Lords statement on the United Nations General Assembly and related international events that have occurred since the House last met.

Lords statement on the United Nations General Assembly and related international events that have occurred since the House last met.

My Lords, I am grateful to the Leader of the House for allowing time for questions on this Statement. In the other place, my right honourable friend the leader of the Opposition set out some of the serious challenges that we are facing as a country, many of which cannot...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Leader of the House for allowing time for questions on this Statement. In the other place, my right honourable friend the leader of the Opposition set out some of the serious challenges that we are facing as a country, many of which cannot...

My Lords, these Benches agree with the Prime Minister that the UK needs to be a consistent and stable partner on the international stage. We want to build and maintain relations, and that is especially the case for our relations with emerging economies where our interests are developing, such as...

My Lords, these Benches agree with the Prime Minister that the UK needs to be a consistent and stable partner on the international stage. We want to build and maintain relations, and that is especially the case for our relations with emerging economies where our interests are developing, such as...

I thank the noble Earl and the noble Lord for their comments and questions—I will do my best to answer as many as possible—and for the tone in which they expressed them. There is a lot in this Statement. It shows the extent of the Prime Minister’s work since he...

I thank the noble Earl and the noble Lord for their comments and questions—I will do my best to answer as many as possible—and for the tone in which they expressed them. There is a lot in this Statement. It shows the extent of the Prime Minister’s work since he...

My Lords, the noble Baroness the Leader said that we have a moral and practical obligation still to support Ukraine, and I am sure we all agree on that. So why have the Government reduced the money given to hosts of Ukrainian families from £350 to £100 a month? I...

My Lords, the noble Baroness the Leader said that we have a moral and practical obligation still to support Ukraine, and I am sure we all agree on that. So why have the Government reduced the money given to hosts of Ukrainian families from £350 to £100 a month? I...

I have to say to the noble Baroness that I am not aware of that at all. Friends of mine are hosting a Ukrainian family and

they have not raised it with me at any point. I will have to write to her—I will go back and check on that....

I have to say to the noble Baroness that I am not aware of that at all. Friends of mine are hosting a Ukrainian family and

they have not raised it with me at any point. I will have to write to her—I will go back and check on that....

I thank the noble Baroness the Leader of the House for repeating the Statement. I have a brief word on Ukraine. It is extremely important that we remain very solid. I am glad that the new Prime Minister is, and that there is such cross-party support. It is not only...

I thank the noble Baroness the Leader of the House for repeating the Statement. I have a brief word on Ukraine. It is extremely important that we remain very solid. I am glad that the new Prime Minister is, and that there is such cross-party support. It is not only...

I am grateful to the noble Baroness. It is always the case that, when we discuss matters European, the Official Opposition say we are going too far and the Liberal Democrats say we are not going far enough.

For clarity, the Prime Minister made it very clear that we respect the...

I am grateful to the noble Baroness. It is always the case that, when we discuss matters European, the Official Opposition say we are going too far and the Liberal Democrats say we are not going far enough.

For clarity, the Prime Minister made it very clear that we respect the...

My Lords, would the noble Baroness agree that, in the light of the increasing threat to Middle East bases used by American aircraft and the losses of aircraft on those bases, their interest in the continuing availability of Diego Garcia as UK sovereign territory is now ever more important and...

My Lords, would the noble Baroness agree that, in the light of the increasing threat to Middle East bases used by American aircraft and the losses of aircraft on those bases, their interest in the continuing availability of Diego Garcia as UK sovereign territory is now ever more important and...

The noble and gallant Lord makes a key point. We regard Diego Garcia as a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US, and discussions are ongoing. It is our shared security that is important, and we work together on this. Maintaining the long-term operation of the...

The noble and gallant Lord makes a key point. We regard Diego Garcia as a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US, and discussions are ongoing. It is our shared security that is important, and we work together on this. Maintaining the long-term operation of the...

My Lords, I have been struck during my relatively short time in your Lordships’ House by the increasing frequency with which AI contributes to discussions and questions in this Chamber. I therefore ask my noble friend the Leader of the House if she can confirm that it is the Government’s...

My Lords, I have been struck during my relatively short time in your Lordships’ House by the increasing frequency with which AI contributes to discussions and questions in this Chamber. I therefore ask my noble friend the Leader of the House if she can confirm that it is the Government’s...

The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is that the Government have already said that this will be a key focus when we are holding the chair of the G20 that is coming up. It will be discussed in the summit, no doubt, at the G20 meetings. The...

The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is that the Government have already said that this will be a key focus when we are holding the chair of the G20 that is coming up. It will be discussed in the summit, no doubt, at the G20 meetings. The...

My Lords, I thank the Leader of the House for allowing us to have this debate. The Prime Minister mentioned Fairford. He said that it was “almost certainly directed” by the IRGC, and quite properly and correctly, he has sanctioned two Iranian individuals whom the Government believe were responsible, for...

My Lords, I thank the Leader of the House for allowing us to have this debate. The Prime Minister mentioned Fairford. He said that it was “almost certainly directed” by the IRGC, and quite properly and correctly, he has sanctioned two Iranian individuals whom the Government believe were responsible, for...

I am grateful to the noble Lord. He will be aware that the Foreign Secretary would certainly pull no punches in his discussions with Ministers from Iran and he has been very clear on that. Governments over many years have been having meetings and we need to keep that engagement...

I am grateful to the noble Lord. He will be aware that the Foreign Secretary would certainly pull no punches in his discussions with Ministers from Iran and he has been very clear on that. Governments over many years have been having meetings and we need to keep that engagement...

My Lords, I recall that the noble Lord, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, shook hands with the Iranian Foreign Minister at the United Nations. Diplomacy is about talking to foes as well as friends.

My question is about being a stable, consistent and reliable partner and about the absence in the...

My Lords, I recall that the noble Lord, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, shook hands with the Iranian Foreign Minister at the United Nations. Diplomacy is about talking to foes as well as friends.

My question is about being a stable, consistent and reliable partner and about the absence in the...

I understand the point the noble Lord makes, and we remain committed to being able to increase ODA as and when circumstances allow. But he will be aware of the amount of money the Government are spending around the world, and direct aid through ODA is not the only way...

I understand the point the noble Lord makes, and we remain committed to being able to increase ODA as and when circumstances allow. But he will be aware of the amount of money the Government are spending around the world, and direct aid through ODA is not the only way...

My Lords, the noble Baroness in her Statement today remarked that, unless the public understand the nature of the threat, they will not be able to help in making sure we resist it. I would like to pursue that question.

It is quite clear that the previous Government did underplay the...

My Lords, the noble Baroness in her Statement today remarked that, unless the public understand the nature of the threat, they will not be able to help in making sure we resist it. I would like to pursue that question.

It is quite clear that the previous Government did underplay the...

That was not what I said, but it was sort of in that area, and the noble Lord is absolutely right that the public need to understand and we need honesty and transparency as far as possible. I should also say it is not always possible to be completely transparent...

That was not what I said, but it was sort of in that area, and the noble Lord is absolutely right that the public need to understand and we need honesty and transparency as far as possible. I should also say it is not always possible to be completely transparent...

My Lords, despite my continuous requests, Brexit was undertaken with no—I repeat no—economic or social impact study of its effects on the north-west region, a region of over 6 million people. Can my noble friend the Leader of the House undertake that new and improved relationships with the EU will...

My Lords, despite my continuous requests, Brexit was undertaken with no—I repeat no—economic or social impact study of its effects on the north-west region, a region of over 6 million people. Can my noble friend the Leader of the House undertake that new and improved relationships with the EU will...

I think there were two points there. One is on the breadth of issues to be dealt with—economic, social and cultural. We have had many debates in this House about the cultural impact on our creative industries, but my noble friend makes a wider point about all areas of the...

I think there were two points there. One is on the breadth of issues to be dealt with—economic, social and cultural. We have had many debates in this House about the cultural impact on our creative industries, but my noble friend makes a wider point about all areas of the...