"My Lords, I will speak briefly, as my noble friend Lord Wigley has covered some of the most important points. It is also a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett. It is interesting that there is the exception in these amendments for the City of London but not …..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech
"As someone who grew up on Ynys Môn, many of my friends had to leave the island to get a job. After 15 years of a Conservative Government in London and many years of a Labour Government in Cardiff, that has been an economic disaster for Wales. So, can the …..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech
"My Lords, Robert Jones from Cardiff University has published this morning a report on the state of the Prison Service in Wales. It cites, in terms of the justice system, the complications of social policy and public services being devolved but the Prison and Probation Service being reserved. What is …..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech
"My Lords, I thank all Members who participated in the debate, for just over two hours. We have had a really good debate, with lots of interesting viewpoints, but I was, surprisingly, pleased to hear that the majority of Members who spoke today, barring one or two, support reforming this …..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech
"My Lords, at its heart, this is a simple and modest Bill. It asks the Government to do something that they have already promised to do: to consult on proposals for replacing the House of Lords with an alternative second Chamber and then report transparently on what they have heard. …..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech
"My Lords, if the Government are serious about growth in every postcode, what specific actions are they taking to make sure that smaller businesses are able to scale up, grow and compete with companies in the bigger cities across the UK?..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech
"My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Bolton, and her committee for their report and the thoughtful way in which they have approached the subject, on which there are, unsurprisingly, strongly held views. There is much in the report that I agree with: membership of this House …..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech
"My Lords, first, I welcome the Government’s decision to extend the franchise to 16 and 17 year-olds. Young people already contribute to our society and have a direct stake in the future, shaped by political decisions made today. Expanding the franchise strengthens our democracy by ensuring that more people have …..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech
"My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Oates, for introducing the Bill and for giving the House the opportunity to consider, once again, the future of youth justice. The noble Lord’s intentions are entirely understandable, as set out in his opening remarks. We all want a youth justice system …..." Baroness Smith of Llanfaes - View Speech