My Lords, I am delighted to have the opportunity to address your Lordships for the very first time today. My grateful thanks to the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, and the noble Baroness, Lady Byford, for their kind words. Since my introduction to your Lordships' House last year, I have enjoyed...

My Lords, I am delighted to have the opportunity to address your Lordships for the very first time today. My grateful thanks to the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, and the noble Baroness, Lady Byford, for their kind words. Since my introduction to your Lordships' House last year, I have enjoyed...

My Lords, the background to the gracious Speech is of course that the Government have won the election, and we recognise and congratulate them on that. In doing so, however, we note that it was on the lowest popular vote ever. My speech will go broader than the suggested topics...

My Lords, the background to the gracious Speech is of course that the Government have won the election, and we recognise and congratulate them on that. In doing so, however, we note that it was on the lowest popular vote ever. My speech will go broader than the suggested topics...

My Lords, just before the noble Lord, Lord Rana, leaves, I should like to congratulate him on his maiden speech. I am not sure whether we have swapped him for the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, or whether his transfer from one side of the Irish Sea to the other is...

My Lords, just before the noble Lord, Lord Rana, leaves, I should like to congratulate him on his maiden speech. I am not sure whether we have swapped him for the noble Lord, Lord Rooker, or whether his transfer from one side of the Irish Sea to the other is...

My Lords, having witnessed the veritable cornucopia of new legislation unveiled from the Woolsack yesterday by the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor, it is clear that transport has come off pretty badly. But I share with the noble Lord, Lord Snape, the view that we do not need...

My Lords, having witnessed the veritable cornucopia of new legislation unveiled from the Woolsack yesterday by the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor, it is clear that transport has come off pretty badly. But I share with the noble Lord, Lord Snape, the view that we do not need...

My Lords, before attending to the business in hand, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, on her move to her new department. We wish her well. I also welcome the noble Lord, Lord Rana, who will make his maiden speech. We are looking forward to hearing what he has...

My Lords, before attending to the business in hand, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, on her move to her new department. We wish her well. I also welcome the noble Lord, Lord Rana, who will make his maiden speech. We are looking forward to hearing what he has...

My Lords, it is always a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Mackie. He always makes such wonderful sense on all topics relating to agriculture. It is, indeed, a privilege to take part once again in the debate on the gracious Speech. As one of the 90 elected...

My Lords, it is always a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Mackie. He always makes such wonderful sense on all topics relating to agriculture. It is, indeed, a privilege to take part once again in the debate on the gracious Speech. As one of the 90 elected...

My Lords, I have enjoyed the parts of the debate I have heard. I was particularly pleased by the speech from our Front Bench of my noble friend Lady Scott. Like everyone else, I wish the Minister well and hope that he does his best to remember that agriculture is...

My Lords, I have enjoyed the parts of the debate I have heard. I was particularly pleased by the speech from our Front Bench of my noble friend Lady Scott. Like everyone else, I wish the Minister well and hope that he does his best to remember that agriculture is...

My Lords, this has been an interesting and lively debate, with many fine contributions from all sides of the House. In particular, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Rana, on his maiden speech. We learned much about the economy and his views on Northern Ireland. I am sure that he...

My Lords, this has been an interesting and lively debate, with many fine contributions from all sides of the House. In particular, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Rana, on his maiden speech. We learned much about the economy and his views on Northern Ireland. I am sure that he...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Palmer. I can tell him that the hours worked on farms certainly served me in good stead in the other place, where sometimes 80 hours was achieved. It continues to be good training even in this place,...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Palmer. I can tell him that the hours worked on farms certainly served me in good stead in the other place, where sometimes 80 hours was achieved. It continues to be good training even in this place,...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this excellent, wide-ranging debate. On behalf of my noble friend Lady Andrews and myself, I thank all noble Lords who have been kind enough to welcome us to our new posts. Before starting my speech, I want to...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this excellent, wide-ranging debate. On behalf of my noble friend Lady Andrews and myself, I thank all noble Lords who have been kind enough to welcome us to our new posts. Before starting my speech, I want to...

My Lords, first, I welcome the emphasis of the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, on the importance of sustainable communities in rural areas. I wish to raise one subject that I believe is a constraint on the achievement of sustainable communities, and that is the too strict application of green belt...

My Lords, first, I welcome the emphasis of the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, on the importance of sustainable communities in rural areas. I wish to raise one subject that I believe is a constraint on the achievement of sustainable communities, and that is the too strict application of green belt...

My Lords, I apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Cobbold, and to my noble friend on the Front Bench for not being here in time to hear the opening remarks. I am recovering from a nasty asthma attack. The Road Safety Bill passed through the other place before the election...

My Lords, I apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Cobbold, and to my noble friend on the Front Bench for not being here in time to hear the opening remarks. I am recovering from a nasty asthma attack. The Road Safety Bill passed through the other place before the election...

My Lords, I offer my congratulations to the noble Viscount, Lord Simon, on so bravely overcoming such an untimely asthma attack and giving us the benefit of his thoughts. We know that the gracious Speech is an opportunity for the Government of the day to set out their legislative programme....

My Lords, I offer my congratulations to the noble Viscount, Lord Simon, on so bravely overcoming such an untimely asthma attack and giving us the benefit of his thoughts. We know that the gracious Speech is an opportunity for the Government of the day to set out their legislative programme....

My Lords, let me begin by reminding your Lordships' House that the battle against terrorism was referred to twice in the gracious Speech. In Northern Ireland, we know more about terrorism than does any other part of the United Kingdom. With that in mind, I wish to detail the most...

My Lords, let me begin by reminding your Lordships' House that the battle against terrorism was referred to twice in the gracious Speech. In Northern Ireland, we know more about terrorism than does any other part of the United Kingdom. With that in mind, I wish to detail the most...

My Lords, I return to the subject of transport. The gracious Speech referred to two Bills on transport—the Road Safety Bill and the Crossrail Bill. There is probably a Welsh one as well, but we do not know about it. We had the First Reading of the Road Safety Bill...

My Lords, I return to the subject of transport. The gracious Speech referred to two Bills on transport—the Road Safety Bill and the Crossrail Bill. There is probably a Welsh one as well, but we do not know about it. We had the First Reading of the Road Safety Bill...

My Lords, we are in the season of elections, when wisdom is engaged in analysis. Having run five times in almost as many years, I am grateful to your Lordships for re-electing me as an hereditary Peer. It is a great honour to succeed to the place retained with such...

My Lords, we are in the season of elections, when wisdom is engaged in analysis. Having run five times in almost as many years, I am grateful to your Lordships for re-electing me as an hereditary Peer. It is a great honour to succeed to the place retained with such...

My Lords, this is the second occasion on which I have had the good fortune to follow a Member of your Lordships' House who has been returned in a by-election. Indeed, it is by strange coincidence that the first occasion was also in a debate on transport, when I followed...

My Lords, this is the second occasion on which I have had the good fortune to follow a Member of your Lordships' House who has been returned in a by-election. Indeed, it is by strange coincidence that the first occasion was also in a debate on transport, when I followed...

Lords debate on Queens speech (fifth day) on rural affairs, sustainable communities, transport and regional affairs.

Lords debate on Queens speech (fifth day) on rural affairs, sustainable communities, transport and regional affairs.

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to introduce this debate today on our policies for our communities and our regions across the United Kingdom. Perhaps I may say how much I and, I am sure, the whole House is looking forward to the maiden speech of the noble Lord,...

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to introduce this debate today on our policies for our communities and our regions across the United Kingdom. Perhaps I may say how much I and, I am sure, the whole House is looking forward to the maiden speech of the noble Lord,...

My Lords, I join the congratulations given to my noble friends on the Front Bench on their new responsibilities. I shall do my best not to add to their burden. I shall confine my remarks exclusively to the transport issues in the gracious Speech. I draw your Lordships' attention my...

My Lords, I join the congratulations given to my noble friends on the Front Bench on their new responsibilities. I shall do my best not to add to their burden. I shall confine my remarks exclusively to the transport issues in the gracious Speech. I draw your Lordships' attention my...