"My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for providing the opportunity for such a vital debate. I am delighted to see the noble and learned Lord, Lord Leveson, sitting on the Cross Benches. I thank him for his excellent and wise but very sobering maiden speech.
"My Lords, of those who have already spoken, more than half welcome this report, as do I. I had hoped that all that would remain would be to vote on whether we are in favour of it. I had hoped that the report would have been fully accepted by the …..." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech
"My Lords, if, as the Government constantly assert, only a court ruling can determine acts of genocide, the courts must have the powers to carry out this function. At present, they do not. This renders the 1948 genocide convention no longer fit for purpose, and the commitment, following the Holocaust, …..." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech
"My Lords, I will remark briefly on the excellent intervention by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Garnier, and others, on the sleeping crocodile and toothbrushes. I ask the Minister to say, in summing up, why it is so very difficult for the UK Government to be extremely firm with …..." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech
"My Lords, the Government were well aware of the arms pipeline between the UAE and the RSF, which took place from mid-2023 onwards and resulted in several genocidal attacks. Therefore, there was a choice for the Government to put pressure on the UAE to stop that arms traffic, but they …..." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech
"My Lords, I think this is the first time ever that I have followed the noble Baroness, Lady Helic, and I am delighted to do so.
I begin by thanking the Minister and his officials for meeting some of us and going through the Bill in detail. I welcome the …..." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech
"My Lords, the debate on this vitally important topic is so far almost indistinguishable from a debate held in this Chamber in April 2024. We have had a depressing litany of figures showing how children living in poverty suffer throughout their lives from disadvantage. In effect, we continue to raise …..." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech
"My Lords, I understand that the FCDO sent a delegation to Afghanistan in recent weeks, and I wonder whether the Minister might be able to say something about the outcome of that visit, with particular reference to continuing assistance for women and girls...." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech
"My Lords, the £15 million interest, which is paid annually by the British Council because of the £200 million Covid debt, is bringing the British Council to its knees. Would the Government consider some creative solution to this debt—for example, by granting the British Council a holiday or delaying the …..." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech
"My Lords, I declare an interest as a patron of Redress. No one has done more in this House to persuade Governments to act decisively to prevent and stop atrocity crimes than the noble Lord, Lord Alton. His efforts, and the efforts of others—and here I must mention the noble …..." Baroness D'Souza - View Speech