The UK and US Governments announced a pharmaceuticals trade deal in December 2025.

The UK and US Governments announced a pharmaceuticals trade deal in December 2025.

Lords motions to appoint Built Environment Committee, Childhood Vaccinations Committee, Communications and Digital Committee, Conduct Committee, Joint Committee on Consolidation etc. Bills, Constitution Committee, Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee, Economic Affairs Committee, Environment and Climate Change Committee, European Affairs Committee, Finance Committee, Financial Services Regulation Committee, House of Lords Commission, Joint Committee on Human Rights, Hybrid Instruments Committee, Industry and Regulators Committee, International Agreements Committee, International Relations and Defence Committee, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, Liaison Committee, National Resilience Committee, Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, Northern Ireland Scrutiny Committee, Numeracy for Life Committee, Procedure and Privileges Committee, Public Services Committee, Science and Technology Committee, Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, Committee of Selection, Services Committee, Standing Orders (Private Bills) Committee and Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, with proposed membership and powers. Agreed to on question.

Lords motions to appoint Built Environment Committee, Childhood Vaccinations Committee, Communications and Digital Committee, Conduct Committee, Joint Committee on Consolidation etc. Bills, Constitution Committee, Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Committee, Economic Affairs Committee, Environment and Climate Change Committee, European Affairs Committee, Finance Committee, Financial Services...

My Lords, these Motions appoint the Select Committees and Joint Select Committees, and noble Lords to be members of these committees, in the new Session. I beg to move.

My Lords, these Motions appoint the Select Committees and Joint Select Committees, and noble Lords to be members of these committees, in the new Session. I beg to move.

Lords motion to agree the seventh report of the Procedure and Privileges Committee on Changes relating to Grand Committee and delegated legislation debates; Procedural changes resulting from the coming into force of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026; Highlighting International Agreements Committee Reports in House of Lords Business (HL 288). Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to agree the seventh report of the Procedure and Privileges Committee on Changes relating to Grand Committee and delegated legislation debates; Procedural changes resulting from the coming into force of the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026; Highlighting International Agreements Committee Reports in House of Lords Business...

My Lords, the first part of the report proposes changes to Grand Committee sittings and to debates on delegated legislation in order to increase the House’s capacity to scrutinise legislation before it and to give Peers more certainty around timings.

The committee recommends that the default maximum sitting length of Grand...

My Lords, the first part of the report proposes changes to Grand Committee sittings and to debates on delegated legislation in order to increase the House’s capacity to scrutinise legislation before it and to give Peers more certainty around timings.

The committee recommends that the default maximum sitting length of Grand...

My Lords, I speak as the chair of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, and I want to put on the record that I very much approve of the suggested additional day on Tuesdays specifically for delegated legislation. It is important that delegated legislation is given the stature that it deserves,...

My Lords, I speak as the chair of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, and I want to put on the record that I very much approve of the suggested additional day on Tuesdays specifically for delegated legislation. It is important that delegated legislation is given the stature that it deserves,...

My Lords, I rise to express some concern about paragraph 16 of the report, under “Proposals relating to Delegated Legislation”, on time-limiting debates to 60, or possibly 90, minutes. For the sake of clarity, I wish to know whether that also applies when there is a regret or fatal Motion—I...

My Lords, I rise to express some concern about paragraph 16 of the report, under “Proposals relating to Delegated Legislation”, on time-limiting debates to 60, or possibly 90, minutes. For the sake of clarity, I wish to know whether that also applies when there is a regret or fatal Motion—I...

Mr Lords, those were two interesting comments. I would obviously also want to take this opportunity to thank the noble Lord, Lord Watson of Invergowrie, and his committee for undertaking a very key part of our committee work. I say to the noble Lord and the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett...

Mr Lords, those were two interesting comments. I would obviously also want to take this opportunity to thank the noble Lord, Lord Watson of Invergowrie, and his committee for undertaking a very key part of our committee work. I say to the noble Lord and the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett...

Lords motion to take note of the tenth report of the International Agreements Committee on Treaty Scrutiny in Westminster: Addressing the Accountability Gap (HL 168). Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the tenth report of the International Agreements Committee on Treaty Scrutiny in Westminster: Addressing the Accountability Gap (HL 168). Agreed to on question.

My Lords, it is fitting that my final act as the outgoing chair of the International Agreements Committee is to open a debate about the process of treaty scrutiny in Parliament. I am delighted to see that so many present and past members of the committee will take part today.

The...

My Lords, it is fitting that my final act as the outgoing chair of the International Agreements Committee is to open a debate about the process of treaty scrutiny in Parliament. I am delighted to see that so many present and past members of the committee will take part today.

The...

My Lords, we have already sung the praises of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and I am delighted to do so again in relation to this excellent report and his chairmanship of this committee over the past few years. I also commend the team who put a huge...

My Lords, we have already sung the praises of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and I am delighted to do so again in relation to this excellent report and his chairmanship of this committee over the past few years. I also commend the team who put a huge...

My Lords, I am loath to repeat what has been said before, but I want to thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for this report and for outlining its principles very clearly, which are, to encompass them in just one sentence, that the current legal framework in which...

My Lords, I am loath to repeat what has been said before, but I want to thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for this report and for outlining its principles very clearly, which are, to encompass them in just one sentence, that the current legal framework in which...

My Lords, your Lordships’ Institutional Agreements Committee, on which I have the honour to serve, is a relatively newly established committee, with a mandate that in its vagueness perhaps reflects its novelty. It is a good step that we should be debating today the committee’s own report on its early...

My Lords, your Lordships’ Institutional Agreements Committee, on which I have the honour to serve, is a relatively newly established committee, with a mandate that in its vagueness perhaps reflects its novelty. It is a good step that we should be debating today the committee’s own report on its early...

My Lords, I congratulate the committee and its chairman on the report. I hesitate to participate in this debate since I have limited expertise in foreign affairs, and still less on the scrutiny of foreign treaties, but I was puzzled by the report’s focus on the scrutiny of treaties after...

My Lords, I congratulate the committee and its chairman on the report. I hesitate to participate in this debate since I have limited expertise in foreign affairs, and still less on the scrutiny of foreign treaties, but I was puzzled by the report’s focus on the scrutiny of treaties after...

My Lords, it is very welcome that we have, in the space of a fortnight, two chances to debate committee reports from one of our most senior committees—I say that as a recent member of it. I find it is often the case that the House does not see the...

My Lords, it is very welcome that we have, in the space of a fortnight, two chances to debate committee reports from one of our most senior committees—I say that as a recent member of it. I find it is often the case that the House does not see the...

My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for his fair-minded chairmanship, and intellectually able and collegiate steering of our committee. It was particularly welcome to me, as a refugee from the European Affairs Committee.

Others have discussed the report and its conclusions, the most striking...

My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for his fair-minded chairmanship, and intellectually able and collegiate steering of our committee. It was particularly welcome to me, as a refugee from the European Affairs Committee.

Others have discussed the report and its conclusions, the most striking...

My Lords, I need to respond to the rather surprising compliment from the noble Lord, Lord Lilley. I can do so because I agree with a number of things that he said, in particular on the case for parliamentary scrutiny during negotiation

and before a deal is struck. I am...

My Lords, I need to respond to the rather surprising compliment from the noble Lord, Lord Lilley. I can do so because I agree with a number of things that he said, in particular on the case for parliamentary scrutiny during negotiation

and before a deal is struck. I am...

I was making the point that the European Parliament has the right to vote on the outcome of any treaty negotiation, of course: treaties require its positive consent. Its debates informed ours. My point is not just that there is an accountability gap relative to the European Parliament, but that...

I was making the point that the European Parliament has the right to vote on the outcome of any treaty negotiation, of course: treaties require its positive consent. Its debates informed ours. My point is not just that there is an accountability gap relative to the European Parliament, but that...

My Lords, page 8 of our report states baldly that

“governments since 2019 have not listened to Parliament”

in respect of treaty scrutiny at Westminster. So the question before us is, “Does there exist, as is stated in the report, an accountability gap?” Further, do the Government recognise that such a gap...

My Lords, page 8 of our report states baldly that

“governments since 2019 have not listened to Parliament”

in respect of treaty scrutiny at Westminster. So the question before us is, “Does there exist, as is stated in the report, an accountability gap?” Further, do the Government recognise that such a gap...