7 APPG memberships (as of 2 Jan 2025)
Bangladesh, Children who need Palliative Care, Cuba, Fair Elections, Occupational Safety and Health, Single-Parent Families, Social, Cooperative, and Community Economy54 Former APPG memberships
Arctic and Nordic Councils, Armenia, Australia and New Zealand, Aviation, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, British Overseas Territories, Canada, Children in Police Custody, Children of Alcoholics, Communities of Inquiry across the Generations, Estonia, Finland, Folic Acid Fortification, Food and Health, Foreign Affairs, Future Generations, Future of Aviation, Future of Work, General Aviation, Germany, Greenland, Holy See, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montserrat, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Overseas Territories, Pacific Islands, Parental Participation in Education, Pensions, Pitcairn Islands, Polar Regions, Psychology, Republic of Iraq, Russia, Single Parent Families, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, WritersDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
(4 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(4 debate contributions)
(4 debate contributions)
(4 debate contributions)
(3 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(3,162 words contributed)
(1,076 words contributed)
(624 words contributed)
Lords initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Lord Balfe, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
3 Bills introduced by Lord Balfe
A Bill to amend the Pensions Act 2004 and the Companies Act 2006 to remove the cap on compensation payments under the Pension Protection Fund and to require the approval of pension scheme trustees and the Pensions Regulator for the distribution of dividends.
A Bill to make provision about the holding of referenda in relation to voting systems in local government elections.
Monday 13th June 2016
A Bill to make provision to allow European Union citizens who are resident in the United Kingdom to vote in parliamentary elections and to become members of Parliament; and for connected purposes.
Thursday 4th June 2015
Lord Balfe has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 10 Written Questions
(View all written questions)The Prime Minister published a new Ministerial Code on 6 November 2024 which sets out the standards expected of all government ministers. Part B, Chapter 3 of the Ministerial Code details the established process in place for the declaration and management of interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any actual or perceived conflicts of interest.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The number of salaries available to the Government to pay ministers is set by the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act (MOSA) 1975. The limit on salaries, which applies across both Houses, is 109.
The Government has no current plans to introduce new legislation in this area.
As of 22 July, the unpaid ministers currently serving in the Government are as follows:
Ministers of State: Ellie Reeves MP (n.b. she is paid by the Labour Party), Lord Timpson, Lord Hanson, Lord Hunt
Parliamentary Secretaries: Hamish Falconer MP, Mary Creagh MP, Baroness Sherlock
Lords’ Whips: Lord Leong, Baroness Twycross, Baroness Blake
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are carefully considering the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy programme in the context of the new Government's trade objectives and will update the house in due course on the programme.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Additional Protocol 1995 provides for a collective complaints mechanism. Member States who choose to accept this mechanism are not assessed on their conformity with the process. The UK has not accepted the mechanism because, like the majority of member States, the UK believes the existing supervisory mechanisms of the European Social Charter are adequate.
The new Government is embarking on an extensive programme of reforms, including our Employment Rights Bill which will change our position on provisions within both the 1961 and Revised Charter. The Government will, therefore, consider our position on the Revised Charter in due course.
A summary of the latest assessments of the UK’s conformity with the European Social Charter 1961 was published by the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe also published the UK’s report on non-accepted provisions of the European Social Charter and the Revised European Social Charter earlier this year. I will place a copy of both of these documents in the House of Lords Library.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new, licenced medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources.
The NICE has published guidance recommending abiraterone for the treatment of metastatic hormone-relapsed prostate cancer before chemotherapy is indicated, and for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer previously treated with a docetaxel-containing regimen. NHS England funds abiraterone for these indications of prostate cancer in line with the NICE’s recommendations, making it routinely available for clinicians to prescribe to eligible patients.
The NICE was unable to recommend abiraterone for use in the treatment of newly diagnosed, hormone-sensitive, metastatic prostate cancer in its guidance published in 2021. However, the NICE is preparing to review this technology appraisal to determine whether to recommend abiraterone for this indication at current prices, following the patent expiry for abiraterone. Further information will be available on the NICE's website in due course.
Pending the outcome of this review, NHS England has published an interim clinical commissioning policy on 13 December 2024 that will make abiraterone acetate and prednisolone available as a routine commissioning treatment option, within the criteria set out in the policy for patients with newly diagnosed high-risk hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer.
Health is a devolved matter and decisions on the availability of medicines in Scotland and Wales are a matter for their own administration.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
This Government will seek to reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK and works closely with a range of international regulators, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), through both international regulatory groups and bilateral collaborations.
We recognise the importance of a closer relationship with the EMA and that cooperation between the MHRA and EMA is of mutual benefit.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I apologise to the Noble Lord for the delay in responding to his letter of 18 September. A reply has now been sent.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The value and performance of the Department’s private-sector service providers are subject to ongoing contract management, and current performance is in line with expected parameters.
As contracts approach expiry, assessments are conducted to inform decisions about future services. A 2023 assessment in partnership with the Cabinet Office determined that a privatised solution was the preferred option for future prison maintenance services. These contracts will be competitively tendered.
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is currently running a competitive tender process that aims to award new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for prisons by December 2025.
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has a programme of work underway that will put in place new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for prison, these will be competitively tendered.
The value and performance of the Department’s private-sector service providers is reviewed through routine contract and performance management and, in addition, as contracts are approaching expiry so decisions about whether to continue to outsource services can be taken.
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)