"My Lords, it is a particular pleasure to immediately follow my noble friend and to agree with his compelling arguments for UK-Africa relations. I also agree with his remarks regarding optimism. I am a Scottish liberal, and therefore when you have exhausted pessimism, there is only optimism left.
"Can the Minister provide clarity on the move from being a donor to an investor? Before the cuts, what proportion of UK ODA was purely a donation and not linked to a partnership programme with the country that we were working with?..." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech
"Can the Minister clarify where the donations came from? If there were any, what proportion of UK ODA was from donations? The Minister said that we have gone from a donor model to an investor model, but there were no donations...." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech
"My Lords, with regard to the 1966 treaty, it is worth acknowledging that Article 2 is the basis upon which, under the euphemism of what the treaty calls an administrative measure, the expulsion of a population from that archipelago, and its forced depopulation, took place. That treaty is the basis …..." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech
"If the reporting is correct, the leader of His Majesty’s loyal Opposition asked the House Speaker Johnson to ask President Trump to change his position on the treaty—I heard a “Good for her!” to my right. Does the Minister agree that it is the British Parliament that should hold the …..." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech
"My Lords, I feel that it is obvious to everyone that the US President is an unserious person whose actions have very serious consequences. The threat from the US to not only a very close ally in the European Union but a NATO partner—and then punishing us for standing with …..." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech
"My Lords, does the Minister agree with me that it is a material circumstance that this will be the largest Communist Party of China building in Europe? It will co-ordinate transnational repression in the United Kingdom and espionage on an industrial scale, including electronic and human surveillance, and initiate bounties …..." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech
"My Lords, we must show solidarity and support the young Iranians seeking democratic rights, and we must protect those such as journalists and those in BBC World Service radio who are working to ensure that there is information, which can be life-saving in times of crisis. Can the Minister update …..." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech
"My Lords, this has been an important debate on an important Bill and a considerable treaty that impacts on people’s lives and on international law, and which has direct relevance to UK national security. But this regret amendment has a bit of a Cambodia year zero feel to it, as …..." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech
"My Lords, on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Benches, I too give warm congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, on his election and an efficiently run election. I suspect that Ministers of all party persuasions will feel a slight relief that he will no longer be asking those types …..." Lord Purvis of Tweed - View Speech