The House of Lords employs nearly 500 people. Not one of them is an apprentice, and only one member of staff is under the age of 21 – according to a Parliamentary answer I have just received. How can Parliament preach apprenticeships to the nation if it has no apprentices itself? There is a highly…
Today the EU Sub-Committee on the Internal Market, Energy and Transport published our report on the Channel Tunnel , entitled ‘Tunnel Vision?’ The report is the culmination of seven months of hard work, huge stimulation and some humorous moments. The members of the Committee have become railway enthusiasts and, indeed, experts! The Committee agreed to…
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…
