Has my noble friend had time to reflect on the merits and demerits of EU membership, and the decision in particular of the people of Iceland over the weekend? Does she agree that a particular significance of that, which might be of relevance to this country, is that it was a decision made by the people of Iceland by over 80% of the electorate voting? There were also marked differences between the views of people in the capital and the views of people in the wider countryside.

Has my noble friend had time to reflect on the merits and demerits of EU membership, and the decision in particular of the people of Iceland over the weekend? Does she agree that a particular significance of that, which might be of relevance to this country, is that it was a decision made by the people of Iceland by over 80% of the electorate voting? There were also marked differences between the views of people in the capital and the views of people in the wider countryside.

Can my noble friend cheer us all up by reminding us, in the election following five years of coalition government, when the public were asked to give their judgment on it, how many Liberal MPs were left?

Can my noble friend cheer us all up by reminding us, in the election following five years of coalition government, when the public were asked to give their judgment on it, how many Liberal MPs were left?

My Lords, it is great to hear my noble friend’s tributes to the railway engineers, who keep the trains going at the same time that they are trying to build in many places new rail developments—which is a much harder job than building a new railway on a completely open tract of land. We may be very good, as we are, with those kinds of engineers. However, on the project for HS2 and similar proposals, particularly the line to Manchester, can my noble friend say whether the department has learned any lessons from the failed attempt to build a high-speed rail network? Virtually every other country in Europe is doing it, as are many in Asia, but we seem to lack the capacity. We really ought to be able to learn some lessons from this.

My Lords, it is great to hear my noble friend’s tributes to the railway engineers, who keep the trains going at the same time that they are trying to build in many places new rail developments—which is a much harder job than building a new railway on a completely open tract of land. We may be very good, as we are, with those kinds of engineers. However, on the project for HS2 and similar proposals, particularly the line to Manchester, can my noble friend say whether the department has learned any lessons from the failed attempt to build a high-speed rail network? Virtually every other country in Europe is doing it, as are many in Asia, but we seem to lack the capacity. We really ought to be able to learn some lessons from this.

To ask The Leader of the House how many private member's bills introduced in the Commons in this session have received Royal Assent.

To ask The Leader of the House how many private member's bills introduced in the Commons in this session have received Royal Assent.

To ask The Leader of the House to list the private member's bills that started in the Commons in this session and that are now being considered in the Lords, indicating the parliamentary stage they have reached so far.

To ask The Leader of the House to list the private member's bills that started in the Commons in this session and that are now being considered in the Lords, indicating the parliamentary stage they have reached so far.

To ask The Leader of the House to list the Lords-starting private member's bills that have had second readings in this session, indicating which of those have begun their committee stages.

To ask The Leader of the House to list the Lords-starting private member's bills that have had second readings in this session, indicating which of those have begun their committee stages.

Further to the question asked by my noble friend Lord Watts, we all know, and the Minister knows, that if a motorist goes through a red light, there are consequences, whether that is points on the licence, fines or maybe increased insurance costs. Can the Minister remind the House what penalties accrue to cyclists when they go through red lights?

Further to the question asked by my noble friend Lord Watts, we all know, and the Minister knows, that if a motorist goes through a red light, there are consequences, whether that is points on the licence, fines or maybe increased insurance costs. Can the Minister remind the House what penalties accrue to cyclists when they go through red lights?

My noble friend, on this Question and a number of others that I have heard him reply on, demonstrates the passion that he feels for the European Union. It is a passion not shared by everyone. Some of us remember that the 40 years when we were in the European Union were not exactly flowing with milk and honey as far as the British economy was concerned.

My noble friend, on this Question and a number of others that I have heard him reply on, demonstrates the passion that he feels for the European Union. It is a passion not shared by everyone. Some of us remember that the 40 years when we were in the European Union were not exactly flowing with milk and honey as far as the British economy was concerned.

Can my noble friend the Minister tell me how adversely the rolling stock strategy has been affected by the cancellation of the Crewe and Manchester legs of HS2?

Can my noble friend the Minister tell me how adversely the rolling stock strategy has been affected by the cancellation of the Crewe and Manchester legs of HS2?

To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been spent to date by (1) the local authorities involved, and (2) His Majesty's Government, in preparing to reform local government in accordance with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been spent to date by (1) the local authorities involved, and (2) His Majesty's Government, in preparing to reform local government in accordance with the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 17 July (HL9084), how many police officers left the force in the year ending 31 March 2025, broken down by how many served (1) for less than 12 months, (2) between 12 months and 5 years, (3)...

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 17 July (HL9084), how many police officers left the force in the year ending 31 March 2025, broken down by how many served (1) for less than 12 months, (2) between 12 months and 5 years, (3)...

My Lords, the exchanges here, as is often the case, really do not reflect the horror of what we see on our television screens night after night after night, which constitutes what is happening in Gaza. We have become immune. It is almost routine these days to see hospitals bombed, schools attacked, trade envoys or humanitarian envoys attacked, and children killed by the thousand. When all these things are going on in front of our eyes and are unchallengeable, to argue about precise definitions of genocide somehow misses the central point, especially when children are now being shot as they queue for food. That has plumbed a depth we have never seen before. Surely, we can acknowledge that whether there is genocide or not, there is no argument whatever that multiple severe war crimes have repeatedly been committed by the Israelis in the Gaza territory.

My Lords, the exchanges here, as is often the case, really do not reflect the horror of what we see on our television screens night after night after night, which constitutes what is happening in Gaza. We have become immune. It is almost routine these days to see hospitals bombed, schools attacked, trade envoys or humanitarian envoys attacked, and children killed by the thousand. When all these things are going on in front of our eyes and are unchallengeable, to argue about precise definitions of genocide somehow misses the central point, especially when children are now being shot as they queue for food. That has plumbed a depth we have never seen before. Surely, we can acknowledge that whether there is genocide or not, there is no argument whatever that multiple severe war crimes have repeatedly been committed by the Israelis in the Gaza territory.

Does my noble friend agree that we would be in a far better position to deal with issues like border security, access to services and knowing who is in the country illegally and who is not if the last Labour Government’s identity card scheme had not been scrapped by the Tories and the Liberals?

Does my noble friend agree that we would be in a far better position to deal with issues like border security, access to services and knowing who is in the country illegally and who is not if the last Labour Government’s identity card scheme had not been scrapped by the Tories and the Liberals?

My Lords, I was very taken with my noble friend Lord Hunt’s forensic analysis of the coalition Government’s performance on health. He mentioned the £3.5 billion figure. I know that my noble friend the Minister is not able to respond to that now, but would it not be very useful and enlightening for us all if we knew precisely how much money was wasted by the coalition Government at that time?

My Lords, I was very taken with my noble friend Lord Hunt’s forensic analysis of the coalition Government’s performance on health. He mentioned the £3.5 billion figure. I know that my noble friend the Minister is not able to respond to that now, but would it not be very useful and enlightening for us all if we knew precisely how much money was wasted by the coalition Government at that time?

To ask His Majesty's Government how many police officers left the force in the past 12 months, broken down by how many served (1) for less than 12 months, (2) between 12 months and 5 years, (3) between 5 years and 10 years, and (4) over 10 years.

To ask His Majesty's Government how many police officers left the force in the past 12 months, broken down by how many served (1) for less than 12 months, (2) between 12 months and 5 years, (3) between 5 years and 10 years, and (4) over 10 years.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list the results of the mayoral elections held on 1 May, including the turnout percentage in each mayoralty.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list the results of the mayoral elections held on 1 May, including the turnout percentage in each mayoralty.

I have a question for the Minister; I am pretty sure that the answer will be that he has no idea, and that will not be any reflection on him because I do not have any idea either. What has been the total cost to the public purse of the implementation of freedom of information legislation for all the numerous organisations, large and small, across the public sector?

I have a question for the Minister; I am pretty sure that the answer will be that he has no idea, and that will not be any reflection on him because I do not have any idea either. What has been the total cost to the public purse of the implementation of freedom of information legislation for all the numerous organisations, large and small, across the public sector?

Does my noble friend recall that, before the last election, the Conservative Government—for reasons that slightly bewildered me and I think some others—decided to massively extend the franchise to people living abroad who had lived abroad for more than 15 years, many of whom had barely ever lived in the country and for whom it was almost impossible to establish even an address at which they were last resident in the United Kingdom? Now that we have had an election under these rules, can my noble friend at least publish for us the extent to which these newly enfranchised people exercised their vote at the last election, which could of course potentially have had an effect in individual constituencies, how much the system cost and whether there are any plans to revert to the previously very satisfactory situation?

Does my noble friend recall that, before the last election, the Conservative Government—for reasons that slightly bewildered me and I think some others—decided to massively extend the franchise to people living abroad who had lived abroad for more than 15 years, many of whom had barely ever lived in the country and for whom it was almost impossible to establish even an address at which they were last resident in the United Kingdom? Now that we have had an election under these rules, can my noble friend at least publish for us the extent to which these newly enfranchised people exercised their vote at the last election, which could of course potentially have had an effect in individual constituencies, how much the system cost and whether there are any plans to revert to the previously very satisfactory situation?

My Lords, as usual, these exchanges are, rightly, reasonably calm and measured but they do not get close to the horrors that we see on our television screens, on news bulletins, night after night, with one horror overtaking another—the latest, of course, seeing starving people herded into the south of Israel and food supplies being used as a weapon of war. One report last week encapsulated it all: a mother, a doctor at a hospital in the south of Gaza, losing nine of her 10 children in an air strike. They were aged from six months to 10 years. I do not know what the right language is to describe this, whether it is carpet bombing, genocide or whatever, but I do know that it is evil—and I would love to hear my noble friend and my Government describe it in precisely those terms.

My Lords, as usual, these exchanges are, rightly, reasonably calm and measured but they do not get close to the horrors that we see on our television screens, on news bulletins, night after night, with one horror overtaking another—the latest, of course, seeing starving people herded into the south of Israel and food supplies being used as a weapon of war. One report last week encapsulated it all: a mother, a doctor at a hospital in the south of Gaza, losing nine of her 10 children in an air strike. They were aged from six months to 10 years. I do not know what the right language is to describe this, whether it is carpet bombing, genocide or whatever, but I do know that it is evil—and I would love to hear my noble friend and my Government describe it in precisely those terms.

My Lords, the only high-speed line we have in this country is the 70-mile line from London to the Channel Tunnel, which opened in 2007. In the meantime, countries all around the world have been developing high-speed rail, while we, under the previous Tory Government, simply cancelled two of the high-speed lines that were being prepared. First, can my noble friend at the very least protect the routes of the planned lines to the north-west and the north-east? Secondly, is it not time that this Government developed a strategy for high-speed rail, which is being done by so many comparable countries across the world?

My Lords, the only high-speed line we have in this country is the 70-mile line from London to the Channel Tunnel, which opened in 2007. In the meantime, countries all around the world have been developing high-speed rail, while we, under the previous Tory Government, simply cancelled two of the high-speed lines that were being prepared. First, can my noble friend at the very least protect the routes of the planned lines to the north-west and the north-east? Secondly, is it not time that this Government developed a strategy for high-speed rail, which is being done by so many comparable countries across the world?