My Lords, I declare an interest as patron of Music in the Ville in Pentonville. My question is very much to do with rehabilitation, which I know the Minister cares about. One of the things that IPP sentences have engendered is total despair. There is a lack of hope. I have spoken to an IPP prisoner about this, and it would help enormously if prison staff could be in touch with not just families but prisoners themselves, to make them see that there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

My Lords, I declare an interest as patron of Music in the Ville in Pentonville. My question is very much to do with rehabilitation, which I know the Minister cares about. One of the things that IPP sentences have engendered is total despair. There is a lack of hope. I have spoken to an IPP prisoner about this, and it would help enormously if prison staff could be in touch with not just families but prisoners themselves, to make them see that there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

I would like us just for a moment to concentrate on the incredible loss of human life in this conflict. The Minister mentioned the economic cost to Russia and, indeed, the human cost just now. It is worth remembering that Russia has suffered 1.5 million casualties, compared with about 125,000...

I would like us just for a moment to concentrate on the incredible loss of human life in this conflict. The Minister mentioned the economic cost to Russia and, indeed, the human cost just now. It is worth remembering that Russia has suffered 1.5 million casualties, compared with about 125,000...

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made on securing better access to the EU for performing artists and musicians.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made on securing better access to the EU for performing artists and musicians.

I thank the Minister for that Answer. Dancers, actors, artists and musicians are having a dire time of it in terms of touring in the EU. For example, 85% of musicians have had a significant loss of income and more than 40% have had a total loss. For young musicians and groups, touring is no longer viable at all. Despite the Minister’s assurances, I hear from the creative industries, from people dealing with Europe and from across the channel that the perception is that this is not a high priority for the department or the Government. I would like to challenge the Minister to say a bit more about that and why she would dispute it, if she does. I was assured by the outgoing Prime Minister, and other Members of this House have assured us, that this is a very important aspect of touring that affects people’s income and the whole reputation of our culture.

I thank the Minister for that Answer. Dancers, actors, artists and musicians are having a dire time of it in terms of touring in the EU. For example, 85% of musicians have had a significant loss of income and more than 40% have had a total loss. For young musicians and groups, touring is no longer viable at all. Despite the Minister’s assurances, I hear from the creative industries, from people dealing with Europe and from across the channel that the perception is that this is not a high priority for the department or the Government. I would like to challenge the Minister to say a bit more about that and why she would dispute it, if she does. I was assured by the outgoing Prime Minister, and other Members of this House have assured us, that this is a very important aspect of touring that affects people’s income and the whole reputation of our culture.

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hobby, on his maiden speech and look forward to those maiden speeches that are to come.

If there was precious little in the gracious Speech about the arts per se, social cohesion was mentioned, and they are inextricably intertwined, as we have heard....

My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hobby, on his maiden speech and look forward to those maiden speeches that are to come.

If there was precious little in the gracious Speech about the arts per se, social cohesion was mentioned, and they are inextricably intertwined, as we have heard....

My Lords, many noble Lords who have spoken today also spoke quite vehemently about the dangers of the theft of copyright in AI. We were asking to shut the stable door before the horse bolted. Today we heard from the Government, and it is very welcome news that they are...

My Lords, many noble Lords who have spoken today also spoke quite vehemently about the dangers of the theft of copyright in AI. We were asking to shut the stable door before the horse bolted. Today we heard from the Government, and it is very welcome news that they are...

My Lords, I have some sympathy with the noble Lord Jackson, especially around people stealing mobile phones. However, when

I read proposed new subsection (2), about people covering their face to stop identification, I thought that the problem about that was the same as my noble friend Lord Pannick mentioned....

My Lords, I have some sympathy with the noble Lord Jackson, especially around people stealing mobile phones. However, when

I read proposed new subsection (2), about people covering their face to stop identification, I thought that the problem about that was the same as my noble friend Lord Pannick mentioned....

My Lords, I will add just one small point, and in doing so congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Owen, who I regard as a friend. It is a great thing that these amendments are not gender specific, by which I mean that men have also been targeted in this way....

My Lords, I will add just one small point, and in doing so congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Owen, who I regard as a friend. It is a great thing that these amendments are not gender specific, by which I mean that men have also been targeted in this way....

My Lords, joint enterprise has given rise to a certain notoriety in the criminal justice system. Given the way that gangs of children tend to go around together, is not the age of 10 a real problem? Children of 10 can be convicted of murder simply because one teenager further up the pecking order murders someone.

My Lords, joint enterprise has given rise to a certain notoriety in the criminal justice system. Given the way that gangs of children tend to go around together, is not the age of 10 a real problem? Children of 10 can be convicted of murder simply because one teenager further up the pecking order murders someone.

My Lords, I shall speak extremely briefly, because, compared to the expertise of my noble friends on the Cross Benches who have spoken thus far, I would probably merit nothing like the status of a keyhole surgeon—more like a butcher, really—in terms of legal matters. But I would just say...

My Lords, I shall speak extremely briefly, because, compared to the expertise of my noble friends on the Cross Benches who have spoken thus far, I would probably merit nothing like the status of a keyhole surgeon—more like a butcher, really—in terms of legal matters. But I would just say...

My Lords, I was schooled in this subject, if I was schooled at all, by the late noble and learned Lords, Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood and Lord Judge. They both took me through this and were absolutely certain in what they were saying: noble Lords will have heard Lord Brown’s...

My Lords, I was schooled in this subject, if I was schooled at all, by the late noble and learned Lords, Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood and Lord Judge. They both took me through this and were absolutely certain in what they were saying: noble Lords will have heard Lord Brown’s...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Blunkett, put his finger on something very important when he said to us that we must be careful about giving hope and then dashing it. But without hope, what is there? That is the point the noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas, made and...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Blunkett, put his finger on something very important when he said to us that we must be careful about giving hope and then dashing it. But without hope, what is there? That is the point the noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas, made and...

My Lords, the previous Government and this Government have recognised the problem that we have in getting teachers—for music in particular and for the arts generally. Therefore, it is very disappointing that the bursary for people wanting to train as music teachers has been cut to zero. For young people to follow on from people such as the Beatles, who have brought a huge amount into the economy, we need to invest in the next generation. That means teaching them to play instruments and to become the musicians of the future.

My Lords, the previous Government and this Government have recognised the problem that we have in getting teachers—for music in particular and for the arts generally. Therefore, it is very disappointing that the bursary for people wanting to train as music teachers has been cut to zero. For young people to follow on from people such as the Beatles, who have brought a huge amount into the economy, we need to invest in the next generation. That means teaching them to play instruments and to become the musicians of the future.

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Bailey, and I join others in the House in paying tribute to Baroness Newlove. Like the noble Baroness, Lady Chakrabarti, I was very taken with my noble and learned friend Lord Burnett of Maldon saying that lengthening sentences...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Bailey, and I join others in the House in paying tribute to Baroness Newlove. Like the noble Baroness, Lady Chakrabarti, I was very taken with my noble and learned friend Lord Burnett of Maldon saying that lengthening sentences...

My Lords, I will be even swifter than the noble Lord, Lord Randall. There are some good ideas in these amendments. If we can protect bats in the belfry and great crested newts in the pond, why can we not do the same for swifts? They are such wonderful birds.

I...

My Lords, I will be even swifter than the noble Lord, Lord Randall. There are some good ideas in these amendments. If we can protect bats in the belfry and great crested newts in the pond, why can we not do the same for swifts? They are such wonderful birds.

I...

My Lords, my story is slightly different from that of the noble Lord, Lord Bailey. A few months ago, I had an elevated PSA. Within 36 hours, the surgery to which I go, run by the excellent Dr Sheldon, had put me on a cancer pathway and offered me an...

My Lords, my story is slightly different from that of the noble Lord, Lord Bailey. A few months ago, I had an elevated PSA. Within 36 hours, the surgery to which I go, run by the excellent Dr Sheldon, had put me on a cancer pathway and offered me an...

My Lords, does the Minister agree that if schools—especially those for younger children—were to place more emphasis on reading books, that would help ameliorate the problem to a certain extent? There is a follow-on problem in that many state schools, especially those for younger children, have very poor libraries, which need a lot more books.

My Lords, does the Minister agree that if schools—especially those for younger children—were to place more emphasis on reading books, that would help ameliorate the problem to a certain extent? There is a follow-on problem in that many state schools, especially those for younger children, have very poor libraries, which need a lot more books.

My Lords, I will not repeat everything that we have heard. I agree very much with the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, but on one point she brought up, surely one way that we could allay the suspicions of the general public, which are mighty at the moment, to do with...

My Lords, I will not repeat everything that we have heard. I agree very much with the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, but on one point she brought up, surely one way that we could allay the suspicions of the general public, which are mighty at the moment, to do with...

My Lords, when I was appointed to your Lordships’ House, I was summoned to an interview conducted principally by the chairman, the noble Lord, Lord Jay. He said to me at the end, “There’s one thing I want to ask you: if we were to appoint you to the House...

My Lords, when I was appointed to your Lordships’ House, I was summoned to an interview conducted principally by the chairman, the noble Lord, Lord Jay. He said to me at the end, “There’s one thing I want to ask you: if we were to appoint you to the House...

My Lords, looking around the Committee at the legal expertise present, I feel rather underqualified. However, I worked as a trustee for the Koestler Arts trust for some years, and that leads me to pick up the point made by my noble friend Lord Hastings that what people in prison...

My Lords, looking around the Committee at the legal expertise present, I feel rather underqualified. However, I worked as a trustee for the Koestler Arts trust for some years, and that leads me to pick up the point made by my noble friend Lord Hastings that what people in prison...