"My Lords, the Minister is paying no attention to the effects on the people involved. Has he seen the report in the Daily Record, which says:
“The Tory minister in charge of the bedroom tax has told Scots with motor neurone disease to take in a lodger or have …..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"If the department was so upset and disagreed with the decision, why did it take it so long to bring legislation before Parliament?..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"As I understand it, this lay in the department without any suggestion of legislation for more than a month. If the department had been really concerned about it, the legislation could have been dealt with through the normal procedure. Instead, both the other place and your Lordships’ House are faced …..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"Could the noble Lord help me? I remember when the Liberal Democrats were on this side of the House all the handwringing about retrospection and fast-tracking of legislation. I am not clear from what the noble Lord said whether he is in favour of the Constitution Committee’s report or supports …..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"The noble Lord is repeating word for word what he said in his introductory speech. Why does he not reply and answer the important questions that have been raised? For example, why did he not ask for his appeal to the Supreme Court to be fast-tracked? Can he not answer …..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"My Lords, before we move to consideration of the matters before us today, I wonder whether I have missed something. Has this House appointed the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, to adjudicate on matters of order? I ask because my noble friend Lady Turner was interrupted disgracefully by a loud heckling …..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"My Lords, who gave the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, the individual right to shout from a sedentary position about whether or not one small matter in relation to the Companion has been dealt with? Surely, shouting from a sedentary position is not allowed?..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"In this particular area, the Minister still has not answered the question put by two of my colleagues. They did not ask whether benefits are going to be uprated by 5.2 per cent, as they should be, but when the Government are going to tell us. It is the time …..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"As usual I am not up to speed on everything. Could the noble Lord say exactly what he means in this context by “working age”?..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech
"I am grateful to the Minister. In other words, as the age of eligibility for a state pension increases, under the definition in this Bill “working age” will increase at the same time with it. Is that right?..." Lord Foulkes of Cumnock - View Speech