on leasehold reform. I am sure that there will...

My Lords, I declare my various housing interests on the register, including as chair of the Devon Housing Commission, whose work informs my comments today. I welcome the Government’s proposals in the Renters (Reform) Bill and the announcement of important legislation on leasehold reform. I am sure that there will...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Best. A wise political party would cut and paste his speech and put it in its next election manifesto under housing.

I warmly welcome three of the Bills relevant to today: the leasehold and freehold Bill, the Renters (Reform)...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Best. A wise political party would cut and paste his speech and put it in its next election manifesto under housing.

I warmly welcome three of the Bills relevant to today: the leasehold and freehold Bill, the Renters (Reform)...

My Lords, there is no vision in the gracious Speech to remedy the poverty and injustice that blight our nation. The Minister spoke of the miscellaneous measures the Government intend to take, but they fall far short of what is needed in relation to the challenge. The plans to reform...

My Lords, there is no vision in the gracious Speech to remedy the poverty and injustice that blight our nation. The Minister spoke of the miscellaneous measures the Government intend to take, but they fall far short of what is needed in relation to the challenge. The plans to reform...

My Lords, the central theme of the gracious Speech was long-term decisions to change this country for the better, but so very much was missing. I particularly liked the description we heard of it as thin gruel.

As other noble Lords have said, in appropriately trenchant terms, and my key point...

My Lords, the central theme of the gracious Speech was long-term decisions to change this country for the better, but so very much was missing. I particularly liked the description we heard of it as thin gruel.

As other noble Lords have said, in appropriately trenchant terms, and my key point...

My Lords, health and social care did not feature prominently in the gracious Speech. The mental health Bill, about which we have heard, was a much-needed reform, as was social care reform. I welcome the measures to reduce smoking, both for individuals and for the cost benefit this would bring...

My Lords, health and social care did not feature prominently in the gracious Speech. The mental health Bill, about which we have heard, was a much-needed reform, as was social care reform. I welcome the measures to reduce smoking, both for individuals and for the cost benefit this would bring...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Browning. I found myself in the position that she has just described only last year.

I appreciated the tone of the Minister’s introduction to the debate. The gracious Speech referred to delivering on the NHS workforce plan, the...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Browning. I found myself in the position that she has just described only last year.

I appreciated the tone of the Minister’s introduction to the debate. The gracious Speech referred to delivering on the NHS workforce plan, the...

My Lords, I too thank the Minister for the tone of his introduction to this debate, but a King’s Speech is an opportunity for a Government to take stock of progress towards their objectives. One might therefore have expected that this Government would have looked at their earlier manifesto promises...

My Lords, I too thank the Minister for the tone of his introduction to this debate, but a King’s Speech is an opportunity for a Government to take stock of progress towards their objectives. One might therefore have expected that this Government would have looked at their earlier manifesto promises...

My Lords, the Holocaust Memorial Bill has been carried over from the previous Session. I speak with a heavy heart. Since the brutal mass slaughter undertaken by Hamas against innocent communities in Israel, there has been a worldwide outbreak of anti-Semitism, not least in this country. On our streets, people...

My Lords, the Holocaust Memorial Bill has been carried over from the previous Session. I speak with a heavy heart. Since the brutal mass slaughter undertaken by Hamas against innocent communities in Israel, there has been a worldwide outbreak of anti-Semitism, not least in this country. On our streets, people...

My Lords, I join others in saying that I appreciate greatly the tone in which the Minister introduced the debate. I very much regret that I cannot say the same thing about the grief he was required to articulate.

When thinking about what I should say today, I came across the...

My Lords, I join others in saying that I appreciate greatly the tone in which the Minister introduced the debate. I very much regret that I cannot say the same thing about the grief he was required to articulate.

When thinking about what I should say today, I came across the...