To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to devolve decisions on the dispersal of asylum seekers to (a) local councils and (b) combined authority mayors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to devolve decisions on the dispersal of asylum seekers to (a) local councils and (b) combined authority mayors.

Lords motion to take note of the Government's political priorities and legislative agenda. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the Government's political priorities and legislative agenda. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, I want to start this debate by paying tribute to Sir Keir Starmer for his immense services to the country. He took Labour to a landslide general election victory. He inherited a country reeling from 14 years of Conservative rule resulting in a weak economy, failing public services...

My Lords, I want to start this debate by paying tribute to Sir Keir Starmer for his immense services to the country. He took Labour to a landslide general election victory. He inherited a country reeling from 14 years of Conservative rule resulting in a weak economy, failing public services...

My Lords, there is a street in Liverpool called Hope Street. It is very special. At each end there is a cathedral and in between are cultural wonders: not only the grade 1 listed toilets in the Philharmonic drinking house—the pub—but the Philharmonic Hall, the Everyman Theatre and, indeed, places...

My Lords, there is a street in Liverpool called Hope Street. It is very special. At each end there is a cathedral and in between are cultural wonders: not only the grade 1 listed toilets in the Philharmonic drinking house—the pub—but the Philharmonic Hall, the Everyman Theatre and, indeed, places...

My Lords, I am sure we all wish Andy Burnham well in his new job as our Prime Minister. He is able to connect with people, is a good communicator and he listens. He has certainly said the right things and spoken honestly and with sincerity about the major issues...

My Lords, I am sure we all wish Andy Burnham well in his new job as our Prime Minister. He is able to connect with people, is a good communicator and he listens. He has certainly said the right things and spoken honestly and with sincerity about the major issues...

My Lords, the economist Keynes, upbraided for changing his view on some matters, allegedly responded with the phrase:

“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?”

In the 26 months since the general election, the facts have changed. We have seen the US assault on Iran, the explosive...

My Lords, the economist Keynes, upbraided for changing his view on some matters, allegedly responded with the phrase:

“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?”

In the 26 months since the general election, the facts have changed. We have seen the US assault on Iran, the explosive...

My Lords, economic growth is the Government’s prime objective. Growth provides the resources to fund all our national goals, from health to the police; from defence to a fair distribution of income. Central to the growth objective is investment. Rachel Reeves laid the foundations for a growing economy with a...

My Lords, economic growth is the Government’s prime objective. Growth provides the resources to fund all our national goals, from health to the police; from defence to a fair distribution of income. Central to the growth objective is investment. Rachel Reeves laid the foundations for a growing economy with a...

My Lords, a new report by Justice, a law reform charity, and King’s College London has found that survivors of the Home Office Windrush scandal who seek compensation should receive the same free legal support given to victims of the Post Office and infected blood scandals. The report points out...

My Lords, a new report by Justice, a law reform charity, and King’s College London has found that survivors of the Home Office Windrush scandal who seek compensation should receive the same free legal support given to victims of the Post Office and infected blood scandals. The report points out...

My Lords, the values that drive the Government’s political priorities are Labour values, shared by the new Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister, to whom I also pay tribute. There has, however, been a very welcome change of tone and direction, building on the work of the last two...

My Lords, the values that drive the Government’s political priorities are Labour values, shared by the new Prime Minister and the former Prime Minister, to whom I also pay tribute. There has, however, been a very welcome change of tone and direction, building on the work of the last two...

My Lords, I am pleased that we are having this very necessary debate, and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, for moving it, not least because it gives me a chance to highlight my Private Member’s Bill targeting waste crime. It is a critical issue that...

My Lords, I am pleased that we are having this very necessary debate, and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, for moving it, not least because it gives me a chance to highlight my Private Member’s Bill targeting waste crime. It is a critical issue that...

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Hunt gave an eloquent introduction to this debate as to why we should support the Government’s political aims. I am a well-known Labour Party hack and I tend to vote for the Government on most occasions, but I have to admit that, in the...

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Hunt gave an eloquent introduction to this debate as to why we should support the Government’s political aims. I am a well-known Labour Party hack and I tend to vote for the Government on most occasions, but I have to admit that, in the...

My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, that the national insurance increase and the farms tax were very bad ideas which did considerable damage. It is a pity that more noble Lords behind the Government did not make that clearer in time to avoid the disaster.

I hope...

My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, that the national insurance increase and the farms tax were very bad ideas which did considerable damage. It is a pity that more noble Lords behind the Government did not make that clearer in time to avoid the disaster.

I hope...

My Lords, I want to focus on the Government’s priorities on creative education and the importance of making changes to improve the uptake of music education in state schools. I warmly welcome the Government’s acceptance of the curriculum and assessment review recommendations, including the removal of the Ebacc performance measure....

My Lords, I want to focus on the Government’s priorities on creative education and the importance of making changes to improve the uptake of music education in state schools. I warmly welcome the Government’s acceptance of the curriculum and assessment review recommendations, including the removal of the Ebacc performance measure....

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Hunt on his excellent introduction to this debate.

I first met our new Prime Minister when he was a special adviser in the first term of the Blair Government. He was a great friend of the man with whom I shared

an office in...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Hunt on his excellent introduction to this debate.

I first met our new Prime Minister when he was a special adviser in the first term of the Blair Government. He was a great friend of the man with whom I shared

an office in...

My Lords, I am glad that the noble Lord, Lord Liddle, raised the question of Europe, because it probably will not surprise those listening to learn that I intend to say a word about that, too. I intend to say a word about it not just because I am deeply...

My Lords, I am glad that the noble Lord, Lord Liddle, raised the question of Europe, because it probably will not surprise those listening to learn that I intend to say a word about that, too. I intend to say a word about it not just because I am deeply...

My congratulations to my noble friend Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on securing this debate. This Government’s agenda marks a fundamental shift in how power and capital are distributed across the United Kingdom, positioning my old European constituency of the West Midlands and the second city of Birmingham as central...

My congratulations to my noble friend Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on securing this debate. This Government’s agenda marks a fundamental shift in how power and capital are distributed across the United Kingdom, positioning my old European constituency of the West Midlands and the second city of Birmingham as central...

My Lords, I wish to discuss two crucial components of the Prime Minister’s programme for growth: the devolution agenda in England and our relationship with the EU. For decades, I have advocated greater devolution of powers to Yorkshire, so I greatly

welcome moves to shift decision-making out of Whitehall. I...

My Lords, I wish to discuss two crucial components of the Prime Minister’s programme for growth: the devolution agenda in England and our relationship with the EU. For decades, I have advocated greater devolution of powers to Yorkshire, so I greatly

welcome moves to shift decision-making out of Whitehall. I...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, on bringing this debate. I also want to apologise to him, because I am always surprised by how passionately he talks about climate change. That is on me. Sorry about that. It is wonderful to listen to.

I have met the new...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, on bringing this debate. I also want to apologise to him, because I am always surprised by how passionately he talks about climate change. That is on me. Sorry about that. It is wonderful to listen to.

I have met the new...

It is a treat to be able to take part in this debate. I will talk about the Government’s programme on pensions, where the scale of what is being undertaken and what is potentially in prospect is far greater than people appreciate. We have

already had one pensions Bill. I...

It is a treat to be able to take part in this debate. I will talk about the Government’s programme on pensions, where the scale of what is being undertaken and what is potentially in prospect is far greater than people appreciate. We have

already had one pensions Bill. I...

My Lords, one thing that I felt incredibly encouraged by with our new Prime Minister was the fact that he seemed to come here with an outside lens, because he has been away from Westminster for 10 years. When he came into Westminster, he was able to voice a lot...

My Lords, one thing that I felt incredibly encouraged by with our new Prime Minister was the fact that he seemed to come here with an outside lens, because he has been away from Westminster for 10 years. When he came into Westminster, he was able to voice a lot...