No. 10 North

Debate between Baroness Twycross and Baroness Smith of Llanfaes

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

It is quite clear that No. 10 just across the road does have the authority to make those decisions. As I said to noble Lords earlier, having the same conversations in the same place in the same room is not necessarily going to produce a different outcome. A number of Ministers have spent a considerable time in No. 10 North, and the Prime Minister is committed to working there on a regular basis. So far during his premiership, he has done so at least once a week.

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, I welcome the establishment of No. 10 in the north of England. If the Government agree that centralisation in London is a problem, should the answer not be to strengthen devolution across these islands, giving the Governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the powers and resources to act in the best interests of their peoples, rather than simply relocating functions within England?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I am not sure how it would have gone down with the Governments in the devolved Administrations if we had suddenly popped up with a new central government office. It is clear that there is no way we will succeed in rewiring the state if we do not take into account the devolved nations and their needs. Collaboration with the devolved Governments will be required to ensure the benefits of regional empowerment and of doing things differently, so that people feel that growth in every area. We need to make sure that we work very closely together, and Ministers are looking forward to close collaboration with the devolved Administrations to succeed in this.

Telegraph Media Group: Ownership

Debate between Baroness Twycross and Baroness Smith of Llanfaes

Thursday 16th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

We have settled on 15% as the cumulative amount, and this House had the opportunity to debate it at some length in July. Whether that is one FSI, one state-owned investor or a number of state-owned investors, it will not exceed 15%. The Competition and Markets Authority has been clear that it does not consider that a material influence would be likely to occur below 25%, so 15% is well within that limit.

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, on the topic of media ownership, can the Government please clarify why the Senedd is not having a say on the appointment of the chair of S4C?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I will need to write to the noble Baroness on that matter, as it did not come up in the preparation for this Question and I do not want to give an incorrect answer.

UK-EU Relations

Debate between Baroness Twycross and Baroness Smith of Llanfaes

Thursday 13th February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

The noble Lord referenced the commissioning of my noble friend Lord Murphy of Torfaen to conduct an independent review of the Windsor Framework. This will report within six months. Looking ahead, we are committed to continuing to seek joint solutions with the EU to challenges that might arise in the future around the Windsor Framework. We are taking forward our commitments, as set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, including the implementation of the UK internal market system. For example, the Government announced the membership of the independent monitoring panel, and the chair of InterTrade UK.

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, of the 70 direct engagements that UK Ministers have had with EU counterparts, which have included discussing or progressing a youth mobility scheme? The Minister touched on this earlier, but why will His Majesty’s Government not consider proactively proposing a new youth mobility scheme? As the Minister highlighted, there are many benefits to having such a scheme.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

In response to the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord True, on this, the Government recognise the value of schemes that give young people the opportunity to experience different cultures and work or study elsewhere. We have the Turing scheme and, separate to that, the UK operates a number of bilateral youth mobility schemes with European countries such as Iceland and Andorra and with a number of our global partners. We do not have a proposal or plan for a youth mobility scheme, but we will look at any EU proposals on a range of issues. But, as I outlined in the debate we had on youth mobility in your Lordships’ House a couple of weeks ago, the EU has not yet come forward with definite proposals on this point.

Young People: Government Policy

Debate between Baroness Twycross and Baroness Smith of Llanfaes

Thursday 31st October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

My noble friend makes a valid point. From my own experience, my first formal political engagement was through the democratic process when I voted for the first time as an 18 year-old. But we had had a youth election at the school. I am not sure I won it, but it is a really important way and I pay tribute to everybody, including schools, who managed to put together mock elections at such short notice.

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, in recent months I have visited a number of schools and colleges and young people have told me that they fear that they are not going to be able to afford to buy their own home in the future and will not have a job after they leave education. What are the Government going to do to ensure that they meaningfully engage with young people to find out what priorities they care about and to involve them in the solution?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

Going back to the report the Question relates to, housing did come up as one of the key issues, and the cost of being able to afford somewhere to live. Obviously, it is not just an issue of people needing to stay at home; they cannot envisage getting out of house shares or flat shares. I hope they will recognise that the Government’s planned investment in housing for first-time buyers and social housing reflects their need and desire to have their own home.