Department for Science, Information and Technology: Abolition

Debate between Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent

Tuesday 21st July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My Lords, the sovereign AI fund will sit in DBIST. As the noble Lord is very aware, we announced the £500 million fund on 16 April. I have nothing to suggest that we will not be spending every penny of it.

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

My Lords, is not the point here that this country is brilliant at innovation, thanks to our wonderful science base, but that we are hopeless at adoption and taking advantage of it? So many British inventions are being developed with investment overseas. Surely putting science and technology within the business department is the way to ensure that when we have these future inventions, we actually get the resources to develop them and take advantage of them in this country.

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My noble friend is absolutely right. These changes are to make sure that we can align the science and research base directly with commercial application and job creation. Noble Lords will be aware that the new Prime Minister has announced the No. 10 of the north; this is to co-ordinate a growth-based strategy for every corner of the United Kingdom, using the tools available to us so that we can use the levers of government to deliver for every postcode.

Civil Service Pension Scheme

Debate between Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent

Tuesday 30th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble Lord is absolutely right. We have already done so, and Capita confirmed in writing in April that it will meet the costs that we have laid out.

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

My Lords, following on from the question from the noble Lord, Lord Spellar, is it not a fact that government has become vulnerable because so many services have been outsourced and there are very few companies that can win contracts? Therefore, there is not much option but to use Capita. Do we not have to rethink the whole question of government capacity and outsourcing?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My noble friend is absolutely right, which is why the Cabinet Office issued updated guidance about public procurement last week in line with our manifesto. The reality is that there were few businesses of the scale that could manage a complex pension scheme such as the Civil Service Pension Scheme. It remains clear government policy to advance insourcing, and this pension scheme is a prime candidate for future insourcing once immediate operational stability is secured. The contract remains under intensive taskforce oversight, but if performance fails to improve, absolutely all further commercial, legal and operational options remain on the table—for this or any other contract.

Cabinet Manual: Guidelines for Government Formation

Debate between Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent

Wednesday 3rd June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Lord knows how fond I am, and I am delighted to have been able to announce that we are updating the Cabinet Manual. While I understand that everybody in this building is very excited about elections—we all campaign for them—it is not yet two years since the previous general election and there are another three to go, and I look forward to ensuring that there is another Labour Government. In terms of ensuring the premises of formation of government, as ever, the convention remains that it is those best able to command the confidence of the other place.

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

My Lords, does my noble friend reflect that when the noble Lord talks about chaos, we should go back to the coalition Government, when his party signed up to austerity, which caused such damage to our country? It also agreed to the disastrous NHS reform Bill brought in by Andrew Lansley—the noble Lord, Lord Lansley—which cost £4 billion extra and was a total disaster. Will he remember that?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

I am delighted to see my noble friend back in his place; we have missed him—I believe everyone has had their Weetabix this afternoon. Fundamentally, what is so important about the Cabinet Manual is making sure that the conventions and precedents are outlined so that, regardless of who is in power and what events are before us, there is a document to guide Ministers and civil servants about how we respond to them.

UK Public Servants: International Secondments

Debate between Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent

Monday 16th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

My Lords, it is right that we expect the highest standards of our civil servants, but what does my noble friend make of the statement that emanated from Reform UK that a Reform UK Government would expect to dismiss the top civil servants in every government department and replace them with people seen as more likely to implement the party’s priorities? Does she agree that if we go down that path, we will undermine the integrity of the Civil Service and do this country a great disservice?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

My noble friend is absolutely right, and it suggests quite how unserious Reform UK is about governing. We have an independent Civil Service for a reason. It acts without fear or favour; it is subject to a stringent code of conduct, and it is there to make sure that our public services are delivered. Any suggestion otherwise is for the birds.

Standards in Public Life

Debate between Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent

Tuesday 10th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent) (Lab)]

I am so sorry. The noble Lord was a few seconds late, so he was within the timetable.

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend. Coming back to the issue of legislation and the need to ensure that there can be expulsion of Members in these circumstances, would she also accept that the expulsion of a Member is a very serious matter indeed and that, clearly, there need to be safeguards to ensure that this is not used in a perverse way by any future Government? In that regard, and given the need for urgency, I ask that there is an opportunity during the consultation process for Members of your Lordships’ House to actually debate the question so, I hope, we can reach a consensus on this.

Wales: Further Devolution

Debate between Lord Hunt of Kings Heath and Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent

Tuesday 25th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises an interesting point. There are still six months until the elections, and I would expect to see another Labour Administration elected next year. We will be working hard to deliver, as we do every day for the people of Wales and for the people of the United Kingdom. With regard to the substance of his point, that is the first time that it has been raised with me. I will speak to officials, and I would ask him to come forward if there are any problems or challenges.

[Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lab)]

Does my noble friend agree that testimony to the working relationship between the UK Government and Wales is the decision about the SMR development at Wylfa, which is welcome and which I earnestly hope will add to the growth potential of the Welsh economy?

[Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Lab)]

Many Members of your Lordships’ House were delighted to see the Prime Minister with the First Minister in Wylfa earlier this month announcing investment of £2.5 billion, which will create 3,000 jobs. It is a true recognition of our faith in, and the ability of, the Welsh economy, and it will drive growth for the Welsh economy.