Single-Sex Spaces: EHRC Guidance

Debate between Lord Harper and Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Monday 2nd February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords—

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

We have plenty of time; we will go to the Cross Benches next.

Arrangement of Business

Debate between Lord Harper and Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Friday 30th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, responding directly to that point, it is indeed true that the noble and learned Lord, Lord Falconer, wrote to some members yesterday. Sadly, I did not receive his letter directly from him, but it was forwarded to me. Part of the problem here, directly relating to the noble Baroness’s question, is that the Committees of this House reported some months ago—the Delegated Powers Committee, for example, reported in September. If this was a Government Bill, the Minister would have been expected to set out a thorough, detailed response to all these points before we started Committee stage. We received a letter only yesterday from the noble and learned Lord, setting out his points, and in most cases, he said that the amendments would follow later. Had that happened earlier, many amendments would not have needed tabling. If the noble Baroness is looking for the reason for the delay, it is not just on one side of the House.

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

Briefly—we have now been discussing this for 30 minutes, so maybe we can get on to the Bill shortly—this is not a Government Bill and it is not going to become one. My noble and learned friend always deals courteously with the House and has great stamina, staying here to deal with all these matters. There are an unprecedented number of amendments before the Committee, but if we all work together, we can make more progress on the Bill, and that is what we should be seeking to do. All the amendments have been put down in good faith, and we should accept that, deal seriously with the issues and work on that basis.

I do not believe that anyone is acting in bad faith here, and I would never suggest that. However, we need to work together to make more progress. We have had quite a number of days in Committee now, and not much progress has been made. If this were a Government Bill, I would be very agitated that we are making so little progress. However, I accept that it is not a Government Bill, and it will not become one. However, having now had nearly 32 minutes on questions, we need to move on to the substance and try to make more progress.

Hospitality Businesses

Debate between Lord Harper and Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Tuesday 27th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Swire (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

Can you please decide who is going to ask a question on the Conservative Benches?

[Lord Harper (Con)]

I am grateful to my noble friend. I listened very carefully to the Minister, but he did not answer the question about hotels, particularly family-run hotels. Their rates bills are going to rise by even more than pubs’ and there is no help coming for them. What are they to do? They run fantastic businesses, which attract people to rural areas in particular, but they face rises in their business rates of over 100% in April.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Lord Harper and Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Committee stage
Friday 23rd January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Harper (Con)]

I want to pick the noble and learned Lord up on the progress that I thought we had made last week, which he has just confirmed a bit, when he accepted that asking the question was valid. The problem is, if the result of asking that question is that nothing changes, it is just cosmetic window dressing. He may not have intended to, but he illustrated beautifully the point of asking the question. If we talk to somebody and it is clear that the reason they do not wish to go on is that they are lonely and they have no one there, we can do something about that. There are organisations and people who would provide that companionship. I see the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, shaking her head. There are organisations and people who would do something about that.

It comes down to the point I made last week. We are saying that, if your life is terrible and you get a terminal illness diagnosis, under the Bill, you are more likely to want to end your life with assistance than someone whose life is great. That is a terrible thing for us to do. The noble and learned Lord does not agree with me; that is fine. The House will have to make a decision, and I think that the position that we have set out with these amendments would lead to a better Bill and a better society than the one he is setting out. We will keep making that point and attempting to move him to that position.

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, we are meant to be having brief questions here; these are not brief questions.

Great Western Railway: Infrastructure

Debate between Lord Harper and Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Wednesday 21st January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Labour Benches, and then we will come to the Conservative Benches.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Lord Harper and Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Committee stage
Friday 14th November 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Harper (Con)]

Since I was standing, I will be very brief. I support what the Chief Whip said. I agree with what the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, said earlier. I agree with the Government Chief Whip about not giving government time, but we need more time to deal with this as a Private Member’s Bill. I do not think that any reasonable person listening to the debate and the expertise contributed from these Benches could have concluded anything other than that this was a debate that reflected well on the House and that we are doing our job seriously and conscientiously. We need to continue to do that. That is all I would say to the Chief Whip.

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

As a final point, I agree with the noble Lord. As Government Chief Whip, I take my job very seriously. I love the House, and I want to do this properly. I assure the Committee that I hear noble Lords’ sentiments. I know how long it has taken on the Bill. I know that views are sincerely held on both sides. I will work in the usual channels to deal with these matters.

Rail Freight

Debate between Lord Harper and Lord Kennedy of Southwark

Monday 14th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Naseby (Con)]

My Lords—

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, it is the turn of the Conservative Benches. Can they please make up their minds on who will ask a question?

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords—

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, I bow to the popular will from my Benches—

[Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)]

I really think we need to sort this out.

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, I am grateful that the Minister confirmed the 75% increase in rail freight—the target that I set in December 2023. I listened carefully to his Answer, in which he talked about the Secretary of State setting a target for GBR. Can I confirm that he is intending that Great British Railways will have that 75% rail freight increase—or more—target and will not set a lower one?