"My Lords, given that road safety must be paramount, would the Minister share with us the Government’s current thinking on drink-driving levels? Does he accept that drink-driving campaigners will never cease campaigning until they have zero drink-driving? What assessment have the Government made of the effect on our beleaguered and …..." Lord Swire - View Speech
"My Lords, the SNP in Edinburgh maintains that it is committed to the future of Faslane as a base while at the same time it says that it would want to rid an independent Scotland of nuclear weapons. What discussions does the Minister have on a regular basis with Edinburgh …..." Lord Swire - View Speech
"My Lords, there are approximately 60,000 thatched properties in the United Kingdom. The great majority are in the county of Devon in which I live; in fact, I live in a thatched property. Thatch used to be a sign of poverty; it is now deemed to be a sign of …..." Lord Swire - View Speech
"We owe the security services our respect and thanks for thwarting over 20 assassination attempts on British soil against Iranians. This situation will not die down. I suspect that both sides will become more entrenched and the regime, if it is trying to hold on, is likely to become more …..." Lord Swire - View Speech
"The Minister has made his career—and to an extent his reputation—on statistics. Can he clarify something for me? According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, of all academic staff whose ethnicity is known, 22% were from ethnic-minority backgrounds in 2022-23. Is that a reflection of society at large, or is …..." Lord Swire - View Speech
"At the risk of repeating myself—the only thing that I am testing is my memory—can the Minister give us any reassurance that the international community is taking seriously the increase in the production of nuclear weapons, and in weapons capability, by the DPRK? What action is being taken with some …..." Lord Swire - View Speech