My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, is to be congratulated on stimulating a very good debate. I agree with her fundamentally about freedom of speech and the shocking rise in antisemitism and intolerance in our universities, but I do not agree with the central thrust of her argument: that...

My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, is to be congratulated on stimulating a very good debate. I agree with her fundamentally about freedom of speech and the shocking rise in antisemitism and intolerance in our universities, but I do not agree with the central thrust of her argument: that...

My Lords, is it not clear that this is a welcome step forward, but that it cannot be the end of the story? We have to reaffirm our commitment to 3% by the end of this decade, and 3.5% by the middle of the next decade, as firm commitments of...

My Lords, is it not clear that this is a welcome step forward, but that it cannot be the end of the story? We have to reaffirm our commitment to 3% by the end of this decade, and 3.5% by the middle of the next decade, as firm commitments of...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Evans of Rainow, on securing this debate and on the largely non-partisan way in which he explained the problem.

I would love to see cross-party consensus on welfare reform, but if we are to get that, I totally agree with my noble friend...

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Evans of Rainow, on securing this debate and on the largely non-partisan way in which he explained the problem.

I would love to see cross-party consensus on welfare reform, but if we are to get that, I totally agree with my noble friend...

My Lords, I declare an interest in that my wife was a board member of the English National Ballet for many years. I want to follow up on the original Question. It is the case, as the Home Office would know if it bothered to consult the ballet companies, that its rules do not allow visas to be granted to brilliant young dancers from all over the world. There is a particular case of people who have been recruited from the Brazilian favelas as brilliant dancers who are excluded from Britain because of a negative Home Office policy.

My Lords, I declare an interest in that my wife was a board member of the English National Ballet for many years. I want to follow up on the original Question. It is the case, as the Home Office would know if it bothered to consult the ballet companies, that its rules do not allow visas to be granted to brilliant young dancers from all over the world. There is a particular case of people who have been recruited from the Brazilian favelas as brilliant dancers who are excluded from Britain because of a negative Home Office policy.

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, whose brand of Conservative politics I have always personally admired. He raises very important questions about the steel industry. However, I will make just two points. First, I agree that there is a case for a...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, whose brand of Conservative politics I have always personally admired. He raises very important questions about the steel industry. However, I will make just two points. First, I agree that there is a case for a...

I will just say very briefly: what a load of hypocrisy from the other side of the House. I was a member of Cumbria County Council from 2013 onwards. In 2021, a Conservative Minister took a decision to ignore our wishes and create two unitary councils in Cumbria instead of...

I will just say very briefly: what a load of hypocrisy from the other side of the House. I was a member of Cumbria County Council from 2013 onwards. In 2021, a Conservative Minister took a decision to ignore our wishes and create two unitary councils in Cumbria instead of...

My Lords, I echo the tribute from the noble Lord, Lord Bilimoria, to the noble Lord, Lord St John of Bletso, and pay tribute to his wonderful public service to this House over many years.

This year, I had the great privilege of chairing a Select Committee for the first time,...

My Lords, I echo the tribute from the noble Lord, Lord Bilimoria, to the noble Lord, Lord St John of Bletso, and pay tribute to his wonderful public service to this House over many years.

This year, I had the great privilege of chairing a Select Committee for the first time,...

My Lords, I join in the congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Ricketts, on the excellent report he has produced, which is exactly what I would expect of a committee which he chaired. However, our debate today has shown the difficulties he had in producing a consensus, because there are...

My Lords, I join in the congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Ricketts, on the excellent report he has produced, which is exactly what I would expect of a committee which he chaired. However, our debate today has shown the difficulties he had in producing a consensus, because there are...

I am finishing—and it is an advisory speaking time.

On defence, we face huge challenges. The transatlantic alliance now hangs by a very insecure thread, in my view. We have to be much closer to our European allies and partners and we have to get closer to Europe. We need to...

I am finishing—and it is an advisory speaking time.

On defence, we face huge challenges. The transatlantic alliance now hangs by a very insecure thread, in my view. We have to be much closer to our European allies and partners and we have to get closer to Europe. We need to...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to welcome my new colleagues who are making their maiden speeches today—my noble friends Lady Gill and Lord Docherty, my good friend who is to come later, and my noble friend Lord Doyle, who is a very close friend and from whom we...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to welcome my new colleagues who are making their maiden speeches today—my noble friends Lady Gill and Lord Docherty, my good friend who is to come later, and my noble friend Lord Doyle, who is a very close friend and from whom we...

Do you know why we won the Uruguay round? It is because we had the strength of the bloc of the European Union behind us. It was not just something that Britain achieved on its own.

Secondly, the noble Lord talks about the stagnation in our export of goods and completely...

Do you know why we won the Uruguay round? It is because we had the strength of the bloc of the European Union behind us. It was not just something that Britain achieved on its own.

Secondly, the noble Lord talks about the stagnation in our export of goods and completely...

My Lords, I congratulate the Government on producing this White Paper and on putting into effect the excellent work that Sir Jon Cunliffe did in his review.

The water industry has been an example of the worst of the capitalist system—not value creation but value extraction in a major way. Obviously,...

My Lords, I congratulate the Government on producing this White Paper and on putting into effect the excellent work that Sir Jon Cunliffe did in his review.

The water industry has been an example of the worst of the capitalist system—not value creation but value extraction in a major way. Obviously,...

My Lords, I accept the incrementalism of the plan, but can the Minister give us a little more detail about how it will be managed? What will be the role of the northern mayors? Is funding to be solely from the Treasury, or will it be regionally based? Are the...

My Lords, I accept the incrementalism of the plan, but can the Minister give us a little more detail about how it will be managed? What will be the role of the northern mayors? Is funding to be solely from the Treasury, or will it be regionally based? Are the...

I open by congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Elliott, on an extremely well-argued speech—even politically balanced, at times. It was a complete contrast to the barrage of criticism that we have had from the Opposition Benches throughout this debate. It was not quite clear to me who the barrage of...

I open by congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Elliott, on an extremely well-argued speech—even politically balanced, at times. It was a complete contrast to the barrage of criticism that we have had from the Opposition Benches throughout this debate. It was not quite clear to me who the barrage of...

My Lords, I rise to speak briefly in this debate without having the benefit of being on the committee or without any of the great expertise

that others have shown. However, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor, on her committee’s work; it is a very granular analysis of the...

My Lords, I rise to speak briefly in this debate without having the benefit of being on the committee or without any of the great expertise

that others have shown. However, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor, on her committee’s work; it is a very granular analysis of the...

I join in the general congratulations of the House to the noble Baroness, Lady Lloyd, on her new appointment and what was an excellent maiden speech. I have known Liz for some 30 years. I remember her coming as a bright young thing—she is still a bright young thing, of...

I join in the general congratulations of the House to the noble Baroness, Lady Lloyd, on her new appointment and what was an excellent maiden speech. I have known Liz for some 30 years. I remember her coming as a bright young thing—she is still a bright young thing, of...

My Lords, first, I must say how much we miss Lord Lipsey in this debate as he was totally committed to the cause that we are discussing today. I support those who have spoken eloquently in favour of the future of the music and dance scheme

and scholarships. My wife...

My Lords, first, I must say how much we miss Lord Lipsey in this debate as he was totally committed to the cause that we are discussing today. I support those who have spoken eloquently in favour of the future of the music and dance scheme

and scholarships. My wife...

I very much welcome what the Minister has said about producing a strategy and the actions in the face of economic difficulties that the Government have already taken, but does the Minister accept that further progress is going to be challenging, given the need to make the benefits bill fiscally sustainable, not least because of the legacy we inherited on PIP, disability and SEND? Does she agree that, in addition to the priority for getting NEETs and people on sick benefits back into work where we can, tackling child poverty by putting extra money into the purses and wallets of our poorest families remains a key government priority?

I very much welcome what the Minister has said about producing a strategy and the actions in the face of economic difficulties that the Government have already taken, but does the Minister accept that further progress is going to be challenging, given the need to make the benefits bill fiscally sustainable, not least because of the legacy we inherited on PIP, disability and SEND? Does she agree that, in addition to the priority for getting NEETs and people on sick benefits back into work where we can, tackling child poverty by putting extra money into the purses and wallets of our poorest families remains a key government priority?

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made towards developing their child poverty strategy.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made towards developing their child poverty strategy.

My Lords, I speak briefly to make an apology. I have Amendment 71 in a later group, but I have to catch an Avanti train to Carlisle—and that, as my noble friend Lord Hendy will know, is a bit of a hazardous process these days. So I probably will not...

My Lords, I speak briefly to make an apology. I have Amendment 71 in a later group, but I have to catch an Avanti train to Carlisle—and that, as my noble friend Lord Hendy will know, is a bit of a hazardous process these days. So I probably will not...