"My Lords, I declare an interest as the UK Government’s trade envoy for Australia. This issue is causing considerable consternation in Australia, a country with which we are developing our defence, security and other relationships, to the benefit of the wider world. It seems slightly extraordinary that an Australian who …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech
"My Lords, the Minister will be aware that China has systematically and strategically got a grip and a monopoly on the refining of critical minerals. The effect of that has been demonstrated only this week, where China has cut off Japan from critical minerals over a political issue. First, what …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech
"My Lords, is not the reality that, when the initial M42 smart motorway programme was introduced, it showed very considerable reductions in congestion, great improvements in driving time reliability and a reduction in accidents? When the programme was rolled out further, under the next Government, a lot of cost-cutting took …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech
"My Lords, has it not been the case over recent years that many young couples have been outbid by private landlords for properties and therefore have been forced to rent and denied the opportunity of owner occupation? If these properties are now being put on the market and are available …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech
"My Lords, following exactly on from that question, is not the most sensible approach to look at those areas where coroners are operating efficiently and at speed, to learn from those best practices, and then to extend it to the rest of the country? It is a straightforward business proposition. …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech
"My Lords, I congratulate the Minister on her measured response to the real concern shown by this House, which should be conveyed to the Chinese authorities. Does that not make all the more regrettable the intervention from the Opposition Front Bench seeking once again to breathe life into this ridiculous …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech
"Does this not once again reveal the fundamental flaw in the Government’s procurement policy, which the Treasury is still pursuing, of going for “cheapest is best” and ignoring all the lessons both of the pandemic and of the Ukraine war, which showed that relying on single points of failure regularly …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech
"My Lords, can the Minister take back to Whitehall the very clear message on the importance of the music industry, including for Britain’s place in the world, that he has identified? No one starts their career playing the O2; they learn their trade—particularly how to relate to an audience—by playing …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech
"My Lords, I echo the comments from my noble friend Lord Snape regarding the Member of Parliament for the neighbouring seat to my old one, Sarah Coombes in West Bromwich, but I also highlight the point that this is linked to lots of other crime. It is linked to petrol …..." Lord Spellar - View Speech