“Hillsborough Law”

Debate between Lord Watts and Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede

Thursday 24th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab)]

My Lords, as I said before, it is a manifesto commitment to provide legal aid at inquests for victims of disasters or state-related deaths.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, the right-wing press had a role to play in this scandal. Will this Bill, or any other legislation, address the issue that the media played a major role in Hillsborough and many other scandals?

[Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab)]

My Lords, I do not think that this Bill, which has not been published yet, will address that issue. However, I take the point that my noble friend makes. Really, he is raising a far wider concern and if there is anything more that I can say to him, I will write to him, but I think his question goes far wider that the Question itself.

Humanist Marriages

Debate between Lord Watts and Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede

Monday 2nd December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab)]

The noble Baroness makes an important point. In my time as a family magistrate, I often had people in front of me who were married in religious ceremonies but not married in the eyes of the law, and we had to unpick the arrangements for those separating couples. The noble Baroness has made a very good point.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, does the Minister understand the concern on these Benches that the last Government used to use “in due course” to do nothing for long periods, sometimes years? Can the Minister start a different process, and give some indication of when this matter will come back to the Chamber and where the Government will take action?

[Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab)]

Well, I have been advised by my Leader that I need to say “in the fullness of time”.