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Vol. 801 Tuesday No. 4 7 January 2020 PARLIAMENTARYDEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDEROFBUSINESS Death of a Member: Lord Williams of Elvel ......................................................................27 Questions Hammersmith Bridge .......................................................................................................27 British Citizens: Working Abroad ....................................................................................30 NHS: Nurses ....................................................................................................................32 Health: Eating Disorders..................................................................................................35 Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill [HL] First Reading ....................................................................................................................37 Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill [HL] Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Bill [HL] Pension Schemes Bill [HL] First Readings...................................................................................................................38 Committee of Selection Membership Motion..........................................................................................................38 Queen’s Speech Debate (2nd Day) ............................................................................................................39 Middle East: Security Update Statement..........................................................................................................................49 Queen’s Speech Debate(2nd Day) (Continued).........................................................................................60 Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019: Section 3(5) Motion to Take Note......................................................................................................152 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. No proofs of Daily Reports are provided. Corrections for the bound volume which Lords wish to suggest to the report of their speeches should be clearly indicated in a copy of the Daily Report, which, with the column numbers concerned shown on the front cover, should be sent to the Editor of Debates, House of Lords, within 14 days of the date of the Daily Report. This issue of the Official Report is also available on the Internet at https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2020-01-07 The first time a Member speaks to a new piece of parliamentary business, the following abbreviations are used to show their party affiliation: Abbreviation Party/Group CB Cross Bench Con Conservative DUP Democratic Unionist Party GP Green Party Ind Lab Independent Labour Ind LD Independent Liberal Democrat Ind SD Independent Social Democrat Ind UU Independent Ulster Unionist Lab Labour Lab Co-op Labour and Co-operative Party LD Liberal Democrat LD Ind Liberal Democrat Independent Non-afl Non-affiliated PC Plaid Cymru UKIP UK Independence Party UUP Ulster Unionist Party No party affiliation is given for Members serving the House in a formal capacity, the Lords spiritual, Members on leave of absence or Members who are otherwise disqualified from sitting in the House. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2020, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 27 Oaths and Affirmations [7 JANUARY 2020] Hammersmith Bridge 28 House of Lords for London and the London boroughs, we recognise the vital importance of this key river crossing for the Tuesday 7 January 2020 people of London and will consider any proposals put forward by the London Borough of Hammersmith 2.30 pm and Fulham in conjunction with TfL. Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Rochester. Lord Dubs (Lab): My Lords, I am grateful for the Answer as far as it goes. Does the Minister agree that this will be an enormous financial burden either on the Oaths and Affirmations local authorities adjacent to the bridge or on Transport for London? Should not the Government’sinfrastructure 2.35 pm fund—the announcement of £600 million or so—be Several noble Lords took the oath or made the solemn devoted, at least in part, to rebuilding the bridge? If affirmation, and signed an undertaking to abide by the not, it will stay unused, except by bicycles and pedestrians, Code of Conduct. for many years. Lord Speaker’s Statement Baroness Vere of Norbiton: I agree with the noble Lord that Hammersmith and Fulham might not have the financial resources, or perhaps the skills, to repair 2.45 pm the bridge on its own. As it is an asset that benefits a The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler): My Lords, as we wider area in London, the responsibility perhaps lies return from the Christmas break, on behalf of the more broadly, and I expect that TfL will take a role in whole House I would like to express my deepest driving the project forward. As I have mentioned, we sympathies to the people of Australia, who have endured have not yet received any request for funding from and continue to endure such crippling hardship as a TfL, but we will of course consider it should it arise. result of widespread wildfires. The loss of human life and the devastation caused to the wildlife and the Baroness Kramer (LD): My Lords, might I declare environment is tragic. Our Commonwealth ties with an interest in that I live only a few yards from the end Australia speak of our shared history and our shared of Hammersmith Bridge? During the election campaign, values, and I have written to my counterpart in Canberra, quite a number of Ministers, including the Secretary the president of the Australian Senate, to convey our of State for Transport and Treasury Ministers, came thoughts and our prayers. At this incredibly difficult and made little videos at the end of the bridge. I was time for the Australian people, I would like to assure the elderly-looking lady in a hat with grocery bags them of our total support. standing in front of them. They committed to full financing being immediately available with no questions. Death of a Member: I hope that they will also follow through and provide financing for the temporary pedestrian and cycle bridge Lord Williams of Elvel necessary to speed up the repair work. Announcement Baroness Vere of Norbiton: My Lords, certainly not 2.46 pm elderly, I am sure. I, too, made one of those videos— The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler): My Lords, I regret perhaps the noble Baroness did not see it. The key to inform the House of the death of our friend the thing is that we said we would consider any proposals noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, on 30 December put to us. If the noble Baroness goes back to the 2019. On behalf of the House, I extend our condolences videos, I think she will find that that was indeed the to the noble Lord’s family and friends, and of course case. We will consider all proposals, but it will be up to the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of to TfL to put forward proposals according to its Canterbury. priorities. I remind the noble Baroness, however, that TfL has a budget of around £10 billion. Within that budget, the streets funding stream has operating costs Hammersmith Bridge of £500 million. There is also a pot for capital investment Question of £250 million. 2.46 pm Lord Aberdare (CB): My Lords, I also declare an Asked by Lord Dubs interest as a Barnes resident. Can the Minister give an assurance that it will always remain possible for pedestrians To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support, and bicycles to cross at Hammersmith while the bridge if any, they are giving to the repair of Hammersmith is being repaired, and that the new bridge will be Bridge. designed with a long-term lifespan, rather than be yet another short-term fix for a few years? TheParliamentaryUnder-Secretaryof State,Department for Transport (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) (Con): My Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The noble Lord is quite Lords, while transport in London is devolved and the right. I understand that TfL and Hammersmith and maintenance of London’sroads is a matter for Transport Fulham both want to keep the bridge open to cyclists 29 Hammersmith Bridge [LORDS] British Citizens: Working Abroad 30 [BARONESS VERE OF NORBITON] Baroness Vere of Norbiton: I cannot answer that and pedestrians. I understand that there is a proposal question, because I have not received a proposal. to put some sort of temporary bridge alongside the At the moment, the costs for repairing the bridge are existing structure, which will help active transport and estimated to be £120 million but this is a very early other things like that. As for repairs for the future, the stage of the process. We should recognise that TfL has noble Lord is quite right. This bridge was built in 1887 already stepped up to the plate and committed £25 million for horses, carts and penny farthings, so it is clear that to make sure that the early work can start. It is its we need repairs that will last for decades to come. intention to go to award of contracts for the next stage in the spring. Lord Harries of Pentregarth (CB): My Lords, I am afraid I also have to declare an interest. Does the Lord Watts (Lab): My Lords, the Prime Minister Minister think that there are lessons to be learned was in charge of this area of responsibility when he from this for the long term? It has been predicted for was Mayor of London. How much did he put aside for years