My Lords, I will speak briefly to thank the Minister for her introduction of these SIs and to support them in both general and specific terms. I add one coda: these SIs come without an impact assessment, which is understandable enough in this context, but I keep thinking that we...

My Lords, I will speak briefly to thank the Minister for her introduction of these SIs and to support them in both general and specific terms. I add one coda: these SIs come without an impact assessment, which is understandable enough in this context, but I keep thinking that we...

My Lords, I welcome this SI and am grateful to the Minister for introducing it so effectively and carefully. It is part of a process in which the Windsor Framework becomes more centre stage and the withdrawal agreement takes a step back. This is a vital process: the core of...

My Lords, I welcome this SI and am grateful to the Minister for introducing it so effectively and carefully. It is part of a process in which the Windsor Framework becomes more centre stage and the withdrawal agreement takes a step back. This is a vital process: the core of...

My Lords, it is already apparent that this SI is connected to a wider ideological political debate. We learn from the text of this statutory instrument—we will come back to the text later—that it has virtually no impact, it is already operative in Northern Ireland, and so on.

The Minister has...

My Lords, it is already apparent that this SI is connected to a wider ideological political debate. We learn from the text of this statutory instrument—we will come back to the text later—that it has virtually no impact, it is already operative in Northern Ireland, and so on.

The Minister has...

My Lords, although it is true, as has been acknowledged, that the impact of this SI will be slight to say the least, I accept that the Windsor Framework has been oversold. It was oversold by the Sunak Government and it has been oversold by this Government. But, then again,...

My Lords, although it is true, as has been acknowledged, that the impact of this SI will be slight to say the least, I accept that the Windsor Framework has been oversold. It was oversold by the Sunak Government and it has been oversold by this Government. But, then again,...

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to require local authorities to correct inaccurate statements.

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to require local authorities to correct inaccurate statements.

My Lords, from 2011 I chaired the Department for Education’s independent review of key stage 2 assessment. We had many good discussions with Pearson during that time, and I am very disappointed by this recent debacle. One of the key things is the breakdown between Pearson and the markers, which seems to be at the heart of this failure. Can the Minister probe this when the investigation occurs? The review I was engaged in wanted to produce the most humane, creative key stage 2 set of tests. It was also motivated by a desire to maintain the UK’s significant position in world educational rankings. Nobody owes this country a living. So, this failure is not just a matter of the disappointment to schools and parents in the last few weeks; Pearson has to be told it has a role to play in maintaining this country’s overall placing in world educational attainment.

My Lords, from 2011 I chaired the Department for Education’s independent review of key stage 2 assessment. We had many good discussions with Pearson during that time, and I am very disappointed by this recent debacle. One of the key things is the breakdown between Pearson and the markers, which seems to be at the heart of this failure. Can the Minister probe this when the investigation occurs? The review I was engaged in wanted to produce the most humane, creative key stage 2 set of tests. It was also motivated by a desire to maintain the UK’s significant position in world educational rankings. Nobody owes this country a living. So, this failure is not just a matter of the disappointment to schools and parents in the last few weeks; Pearson has to be told it has a role to play in maintaining this country’s overall placing in world educational attainment.

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Deech for securing this debate and express my agreement with many of the themes in her speech. I declare my interest as a jobbing academic and, having listened to what has already been said this afternoon, I speak with great relief that...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Deech for securing this debate and express my agreement with many of the themes in her speech. I declare my interest as a jobbing academic and, having listened to what has already been said this afternoon, I speak with great relief that...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his statement, particularly his concluding words acknowledging Northern Ireland’s unique dependence on heating oil and how his department will maintain a vigilant eye.

There are issues of timing around this SI, which I am sure will be debated this evening. There were also issues...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his statement, particularly his concluding words acknowledging Northern Ireland’s unique dependence on heating oil and how his department will maintain a vigilant eye.

There are issues of timing around this SI, which I am sure will be debated this evening. There were also issues...

My Lords, like other noble Lords, I am keen to express my gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Hennessy, whom I have known for a long time as a fellow professional historian in this House, for his work and the tremendous influence he has rightly had on the life of...

My Lords, like other noble Lords, I am keen to express my gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Hennessy, whom I have known for a long time as a fellow professional historian in this House, for his work and the tremendous influence he has rightly had on the life of...

I support what the noble Baroness has been saying. There is a problem with democratic deficit but it is perhaps worth reminding ourselves that the leading thrust of the Windsor Framework is not the democratic deficit. It is about the move away from the British Government’s commitment to supporting an...

I support what the noble Baroness has been saying. There is a problem with democratic deficit but it is perhaps worth reminding ourselves that the leading thrust of the Windsor Framework is not the democratic deficit. It is about the move away from the British Government’s commitment to supporting an...

My Lords, I support the intervention of my noble and learned friend Lady Butler-Sloss on the question of Scotland and the Scottish intervention. I do so because it makes me profoundly uneasy. When I was reading the explanatory comments from the Government for this new SI, the emphasis is on...

My Lords, I support the intervention of my noble and learned friend Lady Butler-Sloss on the question of Scotland and the Scottish intervention. I do so because it makes me profoundly uneasy. When I was reading the explanatory comments from the Government for this new SI, the emphasis is on...

My Lords, what is ultimately at stake here is the stability of the institutions of the Good Friday agreement. The EU, to its credit, stretched itself in the lead-in to the Windsor Framework, opening negotiations with the Truss and Sunak Governments. A moment was reached that allowed the Windsor Framework to be part of that process and to return the functions of the institutions. Since then, the EU seems to have returned slightly to its older ways—a series of interventions that are causing destabilisation and strengthening the forces in Northern Ireland that are politically opposed to the Good Friday agreement. In dealing with the EU, will the Minister please make it clear that the survival of the institutions of the Good Friday agreement is fundamental, and that actions that strengthen the support of those hostile to the Good Friday agreement should be avoided at all costs?

My Lords, what is ultimately at stake here is the stability of the institutions of the Good Friday agreement. The EU, to its credit, stretched itself in the lead-in to the Windsor Framework, opening negotiations with the Truss and Sunak Governments. A moment was reached that allowed the Windsor Framework to be part of that process and to return the functions of the institutions. Since then, the EU seems to have returned slightly to its older ways—a series of interventions that are causing destabilisation and strengthening the forces in Northern Ireland that are politically opposed to the Good Friday agreement. In dealing with the EU, will the Minister please make it clear that the survival of the institutions of the Good Friday agreement is fundamental, and that actions that strengthen the support of those hostile to the Good Friday agreement should be avoided at all costs?

My Lords, I want briefly to express my sympathy in support of the amendment of the noble Baroness, Lady Foster. The Minister will recall that, some months ago in Grand Committee, we discussed the noble Baroness’s amendment on this question of the glorification of terrorism. I absolutely respect the concerns...

My Lords, I want briefly to express my sympathy in support of the amendment of the noble Baroness, Lady Foster. The Minister will recall that, some months ago in Grand Committee, we discussed the noble Baroness’s amendment on this question of the glorification of terrorism. I absolutely respect the concerns...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Austin, for securing this debate. I express my agreement with the themes of his speech and those of many other speakers this afternoon. I welcome the Minister to his new position.

I declare the interest that I was for more than 10 years...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Austin, for securing this debate. I express my agreement with the themes of his speech and those of many other speakers this afternoon. I welcome the Minister to his new position.

I declare the interest that I was for more than 10 years...

My Lords, I wish briefly to express my solidarity with and sympathy for the concerns that have already been raised by all the previous speakers. This afternoon, we have been presented with an accurate account of the problems that face the car industry in Northern Ireland.

I want simply to make...

My Lords, I wish briefly to express my solidarity with and sympathy for the concerns that have already been raised by all the previous speakers. This afternoon, we have been presented with an accurate account of the problems that face the car industry in Northern Ireland.

I want simply to make...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her statement, which filled out very carefully the exact situation that we now face with amalgam fillings in a useful and important way. I am very grateful for that.

The noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, is right on one key point. I have friends in...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her statement, which filled out very carefully the exact situation that we now face with amalgam fillings in a useful and important way. I am very grateful for that.

The noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, is right on one key point. I have friends in...

My Lords, the matter of transparency affects not only the people of the United Kingdom but the people of the Irish Republic. Does the Minister agree that it would help the debate—which is now more sophisticated and intense in the Irish Republic—about NATO and neutrality if we could be very open in the United Kingdom about the scale of the work that already goes on, which includes the areas that have been mentioned and many others, in which the United Kingdom helps the defence of the Irish Republic?

My Lords, the matter of transparency affects not only the people of the United Kingdom but the people of the Irish Republic. Does the Minister agree that it would help the debate—which is now more sophisticated and intense in the Irish Republic—about NATO and neutrality if we could be very open in the United Kingdom about the scale of the work that already goes on, which includes the areas that have been mentioned and many others, in which the United Kingdom helps the defence of the Irish Republic?

My Lords, it is with considerable regret that I rise to oppose the regret Motion from the noble Lord, Lord Frost, because I respect enormously the work that the noble Lord did on this question when he was in government. I wish to stress in particular tonight that the introduction...

My Lords, it is with considerable regret that I rise to oppose the regret Motion from the noble Lord, Lord Frost, because I respect enormously the work that the noble Lord did on this question when he was in government. I wish to stress in particular tonight that the introduction...

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Cryer, and agree with him in endorsing, as so many other noble Lords have done, the StandWithUs UK report and its important implications for the leadership of our universities.

Like many academics, I am uncomfortable with the Trump Government’s current conflict with Harvard. But Harvard...

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Cryer, and agree with him in endorsing, as so many other noble Lords have done, the StandWithUs UK report and its important implications for the leadership of our universities.

Like many academics, I am uncomfortable with the Trump Government’s current conflict with Harvard. But Harvard...

My Lords, I express my support for the sentiments expressed in the fine speech by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey. I have two interests to declare. First, the Brown Government—the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, referred to the serious attitude taken by that Government—set up an all-party delegation to Libya, of...

My Lords, I express my support for the sentiments expressed in the fine speech by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey. I have two interests to declare. First, the Brown Government—the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, referred to the serious attitude taken by that Government—set up an all-party delegation to Libya, of...