Foreign Interference in UK Democratic Processes
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
The noble Lord raises an important point. Obviously, France is one of our key allies—we have seen images only today of the President with the Prime Minister at the G7. I reassure your Lordships’ House that our position is that it is dangerous to jump to any conclusions on the basis of a single report. The UK Government will draw on our own analysis and draw our own conclusions.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, it is increasingly clear that there was a major effort by the Russians in support of the SNP at the Scottish Parliament elections, because it is in their interest to break up Britain. In view of this and subsequent events, is there not a case now for those elections to be rerun?
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
I thank my noble friend for so many things, but I am not sure that our colleagues who are currently campaigning in by-elections up and down the country will necessarily join me in doing so. My noble friend raises an important point about ensuring that people have confidence in the election results. That is why we have the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit, which was operational during the recent elections and is operational again during the current by-elections to make sure that we can all have confidence in the democratic process.
Cabinet Manual: Guidelines for Government Formation
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
My Lords, I wonder if that is a bid for power, for engagement or for negotiation, but I have to say that, given some of the candidates, platforms and personal views of the Green Party, that would be a struggle. Having said that, we are many years away from a future general election, and I think it is fair to say that those of us who campaign regularly will continue to campaign month in, month out regardless of when a general election is called. However, there is a great deal of work to get on with before the next general election.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, someone called William Wallace ought to know that the coalition in Scotland was far more successful than the one down here. Will my noble friend the Minister confirm that the Cabinet Manual includes sections on transparency and openness, and that that will apply also to the First Minister of Scotland?
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
My Lords, is it this First Minister or previous First Ministers? The Cabinet Manual is a UK-owned document, and it is about the British Government. Obviously, we have ongoing relationships and discussions with the Governments in the devolved assemblies, but that is a matter for them.
Lord Mandelson Humble Address: Government Response
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
I have to agree with the noble Baroness about brilliant private offices; mine is fabulous. Obviously, it has a really easy job of making sure that I operate well. On the specifics about the metadata, I will have to write to the noble Baroness. This was a process led by Cabinet Office officials. I am not sure of the detail in that space on what additional information they sought.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, it is clear that Members opposite were hoping that there would be a silver bullet in all these humble Address papers that would kill the Prime Minister. When they have to resort to quoting Peter Mandelson’s view of the Prime Minister, it shows how desperate they are becoming. Then we got the scattergun approach from the noble Baroness, Lady Finn. She had to resort to picking here, there and everywhere and getting nowhere.
My question relates to what the noble Lord, Lord Pack, said about vetting Members of this House. As the Minister said, that does not happen at the moment. Yet we have a Member of this House who was appointed against the views of the intelligence community: the noble Lord, Lord Lebedev. Surely the Minister must agree that we may need to rethink it in view of that.
Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(2 months, 1 week ago)
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Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
The noble Lord raises an important point, but he will also know that, in government, some of those decisions are outside my control. By convention in our House, Statements are not typically repeated on the same day, so I hope that noble Lords will have the opportunity to discuss. I will make myself available as well at any point to any Member of your Lordships’ House who, once they have seen it, has further questions—both in here and outside—to answer about the release of the documentation.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, with no disrespect to my noble friend Lord Beamish, does my noble friend the Minister agree that, when this is raised by the Opposition as an Urgent Question, it makes it into an aggressive party- political issue? Is this not better left to the all-party, independent ISC?
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
As ever, my noble friend is exceptionally wise, but I understand why Members across your Lordships’ House have questions about what comes next and about the material. There is, as I have said, a significant volume of it to be released. We want to do this well and effectively, so that we do not return time after time with additional materials, by making sure that reviews are done effectively and internally. That is one of the reasons why additional materials were passed to the ISC after we thought all the materials had been. We need to do this in a cross-party way. I am aware that Members of your Lordships’ House have questions. I am sure that, when the next tranche of materials is released, we will be discussing their content in great detail.
Lord Mandelson: Response to Humble Address Motion
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(4 months, 1 week ago)
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Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op) [V]
My Lords, first, I thank my noble friend the Minister for bringing to the House this excellent Statement. I congratulate her on her very appropriate appointment, which shows the sincerity and determination of the Government to take this issue seriously. I recognise that the Liberal spokesperson asked some sensible questions, which the Minister has responded to. However, I was really disappointed that the Official Opposition took this as another opportunity to attack the Prime Minister and his integrity. That was an unfortunate lapse of judgment by their Front Bench.
Will the Minister confirm that this House needs to look at its own procedures and arrangements as well? The recent Chadlington case shows that we are not above reproach. Will she indicate that this will be a much wider look at the whole aspect of how the Government and Parliament operate? Will she indicate how much the whole long and complicated exercise might cost, because it is not without substantial cost?
Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)
It is a true joy to see my noble friend, if only on a screen. I am so pleased that he is well enough to participate, if remotely. I cannot wait to see him back in his place.
My noble friend asked me several questions. I want to focus on the fact that there is a responsibility on every Member of your Lordships’ House and everyone who serves in this building, whether in the other place or here, as well as those who support all of us, to help rebuild trust in politics. My noble friend spent a long career door-knocking and campaigning, and we know how important this is. With regard to the costs, I do not have a total cost to give my noble friend at this time and it will not be possible to give a running update. However, I can confirm that Civil Service resource has been redeployed, meaning that this will not create any net cost to the taxpayer. Any additional costs will be set out in due course.
Devolved Authorities: Use of Resources
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(1 year, 3 months ago)
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Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they are considering ways to ensure that resources allocated to the devolved authorities are used for the specified purposes.
Lord in Waiting/Government Whip (Lord Wilson of Sedgefield) (Lab)
The UK Government primarily use the Barnett formula to calculate the devolved Governments’ block grant funding. This funding is not ring-fenced, given the devolved Governments’ full flexibility to allocate it across devolved areas according to their own priorities and local circumstances. The devolved Governments are accountable to their parliamentary legislatures and, ultimately, their voters for their decisions. The recent settlement is 20% more funding than equivalent UK government spending in other areas of the UK. These settlements are the largest in real terms since devolution, totalling £86 billion. This Government are securing Britain’s future through the plan for change, which is delivering security and renewal by kick-starting economic growth to put more money into working people’s pockets and the NHS and to secure our borders.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
I am grateful to the Minister for a helpful response, but is he aware that the Supreme Court case on the definition of gender is just the latest of 10 court cases which the SNP Scottish Government have taken there, costing over £7 billion? Surely something can be done to make sure that they spend UK taxpayers’ money on things such as the city growth deals and replacing the Grenfell-style cladding on the 5,000 premises in Scotland where people’s lives are still in danger.
Lord Wilson of Sedgefield (Lab)
I thank my noble friend for that question. I want to focus on the big issue that is confronting this country—whether it is Ireland, Scotland, Wales or England—which is growth. My noble friend pointed out that the city region and growth deals are funded by the UK Government. The Scottish Government are receiving £119 million in 2025-26 for city and growth deals. The Government confirmed at the Autumn Budget that investment in the Argyll and Bute growth deal will continue to be available and will be supported by a rigorous value-for-money assessment as part of the review. The £25 million Argyll and Bute growth deal was signed in March 2025. There are other elements to growth in Scotland: one of the main ones is that GB Energy will be based in Aberdeen.
Covid-19 Inquiry
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(1 year, 6 months ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
The inquiry regularly publishes details of the money that has been spent. The figures I have relate to the inquiry costs. The noble Baroness is correct that the organisations involved, particularly those with core participant status, are also likely to be putting in additional resources. I will try to establish whether we have an estimate of that.
From its establishment up to September 2024, the inquiry spent £124.2 million. As I noted in my initial response to these questions, the inquiry chair is delivering on the terms of reference agreed with the previous Government. She is under a statutory obligation to avoid unnecessary costs in the inquiry’s work and has been clear that she intends to complete her work as quickly and efficiently as possible. The Government also regularly publish their costs in relation to the inquiry response, and I will write to the noble Baroness on that.
Today’s debate has shown how it is hard to constrain costs when you have demands for the inquiry to look at every single aspect. This was a whole-society crisis—a whole-society emergency. It touched every aspect of society. That is not to downplay the cost of the inquiry. I note that the House of Lords report that was referenced earlier highlighted costs as one of its concerns.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, does the Minister share my disappointment that the eloquent contribution from the Front Bench opposite by the noble Baroness, Lady Finn, for whom I have the greatest respect, did not include any apologies, not so much for Ministers partying while others suffered but for the fact that some people made millions—well, billions—supplying materials and equipment that subsequently turned out to be unusable? Will the Minister give me an absolute assurance that she and all her colleagues will co-operate fully with the Covid corruption commissioner to make sure that all those who wrongly profited from the Covid pandemic are brought to book?
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I am sure that all those who are asked will co-operate fully with the Covid corruption commissioner. I do not entirely share my noble friend’s view. I felt that the noble Baroness, Lady Finn, did acknowledge that there had been issues that led to some of the problems the UK faced during the Covid pandemic. My view is that all political parties have a role to work together to ensure that our resilience is as strong as it can be for the future. I hope that we continue to work on a cross-party basis to improve this country’s resilience, and that all noble Lords feed into the wider review on the UK’s resilience, which the Government are undertaking at the moment.
Procurement Act 2023
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(1 year, 9 months ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I absolutely and wholeheartedly refute the noble Baroness’s suggestion. I would also note that, last week, I was criticised for continuing with measures announced by the previous Government and this week I am being criticised for their delay. I hope that noble Lords from across the House agree that we should look at such matters on a case-by-case basis to ensure that this country gets back on the stable footing it needs and deserves.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, will the Minister give a complete assurance that this Government will not introduce a VIP lane which gives preference to Conservatives and their colleagues? Will she also give an assurance that the Government will appoint a Covid corruption commissioner as soon as possible?
Horseracing and Bloodstock Industries
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(2 years ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
Most people gamble without issue, but we recognise the huge impact that harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. As the noble Lord states, however, there is a difference between those who can gamble without issue and those who come to serious harms, both in their lives and those of their families. As stated in the Government’s manifesto, we are absolutely committed to strengthening protections for those at risk. The Gambling Commission’s new survey which came out last week really helps to show the wider picture of gambling behaviour across Great Britain, and we will consider its findings very carefully.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, I am mystified again. With all the knowledge on that side, with the former Member for the South Downs and the noble Baroness, Lady Harding, who is—what is she in the Jockey Club?
Noble Lords
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
Chief steward! She knows a thing or two about Covid as well. With all the knowledge on that side, why has nothing been done in the last 14 years to deal with this matter?
Cabinet Manual
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts(2 years, 4 months ago)
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Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con)
I hear what the noble Baroness says. Indeed, we have made it clear that draft material will be made available to both the Constitution Committee and PACAC in the other place before the second version of the Cabinet Manual is finalised.
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)
Our Constitution Committee, of which I am a member, in the same report in which we recommended the revision of the Cabinet Manual, also welcomed the promise by the Cabinet Secretary to rein in improper expenditure by the Scottish Government. That has still not been done. Will the Minister tell the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, that if he does not do it soon, I will find every opportunity to raise the issue again and again?
Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con)
I will make two points. First, I told the noble Lord that we were looking at this issue and that we might issue guidance on the subject, because the Cabinet Manual is about bringing conventions and rules together, rather than creating them. Secondly, much of the Cabinet Manual is on matters specific to the UK Government and reserved matters. However, my noble friend the Foreign Secretary—to mention him again—has written to the First Minister of Scotland about the importance of a reserved area for foreign affairs and how that should be conducted.