"My Lords, the Minister appears to be completely unaware that “Panorama” proved conclusively two or three years ago that Drax does indeed burn old-growth forests. However, the new agreement that the Government have negotiated with Drax for 2027-31 will require Drax not to burn wood from primary or old-growth forests …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"I just want to ask: does the noble Lord think that we should try to reach the 10th group of amendments in the course of today?..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, whatever the imperfections —and there manifestly were some—identified by the commission in the selection process, Mr Kogan did not apply but was invited to apply for the regulator post when it was first advertised, as the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson, just reminded us, under the previous Conservative Government. …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, I welcome the extremely constructive tone from all three Front Benches about the BBC and will make three points. First, the BBC, as some have said already, has been in the making for well over a century—an achievement unmatched in any other country in the world. It is …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, Tony Blair had a pronounced interest in reducing crime. Two decades ago, as his strategy advisor, I spent two and a half years working with gifted teams of officials, looking at patterns of crime and offending, and how the many organisations within the criminal justice system were responding. …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, when I worked at No. 10, I led a team, which had Treasury representation, that looked at road-user charging alongside other transport issues. Does the Minister accept that a flexible system of road-user charging could bring many benefits, such as an allocation of free mileage for the less …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, I strongly support this Bill. Overall, it is well considered. Importantly, it benefits from the experiences of many other countries that started this journey well before us. In no sense would we be pioneers.
The carefully designed process that the Bill sets out should address the possible risks—for …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, the nomination of David Kogan as the new football regulator has been widely welcomed in football and beyond—his capability and deep knowledge of the game are well recognised. Mr Kogan’s appointment was first announced in April, but four months later he is yet to be confirmed. The uncertainty …..." Lord Birt - View Speech