🗣️ Speeches and Debates
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My Lords, my noble friend Lord Hunt gave an eloquent introduction to this debate as to why we should support the Government’s political aims. I am a well-known Labour Party hack and I tend to vote for the Government on most occasions, but I have to admit that, in the early months of this Government, I had my doubts from time to time as to whether I totally shared what I thought were the...
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My Lords, as the last speaker, and having only three minutes, although I would dearly love to contend with what the noble Lord has just said, I will not do so. I also will not comment on the many speeches that have been made, many of which I agree with. For far too long, one’s educational qualifications at 18—or lack of them—have determined not only what happens to you when you join the...
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My Lords, I agree pretty much with what the noble Baroness, Lady Jones, has already said. As somebody who was present 60 years ago at every England match in the World Cup, including the final and the somewhat controversial Argentina game, I do not want to hold up the House for very long, but, as she said, I have tabled Amendment 48. I have engaged with the Minister, and I thank her for what...
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My Lords, I have two amendments in this group, which follow up the remarks by the noble Baroness, Lady Jones, in that we ought to write into the Bill the requirement for the sports industry to recognise the effects of climate change and the need to adjust sporting facilities, materials and stadia to the fact that over the next few years we will see significant changes. There is already a...
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My Lords, I certainly support this Bill, which will help with the operation of the right-to-buy scheme. I was doubtful about right to buy when it first came in, but I do not now support its abolition in any sense, although I recognise that in Wales and Scotland they have found it necessary to do so. But it needs to be subject to some additional measures. I support the provisions in this Bill....
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My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Addington. Over the many years I have seen him performing, he has been a brilliant contributor and we need to recognise that, because of his educational needs, he brings a particularly important thing to the attention of the House. He has done it again tonight, and I hope that the Education Minister is listening because what everybody...
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My Lords, as the 29th speaker, I fear that many of my original points have disappeared, but the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, in particular, has inspired me to make a few more. I join others in commending the noble Lord who chaired this committee, and the committee itself, on getting over the refighting of the Brexit campaigns, which we have seen a bit of again today, to produce a report that at...
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My Lords, I put on record my profound support for this very significant commitment, which meets not only the fuel poverty objectives but the environmental and economic objectives in developing our energy policy. The Minister may dimly recall that many years ago I was the Minister who brought in and developed the Warm Front programme, which was so tragically cut off in 2010. In parallel to the...
More of Lord Whitty's speeches and debates
✍️ Written Questions and Answers
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To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have a strategy for dealing with trifluoroacetic acid in waterways and the water supply.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what support they plan to offer to enhance energy efficiency in housing, office buildings and public buildings as part of the drive for net zero.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what terms of reference apply to the activities of practitioner-patient consultative groups; and what guidance they give to such groups.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's ability to check the competence of drivers following convictions and, in the case of older drivers, renewing their licences, (2) the rigour with which medical practitioners and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency judge medical evidence in such cases, and (3) whether the driver...
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To ask His Majesty's Government when they anticipate that Ofgem, under its new powers in the Energy Act 2023, will produce regulations for heat networks and district heating.
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To ask His Majesty's Government which technologies are most appropriate for gas-based District Heating Schemes (DHS) to adopt in order to contribute to national decarbonisation targets; what estimate they have made of the approximate cost of the transition by DHS to low-carbon heat; and what methods of financing could be used to support this transition.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of new homes completed in 2022 were for social housing; what is the figure net of social housing demolitions and sales; and what proportion of the net social housing was for social rent.
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To ask His Majesty's Government what current laws or regulations govern the (1) use, and (2) parking, of electric, and non-electric, bicycles and scooters on pedestrian pavements; and what proposals they are considering for strengthening such laws and regulations, in particular in respect of leaving undocked hire bicycles and scooters on the pavement.
More of Lord Whitty's written questions
