My Lords, the eloquent speech this evening by the noble Lord, Lord St John, reminded me yet again of what this House is losing by chucking out its hereditary Peers.

I want to take advantage of the slightly longer time allowed to Back-Benchers to make a technical point about language, before...

My Lords, the eloquent speech this evening by the noble Lord, Lord St John, reminded me yet again of what this House is losing by chucking out its hereditary Peers.

I want to take advantage of the slightly longer time allowed to Back-Benchers to make a technical point about language, before...

I thank the Minister for her reply. Can she please explain why a complaints scheme has not yet been introduced, despite the Government’s promise set out in the Department for Education policy paper published in June 2025 to

“seek a legislative vehicle at the earliest opportunity”?

Do the Government have a timetable for legislation to amend and implement the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act to achieve that purpose?

I thank the Minister for her reply. Can she please explain why a complaints scheme has not yet been introduced, despite the Government’s promise set out in the Department for Education policy paper published in June 2025 to

“seek a legislative vehicle at the earliest opportunity”?

Do the Government have a timetable for legislation to amend and implement the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act to achieve that purpose?

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the letter to the Secretary of State for Education, signed by more than 350 academics and campaigners, calling for a free-speech complaints scheme run by the Office for Students.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the letter to the Secretary of State for Education, signed by more than 350 academics and campaigners, calling for a free-speech complaints scheme run by the Office for Students.

My Lords, is there anyone in the Government thinking about alternatives to trade wars or trade deals as a way of organising the economic affairs of the world? The noble Lord, Lord Howell, is quite right: historically, tariffs tend to set the ground for war. That was also true before...

My Lords, is there anyone in the Government thinking about alternatives to trade wars or trade deals as a way of organising the economic affairs of the world? The noble Lord, Lord Howell, is quite right: historically, tariffs tend to set the ground for war. That was also true before...

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords, in view of the continuing high level of long-term unemployment, would the Government seriously consider the TUC proposal for a national job guarantee with wage subsidy to employers for up to six months, targeted at the most vulnerable areas? Would they further consider the argument that the TUC has made that such a job guarantee would largely pay for itself by increasing revenues and reducing the spending on welfare?

My Lords, in view of the continuing high level of long-term unemployment, would the Government seriously consider the TUC proposal for a national job guarantee with wage subsidy to employers for up to six months, targeted at the most vulnerable areas? Would they further consider the argument that the TUC has made that such a job guarantee would largely pay for itself by increasing revenues and reducing the spending on welfare?

My Lords, the Statement leaves me puzzled. Are the Government insisting on boots on the ground in Ukraine as a condition of a ceasefire? As the Russian Government have said that under no conditions will they accept NATO boots on the ground, is that not equivalent to a policy of...

My Lords, the Statement leaves me puzzled. Are the Government insisting on boots on the ground in Ukraine as a condition of a ceasefire? As the Russian Government have said that under no conditions will they accept NATO boots on the ground, is that not equivalent to a policy of...

My Lords, first, I distance myself from the Opposition’s onslaught on Rachel Reeves. To my mind, she is a tragic figure rather than an incompetent one. She is trying to do her best for her people and the country but is in hock not just to the bond markets but...

My Lords, first, I distance myself from the Opposition’s onslaught on Rachel Reeves. To my mind, she is a tragic figure rather than an incompetent one. She is trying to do her best for her people and the country but is in hock not just to the bond markets but...

My Lords, I would also like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Elliott, for giving us a chance to discuss this important question, and it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell.

Economic commentary has been dominated by the fiscal hole—said to be £30 billion—facing the Chancellor....

My Lords, I would also like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Elliott, for giving us a chance to discuss this important question, and it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell.

Economic commentary has been dominated by the fiscal hole—said to be £30 billion—facing the Chancellor....

My Lords, I do not know whether it is a punishment or a privilege to be put last in the list of Back-Bench speakers, as I invariably am when it comes to a debate on Ukraine. The noble Lord, Lord Coaker, was powerful and eloquent in opening, and it is...

My Lords, I do not know whether it is a punishment or a privilege to be put last in the list of Back-Bench speakers, as I invariably am when it comes to a debate on Ukraine. The noble Lord, Lord Coaker, was powerful and eloquent in opening, and it is...

I thank the Minister for giving way. She has just produced some very impressive statistics on economic sanctions. What effect have they had?

I thank the Minister for giving way. She has just produced some very impressive statistics on economic sanctions. What effect have they had?

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords, I am so sorry—my mistake.

3.16 pm

My Lords, I am so sorry—my mistake.

3.16 pm

My Lords, I do not want to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, in her discourse on the Ukraine war. My position is known on that. As for the rest of it, I have more sympathy with the spirit of the noble Baroness, Lady Stuart, than I have with that...

My Lords, I do not want to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, in her discourse on the Ukraine war. My position is known on that. As for the rest of it, I have more sympathy with the spirit of the noble Baroness, Lady Stuart, than I have with that...

My Lords, I would like to offer a dissenting opinion, but some noble Lords will be used to that. I strongly support industrial policy, but the coupling of defence and industrial strategy needs some thought. It suggests that industrial policy is driven by military needs, whereas in fact the case...

My Lords, I would like to offer a dissenting opinion, but some noble Lords will be used to that. I strongly support industrial policy, but the coupling of defence and industrial strategy needs some thought. It suggests that industrial policy is driven by military needs, whereas in fact the case...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current state of negotiations for ending the war in Ukraine.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current state of negotiations for ending the war in Ukraine.

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply, but may I press him more fully to explain what contribution he thinks our country can and should make to the peace process? The Government have insisted on the need for British and European forces to be stationed in Ukraine to guarantee the integrity of any ceasefire and, indeed, of the peace settlement. The Russian Government have said that they would not accept the presence in Ukraine of boots on the ground from that source. Given this, does not the Government’s insistence on the need for such a force imply that they expect the war to continue indefinitely? If not, how and when, and with what result, do the Government expect the slaughter to end?

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply, but may I press him more fully to explain what contribution he thinks our country can and should make to the peace process? The Government have insisted on the need for British and European forces to be stationed in Ukraine to guarantee the integrity of any ceasefire and, indeed, of the peace settlement. The Russian Government have said that they would not accept the presence in Ukraine of boots on the ground from that source. Given this, does not the Government’s insistence on the need for such a force imply that they expect the war to continue indefinitely? If not, how and when, and with what result, do the Government expect the slaughter to end?

My Lords, I have a long-standing respect for the noble Lord, Lord Robertson. In the early 2000s, we were both engaged in trying to build better relations with Putin’s Russia—he as chair of the NATO-Russia Council and myself as founder of the UK-Russia round table, whose efforts were then openly...

My Lords, I have a long-standing respect for the noble Lord, Lord Robertson. In the early 2000s, we were both engaged in trying to build better relations with Putin’s Russia—he as chair of the NATO-Russia Council and myself as founder of the UK-Russia round table, whose efforts were then openly...

My Lords, do the Government believe that we have a shortage or a surplus of labour? The question arises because the OBR has calculated an output gap of 0.5%, closing by 2027, which suggests that we actually have full employment, yet that flies in the face of common sense. We...

My Lords, do the Government believe that we have a shortage or a surplus of labour? The question arises because the OBR has calculated an output gap of 0.5%, closing by 2027, which suggests that we actually have full employment, yet that flies in the face of common sense. We...