Older People: Their Place and Contribution in Society

Baroness Trumpington Excerpts

Friday 14th December 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Trumpington]

My Lords, the most reverend Primate is 20 years younger than I am. This fact provoked me to speak in his debate. There can be very few people left alive who, like me, were there in Canterbury Cathedral for matins on the day war was declared in 1939. The sun’s rays shone through that wonderful building’s stained glass and the dean, the very reverend Hewlett Johnson—wrongfully known as the “Red Dean”—had just emerged in the pulpit; then the air raid sirens rang out, very loud and menacing. The dean shepherded the congregation down to the crypt, where matins proceeded as usual and as though our lives had not fundamentally changed. In later years, my son and two grandchildren attended the King’s School, Canterbury, which is one of the reasons why I am speaking here today.

It has been my privilege during some of those years to listen to the most reverend Primate’s sermons. Lucky are the children who have heard the archbishop—and lucky me to have remembered some of what he said. My granddaughter, Virginia, was confirmed by the archbishop during his inaugural year. When we asked for copies of the new archbishop’s words, we were told that there were no copies because he had spoken extempore. Jealousy will get me nowhere.

Now the most reverend Primate moves to Cambridge, indeed to lovely and historic Magdalen College. In the time that I was mayor of that great city, I remember Magdalen as being full of Etonians and at the same time one of the poorer colleges. I wish the most reverend Primate and his wife great happiness in their new life—and not too much fundraising.

BBC World Service

Baroness Trumpington Excerpts

Tuesday 17th May 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Trumpington]

My Lords, I hope that this is not irrelevant. If, as the noble Lord said, the BBC is cutting back, why do I have to listen at 3 am to the most ghastly children’s programme for the under-fives when that time could surely be put to use for foreign broadcasts somewhere in the world where it is not 3 am?

[Lord Howell of Guildford]

I have a feeling that the slightly cop-out answer is that that really is a matter for the programmers and directors of the BBC World Service and not for me at 3 am in the morning. Nevertheless, although the World Service and many other aspects of government and government agencies have had to trim their sails in line with the general austerity measures, for reasons which we all know about, in general great strides are being made in expanding the communication network in these areas and in reorganising BBC programmes in a way that, I hope, will not disturb my noble friend quite so challengingly.

Education: Marshall Scholarships

Baroness Trumpington Excerpts

Monday 18th October 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Trumpington]

My Lords, as I was bicycling very recently along Trumpington, I thought about today’s Question. Does the Marshall scholarship bear any relation to the Commonwealth Fund of New York or the Harkness fellowship? Together, they are, I believe, well endowed. Would some sort of relationship among the three be of benefit to all three?

[Lord Howell of Guildford]

I am very glad indeed, as I am sure that we all are, to hear about the vigorous cycling activities of my noble friend. As to her question, those two categories are not ones with which our Marshall scholarships, Chevening scholarships, our own Commonwealth scholarships or other programmes are related. We wish those schemes well and they are very good programmes, but they are not directly related to our programmes, which we run from our various departments here.