"My Lords, the Government’s own cyber survey reports that 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber attack last year, costing the UK economy an estimated £15 billion. Here are just a few examples of those many attacks: a deepfake video call cost Arup £20 million; Marks & Spencer was attacked …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, this is plainly an extremely unhappy matter, above all for the civil servants affected, and I do not claim to be an expert on it. Is the fault all Capita’s? Was there not a very troubling two-year handover from the previous administrator and does the Cabinet Office not …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, I too welcome the Green Paper because, frankly, Rome is burning. Two of the UK’s greatest, most respected and historic achievements are threatened by the globalisation of media—a lively, challenging and diverse press, which we have had for centuries, and an unmatched tradition of public service broadcasting, encompassed …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, the dire position of Thames Water is, above all, a regulatory failure. Does the Minister accept that Ofwat’s record as a regulator has been absolutely woeful? Above all, it failed to require water companies to invest over a long period of time in appropriate infrastructure of all kinds...." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, in the last year, just under 10% of British train journeys were either cancelled, truncated or arrived more than 10 minutes late. The prime causes identified were unavailability of crew or fleet and signal and points failures. Recently, my wife and I holidayed in Japan for almost three …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, utilising modern science and technology, the police appear to be addressing the most serious crime very effectively. But we all know that we have an epidemic of offending on our streets—and our high streets—unmatched in my lifetime, with shoplifting, phone-snatching, drug-dealing and rogue bikers. Does the Minister accept …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, in a few years, we will be celebrating the centenary of one of the UK’s many great inventions, the BBC World Service, which now reaches a remarkable 400 million people each week. It is the most trusted news service on the planet and a significant contributor to promoting …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, in Scotland in 2024, there were more humanist weddings than there were weddings of all religious faiths combined—evidence not only of the substantial demand for humanist marriage but of the accelerating decline of traditional religions. Nine months ago, the noble Lord, Lord Ponsonby, assured the House that the …..." Lord Birt - View Speech
"My Lords, quantum technology is possibly, indeed probably, the most disruptive and transformational technology yet invented by mankind. Thankfully, with our world-leading science base, the UK already has the second-highest number of start-ups working in this sector. Thankfully too, we definitely have a considered embryonic national strategy, which the Minister …..." Lord Birt - View Speech