HGV Driving Tests

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Wednesday 1st December 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

But the noble Lord makes an important point. The reversing exercise is one of the common reasons for failure in most of the tests; taking and passing this part of the test with an assessor from the driver’s training school will speed up this element of the test without compromising safety. The Government have announced 32 measures to tackle the driver shortage and bolster supply chains in the UK. However, we are not taking away safety, and we hope that the fact that the test will still be done, even if it is by the training school, means that it will be safe.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, I am glad that I did not ask the question about reversing. I follow up the excellent question from the noble Lord, Lord Kirkhope, about facilities. Has the Minister ever been to France? In France, they do not just have service areas but “aires” where heavy good vehicles can stop or park, with toilets and places where the drivers can wash, and they are all the way down every motorway and main road. If the French can do it, why cannot we?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

I agree; anything the French can do, we can definitely do better.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

We are heading into the ridiculous now, are we not? I answered that question when I answered my noble friend Lord Kirkhope. I could not agree more; this is very important and vital. If we do not do this, we will not get the drivers to drive our HGV lorries, and we are working on this. As I said, it can be done, because one in Kent has just opened.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

One.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

Yes, I know; we need to go right across the country, and we will do so.

UK: System of Government

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Tuesday 21st January 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

My Lords, the UK Government believe strongly in upholding the constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is the most successful political and economic union in history. Together, we are safer, stronger and more prosperous.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

I agree with the Minister, but would she and the Government consider turning the commission that was included in the Conservative Party manifesto into a UK constitutional convention to look at the federal and other options and to address the English democratic deficit? With the growing clamour for Scottish independence and Irish unification, the Government could otherwise end up not just with us leaving the European Union but with the break-up of the United Kingdom.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I thank the noble Lord very much for chatting to me last week about this Question. Apart from the obvious practical difficulties, there is no guarantee that moving to a federal system would ensure that the union remained intact. We believe that our focus should be on working for the whole of our great country, to open up opportunities for people across our union and to unleash the productive power of every corner of the United Kingdom. I think my noble friend Lord Howe said everything that was to be said about the commission, but I am sure, as happened last week, that the department will listen to what is said in this Chamber, including what the noble Lord, Lord Foulkes, has said.

Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Report stage (Hansard): House of Lords
Tuesday 12th March 2019 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

My Lords, I cannot agree with these amendments. As we pointed out during the progression of the Bill, we live in a global world, with more people travelling internationally for all kinds of reasons. There is obviously a huge demand for healthcare systems between countries, giving the traveller peace of mind that the foreign country they are in can respond to healthcare needs.

As was also mentioned, we already have simple reciprocal agreements with non-EU countries. The domestic implications are limited, and our current powers to charge domestic overseas visitors, and the regulations under such powers, provide for domestic implementation. Importantly—

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

May I interrupt the noble Baroness?

Immigration White Paper

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Monday 5th February 2018 Lords Chamber

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

My Lords, order. This side.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

My Lords—

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

My Lords, we have had 10 minutes. We are now moving on to the next Question.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

My Lords—

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

Order. Lord O’Shaughnessy.

Public Contracts: Conflicts of Interest

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Thursday 17th November 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I do not think that I can go further than what I said about the Data Protection Act. As far as public appointments are concerned, we need to remember that there is a Commissioner for Public Appointments. Appointments come under the remit of that commissioner and they are made using the process from the commissioner’s Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies. This is a strong code of practice and it is backed up by the regulations under the Act—the Public Contracts Regulations 2015—which set out the requirement to take,

“appropriate measures to effectively prevent, identify and remedy conflicts of interest arising in the conduct of procurement procedures so as to avoid any distortion of competition and to ensure equal treatment of all economic operators”.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that, when I raised the issue of a potential conflict of interest of an education Minister also being a director of an academy trust, I was told that that was allowed under the Ministerial Code? Does that not indicate that the Ministerial Code needs revision?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

As long as the Ministerial Code is closely adhered to, along with the regulations, everything should be in order as far as appointments are concerned.

Franchise: British Citizens Abroad

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Thursday 20th October 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I think that quite a lot of people who live abroad still have houses and relatives here, and come here quite a lot. They still have a lot of connection with this country. There is no reason why they should not be allowed to have a view on the elections.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

Following the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, if British citizens who have gone abroad to avoid paying British tax are allowed to vote, but EU citizens living and working in Britain, who pay tax, are not allowed to vote, what has happened to the principle of no taxation without representation?

UK Constitutional Convention

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Tuesday 3rd November 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will consider establishing a United Kingdom constitutional convention.

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

The Government continue to consider a variety of approaches as they reflect on the British constitution, but our immediate focus must be on implementing a fair and balanced constitutional settlement that works for all the people of the United Kingdom.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, are the Government aware that such a convention is now supported by almost all the other political parties; by a wide variety of organisations, including the Local Government Association, the Electoral Reform Society and Unlock Democracy; and by most of the academics in this field—and, indeed, by many of the noble Baroness’s colleagues on her own side? When will the Government join this growing consensus so that constitutional reform is dealt with in a coherent and comprehensive way instead of in the current piecemeal fashion?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I know that the noble Lord is passionate about and an expert on this subject, and I would like to say to him that the objective of all these groups is one that the Government share: to ensure that while the constitution continues to evolve, it does so in a way that safeguards its stability and fairness, the unity of the nation and the sovereignty of Parliament. There will of course be plenty of opportunities for constitutional scrutiny and debate along the way.

Wilson Doctrine

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Wednesday 22nd July 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

David Anderson’s recommendations sit alongside the report of the Intelligence and Security Committee published in March and the report from the panel convened by the Royal United Services Institute. The Government are considering all these reviews and their recommendations in the round. We will bring forward proposals for pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee of both Houses in the autumn.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

Can the Minister assure us that the intelligence and security services, including GCHQ, will not be subjected to the kind of swingeing cuts today announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

That is outside my brief; I will have to write to the noble Lord on that subject.

Food Standards Agency

Debate between Lord Foulkes of Cumnock and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Wednesday 10th June 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I thank the noble Lord for his question—I think. I will get back to him with a full written reply.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab)]

My Lords, will the Minister confirm that these cuts are those that were agreed by the coalition?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I cannot confirm that. On the other hand, we must wait for the steering group to come up with the results of its consultation. It is important to remember that the steering group is part of a larger group, which includes the meat industry. They are all working together, with an independent chair, supported and facilitated by FSA staff, to look into all the problems within this industry.