Lord Aberdare Portrait

Lord Aberdare

Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary

Became Member: 20th July 2009


Education for 11–16 Year Olds Committee
31st Jan 2023 - 23rd Nov 2023
Highgate Cemetery Bill [HL] Committee
15th Dec 2020 - 8th Mar 2021
EU Internal Market Sub-Committee
23rd Jun 2015 - 2nd Jul 2019
Information Committee (Lords)
16th May 2012 - 30th Mar 2015
Digital Skills
12th Jun 2014 - 4th Feb 2015


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Aberdare has voted in 10 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Lord Aberdare 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
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Labour)
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
(3 debate interactions)
Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour)
Minister of State (Education)
(3 debate interactions)
Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat)
(3 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Education
(13 debate contributions)
Department for Business and Trade
(3 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(1 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lord Aberdare's debates

Lords initiatives

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


1 Bill introduced by Lord Aberdare


A Bill to make provision for the abolition within construction contracts of the practice of allowing the paying party to withhold, as security against the risk of contractual non-performance by the other party, sums which would otherwise be due; and for connected purposes

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 25th October 2021
(Read Debate)

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


Latest 6 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
24th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether project bank accounts (PBAs) were in place on all public sector projects undertaken by ISG Limited for Government departments, in line with the Government's Construction Playbook which states that PBAs “should be used unless there are compelling reasons not to”; and if not, which such projects did not use PBAs, and why.

The Construction Playbook sets out key policies and guidance for how public works projects and programmes are assessed, procured and delivered and includes guidance that “Project Bank Accounts are not always suitable, but should be used unless there are compelling reasons not to”. It is for Contracting Authorities to determine how to implement this guidance appropriately for each contract. The Cabinet Office does not hold data on the use of Project Bank Accounts for other departments.

Baroness Twycross
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
24th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in light of their guidance published on 10 October on charging and reclaiming VAT on goods and services related to private school fees, providers offering Level 6 qualifications which are funded through the Dance and Drama Award scheme will be affected by the changes to VAT.

From 1 January 2025, the 20% standard rate of VAT will apply to all education services, vocational training, and boarding services provided by private schools for a charge. This will apply to any fees charged after 29 July 2024 for terms starting after 1 January 2025.

Higher education taught at schools that are otherwise in scope of the policy (for instance, performing arts schools) are being carved out of the VAT policy, as set out in the Government’s response to the technical consultation.

Lord Livermore
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
24th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of retention payments which (1) have been withheld, (2) have been released to suppliers, and (3) are still being held in relation to completed projects undertaken by ISG Limited for the Ministry of Justice.

Since ISG Construction Limited entered administration on 20 September, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has undertaken a range of activity to understand the full impact on the Department and the supply chain in the construction sector. This has included working with EY, the appointed Administrator, to ensure the sums remaining within Project Bank Accounts are correct. The Department is in contact with a large number of subcontractors to ISG to determine what, if any, direct assistance the MoJ is able to provide. The Department remains committed to the timely payment of invoices in line with our obligations to do so.

The MoJ is undertaking a review of all potential payments arising from ISG entering administration, but given the scale and complexity of the task, this work is not yet complete.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
24th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to pay for works completed on Ministry of Justice projects undertaken by ISG Limited, before it went into administration, to companies in the supply chain working on projects for which project bank accounts (PBAs) were in place; when and why the Ministry of Justice stopped paying the sums due into these PBAs; and whether this cessation of payment took place before the formal announcement of ISG administration.

Since ISG Construction Limited entered administration on 20 September, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has undertaken a range of activity to understand the full impact on the Department and the supply chain in the construction sector. This has included working with EY, the appointed Administrator, to ensure the sums remaining within Project Bank Accounts are correct. The Department is in contact with a large number of subcontractors to ISG to determine what, if any, direct assistance the MoJ is able to provide. The Department remains committed to the timely payment of invoices in line with our obligations to do so.

The MoJ is undertaking a review of all potential payments arising from ISG entering administration, but given the scale and complexity of the task, this work is not yet complete.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
24th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether certified payments owed to suppliers of ISG Limited for contracts undertaken on behalf of the Ministry of Justice will be paid directly to those suppliers when expected monies have not been deposited into project bank accounts; how many suppliers have not yet received certified payments owed to them by the Ministry of Justice; and what is the estimated amount of these certified payments.

Since ISG Construction Limited entered administration on 20 September, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has undertaken a range of activity to understand the full impact on the Department and the supply chain in the construction sector. This has included working with EY, the appointed Administrator, to ensure the sums remaining within Project Bank Accounts are correct. The Department is in contact with a large number of subcontractors to ISG to determine what, if any, direct assistance the MoJ is able to provide. The Department remains committed to the timely payment of invoices in line with our obligations to do so.

The MoJ is undertaking a review of all potential payments arising from ISG entering administration, but given the scale and complexity of the task, this work is not yet complete.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
24th Oct 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether certified payments will be paid to companies who have worked on projects run by ISG Limited on behalf of the Ministry of Justice where there are no funds in the project bank account (PBA); and whether there is a risk that PBAs will have failed to shield some parts of the supply chain from this insolvency event.

Since ISG Construction Limited entered administration on 20 September, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has undertaken a range of activity to understand the full impact on the Department and the supply chain in the construction sector. This has included working with EY, the appointed Administrator, to ensure the sums remaining within Project Bank Accounts are correct. The Department is in contact with a large number of subcontractors to ISG to determine what, if any, direct assistance the MoJ is able to provide. The Department remains committed to the timely payment of invoices in line with our obligations to do so.

The MoJ is undertaking a review of all potential payments arising from ISG entering administration, but given the scale and complexity of the task, this work is not yet complete.

Lord Timpson
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)