Lord Balfe Portrait

Lord Balfe

Conservative - Life peer

Became Member: 19th September 2013



Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lord Balfe has voted in 10 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Lord Balfe 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
Lord Livermore (Labour)
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
(2 debate interactions)
Baroness Merron (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
(2 debate interactions)
Baroness Twycross (Labour)
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Defence
(4 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(2 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(2 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lord Balfe's debates

Lords initiatives

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


3 Bills introduced by Lord Balfe


A Bill to amend the Pensions Act 2004 and the Companies Act 2006 to remove the cap on compensation payments under the Pension Protection Fund and to require the approval of pension scheme trustees and the Pensions Regulator for the distribution of dividends.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Thursday 16th January 2020
(Read Debate)

A Bill to make provision about the holding of referenda in relation to voting systems in local government elections.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading : House Of Lords
Monday 13th June 2016

A Bill to make provision to allow European Union citizens who are resident in the United Kingdom to vote in parliamentary elections and to become members of Parliament; and for connected purposes.

Lords - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Lords
Thursday 4th June 2015

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


Latest 4 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
18th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce legislation to end the anomaly whereby many Ministers, particularly in the Lords, are unpaid; and which Ministers are currently unpaid.

The number of salaries available to the Government to pay ministers is set by the Ministerial and Other Salaries Act (MOSA) 1975. The limit on salaries, which applies across both Houses, is 109.

The Government has no current plans to introduce new legislation in this area.

As of 22 July, the unpaid ministers currently serving in the Government are as follows:

  • Ministers of State: Ellie Reeves MP (n.b. she is paid by the Labour Party), Lord Timpson, Lord Hanson, Lord Hunt

  • Parliamentary Secretaries: Hamish Falconer MP, Mary Creagh MP, Baroness Sherlock

  • Lords’ Whips: Lord Leong, Baroness Twycross, Baroness Blake

Baroness Twycross
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
18th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue the practice of appointing unpaid Trade Envoys; and, if so, whether they intend to make the appointment process and the duties involved more transparent.

We are carefully considering the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy programme in the context of the new Government's trade objectives and will update the house in due course on the programme.

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
4th Sep 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Sherlock on 3 September (HL Deb col 1046), what aspects of domestic law have been in breach of the provisions of the Additional Protocol to the European Social Charter and the Revised European Social Charter 1996, preventing their ratification; and what is the legislative timetable for correcting these breaches.

The Additional Protocol 1995 provides for a collective complaints mechanism. Member States who choose to accept this mechanism are not assessed on their conformity with the process. The UK has not accepted the mechanism because, like the majority of member States, the UK believes the existing supervisory mechanisms of the European Social Charter are adequate.

The new Government is embarking on an extensive programme of reforms, including our Employment Rights Bill which will change our position on provisions within both the 1961 and Revised Charter. The Government will, therefore, consider our position on the Revised Charter in due course.

A summary of the latest assessments of the UK’s conformity with the European Social Charter 1961 was published by the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe also published the UK’s report on non-accepted provisions of the European Social Charter and the Revised European Social Charter earlier this year. I will place a copy of both of these documents in the House of Lords Library.

Baroness Sherlock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
17th Jul 2024
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to seek a closer relationship with the European Medicines Agency.

This Government will seek to reset the relationship with European partners and work to improve the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK and works closely with a range of international regulators, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), through both international regulatory groups and bilateral collaborations.

We recognise the importance of a closer relationship with the EMA and that cooperation between the MHRA and EMA is of mutual benefit.

Baroness Merron
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)