Lord Swire Portrait

Lord Swire

Conservative - East Devon

Became Member: 1st November 2022


Lord Swire is not a member of any APPGs
Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) (South East Asia/Far East, India and Nepal, Latin America, Falklands, Australasia and Pacific, Commonwealth)
6th Sep 2012 - 17th Jul 2016
Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
13th May 2010 - 6th Sep 2012
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
10th May 2005 - 3rd Jul 2007
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
2nd Dec 2002 - 12th Jul 2005
Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
1st Jan 2004 - 10th May 2005
Opposition Whip (Commons)
1st Jun 2003 - 1st Jun 2004


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Swire has voted in 6 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Lord Swire Division Votes

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
Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour)
Minister of State (Home Office)
(4 debate interactions)
Baroness Merron (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
(2 debate interactions)
Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour)
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Leader of the House
(3 debate contributions)
Home Office
(3 debate contributions)
Ministry of Defence
(2 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lord Swire's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Swire, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Lord Swire has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lord Swire has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 14 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
30th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake an environmental impact assessment on the proposed expansion of overhead power lines.

On 22 October 2024, together with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, we commissioned NESO to produce the first ever Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP), to support a more actively planned approach to energy infrastructure across Great Britain, including for overhead power lines. The SSEP will be subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulation Assessment and take into account views of both rural and urban communities to ensure the impacts of infrastructure on local areas are properly considered.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
21st Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the study of economics.

Qualifications in economics are available for schools to offer at GCSE and A level. Schools are free to decide which qualifications they will offer in each subject they teach. As part of their duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, schools are expected to offer a range of subject options to help meet the aspirations of all pupils.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. It will seek to refresh the curriculum to ensure it is cutting edge, fit for purpose and meeting the needs of children and young people to support their future life and work.

The terms of reference for the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is attached and can also be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66d196b7d107658faec7e3db/Curriculum_and_assessment_review_-_aims_terms_of_reference_and_working_principles.pdf.

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Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Education)
30th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat fly-tipping.

Fly-tipping is a serious crime which blights communities and the environment and dealing with it imposes significant costs on both taxpayers and businesses. In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment, and other actions to tackle fly-tipping, in due course.

In the meantime, Defra will continue to chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders such as local authorities, the Environment Agency and National Farmers Union, to promote good practice with regards to tackling fly-tipping, including on private land.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
21st Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Iraq about women’s rights.

Countering rollback and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of our programming and policy work in Iraq. The UK centres its women, peace and security work within a context-sensitive and 'do no harm' approach. We continue to engage with and convene local women's rights organisations and activists. We engage regularly with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government on these topics, in particular advocating for legislation to further protect women.

Lord Collins of Highbury
Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
21st Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Iraq about the proposed legislation to reduce the age of child marriage.

The UK is analysing the proposed amendments to Iraq's Personal Status Law and its implications for women and children's rights. As we privately engage with a range of Iraqi interlocutors to discuss this, we are emphasising the importance of any amendments' compatibility with Iraq's international obligations.

We would condemn any legislative change that would violate international norms, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

Lord Collins of Highbury
Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
31st Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the result of the recent election in Georgia.

The Minister of State Stephen Doughty MP made clear in a statement on 27 October our support for the findings of the preliminary report of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election monitoring mission. That report notes that the election day itself was well-organised and administered in an orderly environment. However, it highlighted concerns, including breaches of voter secrecy, procedural inconsistencies, reports of intimidation and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process. Elections were not to the standard expected of an aspiring member of NATO. Allegations of irregularities must be investigated thoroughly and independently.

Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
8th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current situation regarding the frozen funds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club.

This government is working hard to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible, in line with the UK's unilateral declaration. The government is fully committed to that position, as part of our iron-clad support for Ukraine. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners, and we are doubling down on our efforts to reach a resolution.

Baroness Chapman of Darlington
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
7th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the percentage of United Nations buildings in Gaza that have been destroyed during the last 11 months.

The September 2024 UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) damage assessment shows two-thirds of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since October 2023. Schools, warehouses and offices run by UN agencies have been severely affected along with much of the civilian infrastructure in the Strip, hindering efforts to preserve access to basic services - safe drinking water, shelter and healthcare. We remain deeply concerned over aid workers' safety in Gaza. Israel must take concrete steps to improve deconfliction at all levels of its command-and-control structures, so the UN and its humanitarian partners can operate safely and effectively.

Lord Collins of Highbury
Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
30th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they keep records of perpetrators of knife crime by (1) gender, (2) ethnicity, and (3) age.

Police forces maintain details of perpetrators of knife crime on local record management systems and this will usually include key demographic data. However, when a suspect has not been arrested this may be based on the perception of the victim or witness rather than their actual characteristics.

The Home Office only collects detailed records from forces on the sex, age and ethnicity of suspects of homicides committed by a knife or sharp instrument.

Lord Hanson of Flint
Minister of State (Home Office)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any plans to revisit or otherwise further investigate the operational conduct of Operation Midland.

Police forces and the Independent Office for Police Conduct are independent of government and decisions concerning investigations are operational ones for them to make.

Lord Hanson of Flint
Minister of State (Home Office)
3rd Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress of the Independent Office of Police Conduct in pursuing gross misconduct charges arising from Operation Midland.

Disciplinary proceedings concerning Operation Midland remain ongoing and it would therefore be inappropriate for the Government to comment while that remains the case.

Lord Hanson of Flint
Minister of State (Home Office)
21st Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many convictions there have been of female genital mutilation in each of the last five years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on prosecutions and convictions for female genital mutilation in the Outcomes by Offence data tool published at Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2024 - GOV.UK under the following HO offence code: 00852 – Offences under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003.

There have been 2 prosecutions and 1 conviction under the Female Genital Mutilation Act in the period 01 July 2019 to 30 June 2024.

Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
21st Nov 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions there have been for female genital mutilation in each of the past five years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on prosecutions and convictions for female genital mutilation in the Outcomes by Offence data tool published at Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2024 - GOV.UK under the following HO offence code: 00852 – Offences under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003.

There have been 2 prosecutions and 1 conviction under the Female Genital Mutilation Act in the period 01 July 2019 to 30 June 2024.

Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
26th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure and enforce oversight and governance of (1) sharia courts, and (2) Muslim arbitration tribunals.

The Government has no plans to regulate religious dispute resolution processes (such as sharia courts) where all parties consent to those processes. This is consistent with Britain’s long history of freedom of worship and religious tolerance, and the legal rights and remedies of the parties involved remain in place.

Decisions of such bodies are only enforceable if there is a valid arbitration agreement by which all parties have consented to the process, as provided under the terms of the Arbitration Act 1996 for any arbitration panel.

Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)