Twenty five years ago when I was Health Secretary the Government mounted a high profile campaign warning of the dangers of HIV and AIDS. At that time AIDS was a death sentence and public education was one of the few weapons we had. Over the last quarter of a century much has changed. In particular,…
Most people who watch me on television or read about me know I am a Lord, but very few people actually know what that is or what the House of Lords does in this country. Even when people do know what it is about they think it is a closed shop, full of lots of…
I chaired the Science and Technology Committee inquiry into Behaviour Change. Our Report, which was published today, makes some interesting findings about efforts by the Government to change the way we behave. Perhaps the most important thing we say is that to solve the really big problems that face society – like increasing levels of…
When the position of Lord Speaker was created in 2006, it was clear that the House was cautious about the Speaker’s role in the Chamber, but enthusiastic about the representative and ambassadorial aspects of the job. Alongside my procedural, domestic committee and security responsibilities, I have, therefore, made building a sustainable programme of external engagement,…
The EU Committee of the House of Lords has today published a report on “Innovation in EU Agriculture”. It is the result of an inquiry carried out over the last year by the EU Sub-Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment, which I chair. We are calling on Europe to act quickly and coherently to…
