Cultural Education Plan

Debate between Lord Bird and Baroness Williams of Trafford

Tuesday 17th October 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bird (CB)]

I do not understand.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, let me explain to the noble Lord. Again, could the noble Lords in question come to a gentlemen’s agreement on who speaks first?

[Lord Bird (CB)]

Do the Government agree with me that one of the best ways of emptying our prisons is by investing in our youngsters who go wrong and using art and culture to bring about social transformation in their lives? I am a living embodiment of that: if it was not for culture in my early years, I would not be here.

Minoritised Women: Pay Inequality

Debate between Lord Bird and Baroness Williams of Trafford

Tuesday 19th September 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My noble friend might be interested to know that the ethnicity pay gap between white and ethnic minority employees in England and Wales is actually only 2.3%. It goes back to the point raised by the Question from the noble Baroness, Lady Thornton, which is that it does not show the full picture. We have done a lot but there is further to go.

[Lord Bird (CB)]

We always leave class out of this issue. I hate this idea of turning white against black by talking about doing something for black people when there are so many white people who are also left behind because of the nature of their class and where they come from.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I am not sure whether that was a statement or a question, but actually I agree with the noble Lord.