Yesterday was a depressing day on the economy. Unlike the constant gloom from the Eurozone, the latest unemployment figures felt very immediate and close to home. An extra 63,000 unemployed young people aged 18-25 was a worse increase than I had feared and raises the worries that once again we will have a generation scarred…
I have previously commented on drugs policy and the need for a fundamental evidence-based review. There is a conference taking place today and tomorrow on the subject, 0rganised by the all-party group on the subject. Had it not been for teaching commitments, I would have been chairing today’s sessions. There have been added calls recently…
I’m writing this in the half hour break we’ve been given for lunch on the 5th day of committee on the Health and Social Care Bill. We’ve been discussing the role of GP Clinical Commissioning groups and then Public Health. There is broad unaniminity around the House about the objectives and very little disagreement about the…
For those readers who are not yet aware of the fact, Baroness Trumpington has become something of a star on YouTube as a result of her gesticulation to Lord King of Bridgwater when he referred somewhat unflatteringly to the ageing of some of those who had seen wartime service. I even had some of the…
The House of Lords Library has produced a useful Library Note on Public Attitudes Towards the House of Lords and House of Lords Reform. The introductory note observes that ‘there is perhaps some contradictory evidence in how people view reform of the House’. This is a nice way of referring to the findings of a…
I have received dozens of emails from members of the public, addressed to all Lords, about their opposition to the Health and Social Care Bill, currently before the Lords. Because the wording of the emails is almost identical, many of them get filtered into my junk mail by action of my computer. One or two…
I’m watching events in Italy with some trepidation and on Thursday I’m going to see for myself how matters are unfolding in our little corner of it. The general rejoicing at Berlusconi’s departure won’t of course automatically bring in a government able to tackle the grievous structural problems and zero growth. Even putting in Mario…
My Lords, I join in the thanks that have been expressed to the noble Baroness, Lady Falkner, for securing and introducing this debate. It is good to be able to welcome a joint paper from three government departments. I hope that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will study this in relation to our…
My Lords, it is a long time since this House last discussed Kosovo, so for that reason I am very pleased to be able to introduce this debate. Kosovo is a highly symbolic place for two rival nationalisms. It was the centre of the great medieval Serb monarchy and contained its royal monasteries. In Ottoman…
