Attached is a joint press release signed by 20 rail passenger and freight companies and associations across Europe on the risk to future private investment in the railways. e140214 joint press release.2docx Thanks to massive lobbying by the state owned railways and their association, the Community of European Railways, there is a real danger that the…
This had its second reading in the House of Lords on 10 February, with forty separate speeches. It had earlier passed through the House of Commons with relatively few changes. I can understand the Government’s wish to reduce net immigration, with unemployment high, economic recovery just starting, and total population growing steadily. Speakers from universities…
After arriving in the Philippines and a day of briefings with my hosts Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) Bahaginan and Beyond 2015, I will spend the weekend in Tacloban on the island of Leyte. This is where Typhoon Haiyan caused most damage in November 2013, killing over 6000 across the Eastern Philippines and displacing 400,000. I…
The Constitution Committee of the House has today published its report on Constitutional implications of coalition government. You can read the report here. Among its recommendations are that as far as possible the convention of collective responsibility should continue to apply under a coalition government and that, where parties in a coalition cannot agree, there should…
The arrival of the Defence Reform Bill, which will give the Government powers to sub contract to the private sector a substantial part (possibly all) of the supply of our defence equipment, gives an opportunity to raise the issue of the increasing use of drones and whether the supervision of them is adequately provided for…
I commented in my blog of May 2012 that I thought our Olympics were profligate. They were more successful than I or anyone expected, but I remain sceptical about the legacy – what legacy? – and above all I am dismayed by the cost. The young are not playing more sport than they did before…
The Government has withdrawn their application to the European Commission for permission to reduce the number of liferafts to be carried on certain coastal and estuarial passenger ferries. See Lords Question 15 January. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201314/ldhansrd/text/140115-0001.htm#14011578000366. It appears that the UK tried to get the exemption for most ferries (EC classes B, C and D) with Class…
Last week, just before the stroke of midnight, I moved an – unsuccessful – amendment to the Children and Families Bill, calling for a review of the case for carers leave. Carers leave would enable those who combine paid work with caring for frail, disabled or chronically sick loved ones to take a few days…
I recently returned from a trip to India only to receive the news on 17 January that the religious head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, of which I am a member, had sadly passed away. On receiving the news I immediately booked a flight to return to India that evening to mourn this sad loss…
