UK-India: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

Lord Beith Excerpts

Wednesday 4th March 2026 Grand Committee

[Lord Johnson of Lainston (Con)]

My Lords, it is always a privilege to follow the noble Lord, Lord Anderson, who is a pillar of our committee.

First, I pay tribute to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and his leadership of the International Agreements Committee. In my view—this is widely agreed, and not simply in this Room—he has been an exemplary chairman on and off over the course of several years. I am honoured and, frankly, slightly humbled, which is not my usual state, to step into his place.

I also pay homage and offer my thanks to the existing members of the committee, who have been so supportive of my new role. I recognise, as so many of us do, the incredible level of expertise, as demonstrated by the words of the noble Lord, Lord Anderson, just now.

I declare my interests in this debate. This is the fact about me that many noble Lords may find surprising—my noble friend and study mate Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon knows this well because I have told him it many times—but I am the first member of my family not to have been born in India since 1880. I am passionate about trade with India. My family’s businesses have invested in India. We had a cotton milling floor in Madurai with 60,000 spindles—it is still, by the way, the largest in the world—which I then continued.

[The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Lord Beith) (LD)]

My Lords, there is a Division in the Chamber. The Committee will adjourn and return in 10 minutes.

[Lord Johnson of Lainston (Con)]

I was just getting to the good bit.