Baroness Pidding: My Lords, has my noble friend the Minister seen the excellent investigative journalism article published by DeSmog last year, which revealed that a lobby group, the Energy and Utilities Alliance, has been paying a PR agency to “spark outrage” and plant hundreds of anti-heat pump propaganda articles in both national and local media?
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lady Redfern, I have a few brief comments to make. I express my sincere gratitude to my noble friend for her stewardship of the Bill in this House. She has been struck down by that ghastly virus and cannot be with us today, but I am glad to say that she is making a good recovery. It is an honour to pick up on the hard work of the noble Baroness, Lady...
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, I am proud of this country’s parliamentary democracy. We only have to look a few hours’ flight away from London to find countries such as Russia and Belarus that are denied the rights and freedoms we have, which stemmed from the historic signing of Magna Carta over 800 years ago. Over the years our parliamentary democracy has developed in a powerful way, and individual...
Baroness Pidding: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the number of registered mobile dentists in England.
Baroness Pidding: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, what steps they are taking to ensure the resumption of mobile dental services for housebound patients in England; and what guidance is available to the public advising how these services can be accessed.
Baroness Pidding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the sale of Truphone to ensure that it does not undermine (1) the UK's sanctions relating to Russia, or (2) the UK's national security.
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, I add my congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Moore of Etchingham, on his excellent maiden speech. I am sure it is just the first of many wise and witty contributions that we will be hearing from him. Across the globe, the UK is held as a benchmark and exemplar of liberal democracy. It is not just the venerable age of our democratic institutions but their strength and integrity...
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, the government Bill before us today restores the democratic nature of how our parliamentary system works and how elections can be called. We are the custodians of democracy, and elections are pivotal to this. The Bill makes provision for the Dissolution prerogative to be revived and, in doing so, ensures legal, constitutional and political certainty around the process for dissolving...
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, when western forces arrived in Afghanistan in 2001, the country’s population was 20 million. It now stands at 38 million, the majority of whom are under 18. While imperfect, American, British and allies’ engagement in Afghanistan has fostered a generation of Afghans, particularly women, who have had access to education and routes for empowerment. While we have kept the wolves...
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, in an article in the Financial Times in May, Sir Patrick Vallance said that the Prime Minister had asked him, ahead of the G7, to pull together relevant experts to start looking at how a future pandemic could be dealt with more swiftly—and, most importantly, on a global basis. Can the Minister advise us what progress has been made on this?
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, I welcome the Statement and the establishment of a public inquiry in a timely manner. However, we must be mindful that we are not out of this pandemic yet. What reassurance can my noble friend give that there will be capacity in the system for second jabs, potentially booster jabs in the autumn and the annual rollout of the flu jab?
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, in moving this motion I wish to make a few brief comments. First of all, I pay tribute to my right honourable friend Dame Cheryl Gillan, who introduced this Bill in the other place and, sadly, passed away earlier this month. Dame Cheryl had an exemplary political career, and established friendships across the political divide. She was a persistent champion of a number of truly...
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, I understand that no amendments have been set down to this Bill and that no noble Lord has indicated a wish to speak in Committee. Manuscript amendments are not possible at present. Unless, therefore, any noble Lord objects, I beg to move that the order of commitment be discharged. Motion agreed.
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, I start by thanking noble Lords on all sides of the House, and my noble and learned friend the Minister, for their warm comments about Dame Cheryl. I am touched by them and I know that her family will be too. I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate, and I appreciate the generous support for these important measures and the very thoughtful contributions. The Bill...
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, it is my privilege to move the Second Reading of the Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill, which was introduced by the right honourable Dame Cheryl Gillan in the other place. Members across the House will be aware of the news that Dame Cheryl sadly passed away earlier this month. I hope that noble Lords will understand my wish to take a few moments to reflect on this immense loss. I...
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, it is a unique privilege to be able to say a few words of tribute in respect of the most extraordinary contribution that His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh made to public life, not only in this country but throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. Like all other noble Lords, my heartfelt condolences go to Her Majesty the Queen and the Royal Family at this very sad time. The loss...
Baroness Pidding: My Lords, at the last election, people voted Conservative, some for the first time, because they believed in levelling up and our vision of spreading prosperity to areas neglected by Labour. Does my noble friend agree that, by ensuring that every part of the country can bid for, and benefit from, the levelling-up fund, we are accelerating our transformational levelling-up agenda?
