Lord Faulkner of Worcester: December 2010

LINK ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

Following my visit earlier this year, in November 2010 I handed over a ceremonial key from Worcester MA together with a scroll, signed by the state’s senator, to Mayor Mike Layland at the Guildhall. Report: Winter edition of Worcester Connections See also Worcester Links on this site

VISIT TO HMS ARK ROYAL

26 October 2010: a visit to Portsmouth on the Royal Navy's VIP Day shortly after the announcement of the decommissioning of HMS Ark Royal. [pictured L to R]: Executive Officer; Nick Hood CBE; myself; Captain Charles Howeson RNR; John, Duke of Somerset; Commodore Jamie Miller; First Lieutenant

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ACT 2006 (DIRECTIONS TO OFCOM) ORDER 2010

16 December 2010: Motion to approve Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (Directions to OFCOM) Order 2010 moved by Lord de Mauley

during the debate Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, the Minister will be aware that I wrote to him about this matter earlier today. I apologise for the late notice I gave him, but I did not receive notification about this problem until seven o'clock last night when a member of the railway industry wrote to me to draw my attention to exactly the points just alluded to by my noble friend Lord Berkeley. This is clearly a significant issue for the railway. It is not a situation where we can take a chance and see what happens. If it is the case that the new broadband width is going to interfere with signalling, obviously the railway will become unsafe..............read Hansard report in full

HOSPICES AND PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES

15 December 2010: Viscount Bridgeman asked Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for the future of hospices and palliative care services. during the debate.... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Viscount, Lord Bridgeman, on securing this debate, and I welcome this chance to express my admiration for the wonderful work that is performed by our hospices across the country read contribution in full in Hansard report Worcester News report

PUBLIC BODIES BILL [HL]: COMMITTEE STAGE

15 December 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I move Amendment 25 because I want to give the Minister an opportunity to describe what the Government envisage will happen to the powers, duties and assets of BRB (Residuary) Ltd if, or rather when, that body is abolished. The Committee may be aware that this company is all that is left of the once mighty British Railways Board, which oversaw the running and ownership of the entire state-owned railway from 1962 until privatisation. read Hansard Report in full

A BETTER FUTURE FOR WCFC

10 December 2010: Went with members of Worcester City FC board and a representative from Worcester City council to see AFC Telford and the work they do in conjunction with the council to benefit the football club and the town - and saw how community clubs can work in partnership with local authorities, businesses and community groups.

WORLD CUP: FOOTBALL

8 December 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government what lessons can be learnt from the failure of England's 2018 FIFA World Cup bid. Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper. In doing so, I declare an unpaid interest as vice-president of the Football Conference and as an officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Football Group. Baroness Garden of Frognal: My Lords, there is obviously great disappointment over FIFA's decision. England's 2018 team put together a strong technical bid which FIFA recognised. It is difficult to think what more Government could have done to support it. I congratulate Russia and Qatar on being selected and wish them luck for hosting the tournaments in 2018 and 2022. It is too early to draw lessons at this stage but that process will now begin. Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. I think most reasonable people will take the view that this Government and their predecessor did all they legally could to win the bid. I suspect that many of your Lordships will have had the experience of being promised votes from people who turn out to be inveterate liars. Does the Minister agree that this is now the time for a far-reaching government inquiry into the state of English football, looking at such matters as the governance of the Football Association, the influence of the Premier League on the England national team and the effects of all these developments on the grassroots of the game? read Hansard report

HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM BILL [HL] - 2nd READING

3 December 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, it is not very often that I get the privilege of following a maiden speaker in your Lordships' House and to be given the opportunity to pay a tribute to him. It is even rarer to follow a new Member of such exceptional talent and distinction as the noble Lord, Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield. read more.......

My Lords, that leads me neatly into expressing my complete support for the Bill again introduced so ably by the noble Lord, Lord Steel of Aikwood. I congratulate him on his patience and perseverance. I reread the Hansard report of the debate on the Bill of the noble Lord, Lord Steel, on 27 February 2009......

........ Many noble Lords warned in February 2009 that if there were no provision for retirement, a change of Government would trigger the appointment of large numbers of new Peers, making the membership of the House intolerably large. That is exactly what is happening..... read more......

BRUNEL MUSEUM IN ROTHERHITHE

2 December 2010: At the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe, where I presented the illustrated portrait of Brunel to Lord Gladwyn, retiring President of the Museum.

This huge dramatic portrait of Brunel was painted in 1978 by Bryan Organ, Britain's top portrait artist.

"On behalf of President Lord Gladwyn, Patrons and Trustees of the Museum, I have great pleasure in welcoming the artist himself to The Tunnel Club: Mr Organ is here this evening. The painting was commissioned by former British Railways Board Chairman, Sir Peter Parker, with whom I had the privilege of working at board headquarters. It originally hung in the Brunel Room at the Great Western Royal Hotel, Paddington. During my time as chairman of the Railway Heritage Committee, we designated the painting - which by then was in the ownership of the British Railways Board (Residuary) Ltd - as being of sufficient interest to warrant long-term preservation. This meant that it could not be disposed of or sold without the permission of the Committee. "

HEALTH: PASSIVE SMOKING

30 November 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that passive smoking annually kills 600,000 people worldwide, and to the recommendation that the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control be immediately enforced. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Earl Howe): My Lords, the report from the World Health Organisation sets out the significant harms to health from exposure to second-hand smoke. The United Kingdom is a strong supporter of the FCTC and has worked hard to implement it since ratification of the treaty in 2004. Today, we exceed our treaty obligations in this area through the effective and popular smoke-free legislation. Tackling tobacco will be a key element in the Government's new public health White Paper. Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that very positive and welcome reply, which is particularly interesting in view of the interview given by the Secretary of State, Mr Andrew Lansley, on the "Today" programme this morning, in which he had some interesting things to say about packaging. Would the Minister comment on that? Does he agree with Mr Lansley's assertion that "the visibility of cigarettes ... constantly tends to reinforce smoking, but it also leads to initiation of smoking amongst young people"? Can he confirm that it is necessary for the United Kingdom, in order to comply with Article 13 of the framework convention, to proceed with restrictions on tobacco display and the banning of vending machines?

read more in Hansard report

RAILWAYS: INVESTMENT

25 November 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester My Lords, first, I thank the Minister very much for repeating the Statement. I also thank him for the tone of his replies, particularly in his reference to the previous Administration. As he knows, I had a very minor part in the Department for Transport in that Administration and I welcome what he said. I am aware that, when a Statement is repeated from the Commons, we tend to hear rather more strident language than we normally would in this Chamber. I also endorse much of what the noble Lord, Lord Bradshaw, said. He is too modest. When the journey time between London and Cardiff was under two hours, it was when he was running the western region of British Railways. Indeed, that journey time is not that great an aspiration. read more in Hansard report

BURMA

18 November 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government how they plan to promote democracy and human rights in Burma, following the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Prime Minister spoke to Aung San Suu Kyi on 15 November, making clear our determination to support her efforts to promote democracy and national reconciliation. We will continue to work with our international partners and in UN bodies to press for progress. We will maintain pressure on the regime following Burma's recent sham elections and continue to highlight its appalling human rights abuses, including the continued incarceration of more than 2,200 political prisoners. Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that positive and welcome reply. I am sure that the whole House will wish to pay tribute to this brave and remarkable woman whom I had the good fortune to know as an undergraduate studying PPE at Oxford 45 years ago. Can I ask the Minister a little more about setting aside the results of the elections and pressing the Burmese authorities to hold fresh elections to ensure that that the National League for Democracy can play a full part and that Aung San Suu Kyi can be leader of that party in those elections? What pressure can our Government and others place on governments in the region who have been somewhat supportive of the Burmese junta until now? Hansard report

PUBLIC BODIES BILL [HL]: 2ND READING

9 November 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester: ........ a public body with which I have a particular interest and which I had the honour to chair until 2009, standing down when I became a Minister in the Government Whips' Office: the Railway Heritage Committee. It is a body which has a link with Henry VIII because, as your Lordships may recall, Benjamin Disraeli predicted as long ago as 1845, in his novel Sybil,that the railways will do as much for mankind as the monasteries did.

APPEAL TO SAVE THE RAILWAY HERITAGE COMMITTEE

21 October 2010: Speaking at the annual dinner held at the National Railway Museum in York, I make a case for saving the Railway Heritage Committee. Read full text at Railway Heritage.

SPORT: CRICKET

19 October 2010: Lord Williams of Elvel asked Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to eradicate corruption from international cricket. during the course of the Question..... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I declare an interest as chairman of the all-party inquiry into the effects of betting on sport, which reported in 2005, and to which the noble Lord, Lord Condon, was such a powerful and convincing witness. Is the Minister satisfied with the progress which the Gambling Commission's new unit on sports betting intelligence is making, and is it receiving sufficient co-operation from the betting industry and from sports governing bodies?

TAIWANESE NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS

7 October 2010: pictured with Representative Katharine Chang in the Gladstone Library at the National Liberal Club to celebrate the 99th Taiwanese National Day. Representative Chang expressed gratitude to the British government and people for their kind assistance and friendship. “I would particularly like to thank the All-Party Parliamentary British-Taiwanese Group for its support,” she said.

RAILWAYS: NORTH-WEST

18 October: Lord Sheldon asked Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to invest in rail services in the north-west.

during the course of the question..... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: I am sure the Minister will be aware that Network Rail published its northern route utilisation strategy on 8 October, which contains some very encouraging figures for passenger growth in the north of England. For example, as regards Liverpool and Manchester, it estimates that by 2019 growth will exceed 30 per cent and may rise as high as 45 per cent. Will he give an absolute assurance that the Government will honour the comment that he made about electrification despite the horrors that may be in the Chancellor's statement this week? Hansard report

PARKING AND TRAFFIC OFFENCES

6 October 2010: Baroness Gardner of Parkes asked Her Majesty's Government whether they will review the regulations regarding enforcement procedures for traffic and parking offences so as to make them effective for cars with foreign number plates. during the course of the question ....... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, nobody would wish to catch the Minister out, but I am sure that he is aware of the statement made by his noble friend, who is sitting next to him, the noble Lord, Lord Howell of Guildford, on 28 June this year, which said that the outstanding fines incurred by the diplomatic missions in London in respect of the London congestion charge had reached £36 million by January this year, with the United States, Russia and Japan being by far the worst offenders. Can he give an assurance that it is the view of the present Government, as it was of their predecessor, that the congestion charge should be paid by diplomatic missions in London? and later....... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, the answer is in his noble friend's Answer of 28 June: Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates. [Laughter]

In the following Question Lord Barnett asked Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the most recent Bank of England economic forecast. Lord Barnett: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, and I think I might prefer my noble friend to answer it. [Laughter] Read Hansard report

ROADS: SPEED CAMERAS

5 October 2010: Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on road accidents of their decision to phase out central funding of fixed speed cameras

during the course of the question ....... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, the Minister will be aware, from his department's own figures, that the statistics on road casualties caused by speed are horrendous. Can he give an assurance that if, as a consequence of this decision to discontinue the funding of safety cameras, there is an increase in the number of accidents at the sites where those cameras were present, the Government will reconsider their policy and ensure that the cameras come back? Hansard report

WORCESTER TO WORCESTER

I visited Worcester, Massachusetts, from 22 to 25 August. My objective was to assess the degree of interest there in developing friendships and contacts.

Read my full report to the Mayor of Worcester here

WORCESTER COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY DEGREE

CEREMONY

10 September 2010: Guest speaker at the award ceremony in Worcester Cathedral for graduands and prize winners from the Worcester College of Technology. You can read the speech I made here.

PEACE & DEMOCRACY BUILDING IN EAST ASIA

7 September 2010: Deliver an address at a seminar on Peace and Democracy Building in East Asia organised by the Institute for National Policy Research (Taiwan) at Chatham House - full text can be read here.

GREAT MALVERN STATION 150th ANNIVERSARY

9 August 2010: Along with members of Malvern Town Council and local historians I walked through "the Worm" to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Great Malvern train station. The tunnel, which closed about 25 years ago, led first-class passengers from platform two of the station to the former Imperial Hotel, now Malvern St James School, to avoid the rain. Read full story

SPORT: FOOTBALL WORLD CUP 2018

26 July 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government how they are supporting England's bid for the 2018 World Cup. read Hansard report

Article in ePolitix.com . "England's bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup is now entering its critical final phase. In a little over five months' time we shall know whether all the hard work put in since October 2007 - when England's bid was first announced - has been successful......."

NEW MILITARY CEMETERY AT FROMELLES

19 July 2010: Travel to northern France on a specially chartered Eurostar train "Remembering Fromelles" to attend the dedication of the CWGC military cemetery at Fromelles along with other members of the All-Party War Heritage Group.

WOMEN: PUBLIC BODIES & LISTED COMPANIES

15 July 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, does the Government's commitment to gender equality extend to great national institutions such as the Church of England? Furthermore, does the Prime Minister intend to have a word with right reverend Prelates and most reverend Primates in order that we may have some female Bishops in this House before the end of this decade? Hansard source

LINDA CARTY: QUESTION

8 July 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the United States authorities about reprieving Linda Carty. See Hansard Report

HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM

29 June 2010: Lord Strathclyde moved That this House takes note of the case for reform of the House of Lords.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester:

My Lords, I am sorry that the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Leader of the House, has temporarily left his place, because I was going to start by congratulating him on the way in which he opened the debate. It was, typically for him, a smooth and polished performance. I felt that if he were to visit a turkey farm in November he would have no difficulty in convincing the residents that Christmas was really a time for rejoicing and that all of them should be grateful for the humane way in which they were going to be dispatched. However, he is not here, so perhaps his Chief Whip will pass that comment on to him. I had hoped that the new Government would have tried harder to achieve a consensus on Lords reform. When my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton was Lord Chancellor, he made it clear that Members of your Lordships' House were to be part of the consensus which would deliver change. That made particular sense in the aftermath of the votes in the other place in 2003, when no majority could be assembled for any of the options on offer.

That approach was shattered, which made me sad, following the votes in the House of Commons on 8 March 2007, and from then on the views of Back-Bench Peers were largely ignored in the discussions about our future. Quite why the 2007 votes mattered so much, and why the failure to agree on any option in 2003 was of so little consequence, has never been satisfactorily explained to me. The noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, referred to this matter in his speech. I have a strong suspicion that, had a Bill been published before the recent election, it would have contained provision for the eventual expulsion of all existing Members as we moved to an all-elected House. I do not know how many of your Lordships are familiar with the TV game show "The Weakest Link". I suspect that the noble Lord, Lord Jopling, may be, because he seemed to suggest that noble Lords should vote other noble Lords out because they were not contributing enough-very much the theme of that programme, as noble Lords will know if they are familiar with it.

Let us be quite clear about one thing. Those of us who are opposed to an elected House are not against reform. This House has already demonstrated that there is very considerable support for the measures contained in the Private Member's Bill introduced by the noble Lord, Lord Steel of Aikwood. It is very regrettable that its merits were not recognised until it was too late in the last Parliament to do anything about it. If the noble Lord, Lord Steel, wishes to press his Motion to a vote later, I shall certainly support him. His Bill goes a very long way towards modernising this House, as the previous Government recognised in their Constitutional Reform Bill. One of its immediate benefits would have been to reduce the total number of Members, to which a number of noble Lords have referred, as they took advantage of the provisions for retirement. Until now we have had to rely only on the Grim Reaper as a means of reducing our number.

Unless something like the bubonic plague were to make a reappearance, the Grim Reaper would not be able to keep up with the lists of new appointments that seem to come through week after week at the moment. So I wish the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Wirral, well with his group, but I think that the provisions in the Private Member's Bill of the noble Lord, Lord Steel, will be an essential part of any new arrangement for retirement.

I have a great deal of respect for the point of view that elections confer legitimacy, but I argue too that elections are not the only way in which legitimacy can be achieved. The role of this Chamber, which is primarily to scrutinise legislation and hold the Government to account, derives its legitimacy from the way in which we do that job and from the people who carry it out. It would not be enhanced if every Member, or nearly every Member of this House, were elected. It is necessary in doing the job that we involve substantial numbers of people who are not part of the normal party-political establishment.

At present we can credibly say, during the passage of legislation and the final stages of ping-pong, "We know our place". That is a point that the noble Lord, Lord Cope, made. When inadequately scrutinised legislation is presented to us, we are able to suggest improvements and revisions to it, but we know and accept that the final word lies with the elected Chamber. The moment when authority is conferred on an assembly through election, it would be necessary to rewrite the conventions between the two Houses. Where would you stop? On what basis would you deny an elected House the right to debate supply and agree the Budget, for example? That point was made with great force by my noble friend Lord Rooker.

I hope that honourable Members in the other place will read very carefully the words of the noble Earl, Lord Onslow. As we heard this afternoon, the noble Earl is a great enthusiast for elections. But the reason why he is such a great supporter of them is that he wants this House to be really powerful and to challenge the will of the Commons. I hope that the House of Commons will come to terms with the fact that many more Members will take the same view as the noble Earl. It seems to me that there is barely a glimmer of understanding of that in the other place. They seem to believe that opposition at this end of the building to an elected House is motivated purely by self-interest and will somehow melt away if we can be bought off by some vague offer of grandfather rights for existing Members, which I have to say I find pretty insulting. The great majority of us are opposed to a predominantly or entirely elected House because we believe that the effectiveness of the second Chamber will be irretrievably weakened if it is replaced by an elected body from which Cross-Bench Peers are absent and whose Members are chosen by the party machines.

It would be invidious to name individual members-mostly, but not entirely, they are on the Cross Benches-whom we would lose if they had to stand for election. Yet who can imagine how groups such as former university vice-chancellors, eminent scientists, distinguished medical practitioners, retired police chiefs and permanent secretaries, generals, air vice-marshals and admirals-with the possible exception of my noble friend Lord West of Spithead, who I can see on the hustings-would offer themselves as political party candidates in elections to this place? They would disappear and the character and effectiveness of the House would change totally.

I wish that when we discuss these matters we would use the English language accurately and truthfully. What is being proposed is not reform, it is abolition. It is the replacement of what we have now with something totally different. Anyone who questions that has only to read Mr Clegg's rhetoric. I cannot believe that the overwhelming majority of noble Lords on the Conservative Benches, who voted by margins of almost 6 to 1 in favour of an appointed House in 2007, are going to allow their temporary coalition partner to destroy an institution in which they so strongly believe and to which they make such a powerful contribution. © Lords Hansard 29 June 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

24 June: Lord Faulkner of Worcester: "The noble Baroness has referred to the lives that would be saved. I cannot believe, and surely she must accept this, that the saving of lives is not more important than any other consideration? The evidence is overwhelming in this area"

RAILWAYS: CROSSRAIL

23 June : Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty’s Government what are their plans for the future of Crossrail. Read Hansard report See also article for ePolitiX.com ahead of Question on the future of Crossrail.

LUNCH WITH ROTARY CLUB OF WORCESTER

21 June: Guest of the Rotary Club of Worcester at lunch held at Worcestershire County Cricket Club. Pictured are Hilary Day, President, centre, with Councillor Andy Roberts, former Mayor of Worcester.

HUGH MUIR'S DIARY IN THE GUARDIAN

18 June: "Does the government agree, asked Labour peer Lord Faulkner, that the rail electrification plan, unveiled by Lord Adonis before the general election, is clean and green and something that the coalition would be well advised to press ahead with" ........... Hugh Muir's Diary in the Guardian.

RAILWAYS: NETWORK RAIL

16 June: Lord Bradshaw asked Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have for the future of Network Rail.

during the Question...... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, following the exchanges yesterday on the question that I asked the noble Earl regarding railway electrification during the exchanges on my noble friend Lord Berkeley's Question, a report has appeared in today's Sun newspaper that says: "Plans for faster electric trains across Britain will be scrapped because they cost too much, the Government said yesterday". As the noble Earl, for this purpose, is the Government, does he have anything to add to that statement and will he confirm whether it is true?

© Lords Hansard 16 June 2010

TRANSPORT: SAVINGS

15 June: Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government how they intend to implement savings of £682 million in 2010-11 in the transport sector in the context of their intention to create a greener and more sustainable transport sector. during the Question ....... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I join those who have congratulated the noble Earl on his appointment and thank him for the courtesy he extended to me when I was sitting in the place that he now occupies. Perhaps I may start with an easy question for him. Does he agree that the maintenance of the commitment to electrify large parts of the railway system, as announced by my noble friend Lord Adonis, and the commitment to build High Speed 2, are both very sustainable and green forms of transport which the new Government will follow?

© Lords Hansard 15 June 2010

HEALTH: GOVERNMENT SPENDING

14 June: Baroness Thornton asked Her Majesty's Government which health agencies and arm's-length bodies will be affected by cuts in government spending

during the Question ....... Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, given the huge success of the tobacco-control legislation passed in the previous Parliament, which has already produced so many benefits including, as we have seen from recent statistics, a dramatic reduction in the number of heart-attack victims admitted to hospital, will the Minister give an assurance that the excellent smoking-cessation programmes run by his department will be exempted from any programme of cuts?

© Lords Hansard 14 June 2010

GARDEN PARTY AT UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER

10 June: Attended annual garden party at University of Worcester along with Mayor of Worcester, Mike Layland, and the Very Reverend Peter Atkinson, the Dean of Worcester.

STARS AND DRAGONS: THE EU AND CHINA

9 June 2010: Motion to Take Note Lord Teverson moved that this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on Stars and Dragons: The EU and China (7th Report, Session 2009-10, HL Paper 76). read more......

Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I am pleased to follow the noble Lord, Lord Selkirk of Douglas, because I agree with almost everything that he said, particularly on matters of human rights in China and relations with Taiwan. I start by declaring an unpaid interest as the newly elected chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary British-Taiwan Group. I have on a number of occasions had the good fortune to visit Taiwan in recent years and I shall say something about relations with Taiwan in a moment. read more......

© Lords Hansard 9 June 2010

"THE HONEYBOURNE LINE"

Pictured with Railway Magazine editor Nick Pigott as we pose with the special Great Western Railway headboard before attaching it to Bradley Manor to formally launch the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway celebration of the 175th Anniversary of GWR.

DEPUTY CHAIRMEN OF COMMITTEES

2 June 2010: Appointed to the panel of members of the House of Lords who act as Deputy Chairmen of Committees for this session - see Hansard report

WORCESTERSHIRE RAILWAY STATIONS MARK 150 YEARS

COURT CIRCULAR

May 20 2010: The Lord Young of Norwood Green and the Lord Faulkner of Worcester were received by The Queen and took leave upon relinquishing their appointment as Lords in Waiting to Her Majesty.

MEMBERS OF HOUSE OF LORDS SWEAR IN FOR NEW PARLIAMENT

18/19 May: Members of the House of Lords swear in for the new Parliament. By law Members of both Houses must do this before they sit or vote in the new Parliament. For the first time Members of the Lords will have to sign an undertaking to abide by the new House of Lords Code of Conduct as part of swearing in.

FLOOD AND WATER MANAGEMENT BILL - COMMITTEE - 3RD DAY

6 April 2010: Further amendments to the Flood and Water Management Bill were debated in Grand Committee - see Hansard for full report

COURT CIRCULAR

30 March 2010: The Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Lord in Waiting) was present at Heathrow Airport, London, this morning upon the Arrival of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and welcomed His Excellency on behalf of The Queen.

FLOOD AND WATER MANAGEMENT BILL - COMMITTEE - 2ND DAY

24 March 2010: Amendments to the Flood and Water Management Bill were debated in Grand Committee - see Hansard for full report

SIDBURY SCULPTURE IN MEMORY OF STUART McNIDDER

19 March 2010: Together with Worcester Mayor Andy Roberts unveil the Sidbury sculpture - a memorial to the Battle of Worcester in memory of city stalwart Stuart McNidder. See report in Worcester News of 20 March Also see item in Worcester News of 16 March

RENEWABLES OBLIGATION (AMENDMENT) ORDER 2010

15 March 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester moved that the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2010. See Hansard Report

CONCESSIONARY BUS TRAVEL ACT 2007
(Variation of Reimbursement and Other Administrative Arrangements) ORDER 2010.

15 March 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester moved that the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 (Variation of Reimbursement and Other Administrative Arrangements) Order 2010. See Hansard Report

SHARED SPACES - TRANSPORTXTRA COMMENT

John Dales comments in the February 19 issue of TransportXtra on the topic of shared spaces - read the full article in Transport Matters

UNVEILING OF NAMEPLATE "UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER"

10 March 2010: A lightning visit to Worcester for the unveiling of a nameplate "University of Worcester" on a First Great Western HST power car by the University's Chancellor, HRH Duke of Gloucester. Read full report.

ELECTION FEVER AT KING'S SCHOOL, WORCESTER

At King's School, Worcester, on Friday 5 March to interview the three party leaders in a European election and to cast my own honorary vote. Gwyn Williams a teacher at King's School said "This project has given our pupils a tremendous opportunity to learn from other countries' education systems and to experience the cut and thrust of an election campaign. Having to justify their policies to a government minister is an experience the party leaders will never forget!" See King's School website for full report

BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE FEDERATION CONFERENCE

Read the full text of the speech I made at the British Transport Police Federation's Annual Conference in York on 3 March 2010. I was also honoured to be asked to present the bravery awards at the dinner on the previous evening.

WHY WE MUST EMBRACE HIGH SPEED RAIL

Getting Transport on the Fast Track "The launch last December of Britain’s first domestic high speed train service – operating between Kent and St Pancras International – marked a momentous step in the renaissance of our railway. The new 140mph High Speed 1 (HS1) trains have slashed journey times from Ashford to London, for example, from 83 minutes to 37 minutes" - go to Articles to read text from February issue of the Government Gazette in full.

PORTS: DRAFT NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENT

4 March 2010 - Lord Faulkner of Worcester moved that the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Draft National Policy Statement for Ports. Read full report in Hansard

WELSH ZONE (Boundaries and Transfer of Functions) ORDER 2010

2 March 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester moved that the Grand Committee do report to the House that it has considered the Welsh Zone (Boundaries and Transfer of Functions) Order 2010 ......... read full report

EUROSTAR

24 February 2010: Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ability of Eurostar to plan for serious operational challenges.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, my noble friend the Secretary of State for Transport has today issued a Written Ministerial Statement welcoming the Eurostar independent review, which looked into the collapse of Eurostar services before Christmas and was published on Friday 12 February. It was a tough and thorough review and contained specific criticism of Eurostar's contingency planning. Ministers have requested Eurostar to present a further report to both UK and French Governments by the end of March explaining what measures the company has taken towards implementing these recommendations. Eurostar has committed to do this. see Hansard report.......

DIGITAL ECONOMY BILL [HL] COMMITTEE STAGE (7TH DAY)

8 February 2010: My contributions to the 7th day of the Digital Economy Bill can be found here This link also accesses my contributions of the 12, 18, 20 and 26 January on previous days of the Committee Stage of this Bill

BLIND & PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE: STREET DESIGN

4 February 2010: Lord Low of Dalston asked Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the dangers in shared surface street designs for blind and partially sighted people and other vulnerable pedestrians; and whether they will request local authorities not to introduce such schemes until their research on shared space is concluded.

Responding - Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I am most grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken in this fascinating debate this evening, especially the noble Lord, Lord Low of Dalston, who has such a magnificent record in pursuing matters of concern to disabled people and whom I congratulate on initiating this debate. He is a distinguished leader of the RNIB, an organisation with which the Department for Transport has had a constructive working relationship over many years..... read more......

ANTARCTICA: CRUISE SHIPS

28 January 2010: Earl Attlee asked Her Majesty's Government what further steps can be taken to ensure the safety of Antarctic cruise ships. Lord Faulkner of Worcester: And now for something completely different, my Lords. The United Kingdom is closely involved in the development of internationally accepted safety criteria within the International Maritime Organisation and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. A revised set of guidelines for ships operating in polar waters was recently adopted by the IMO. Additionally, the IMO will develop a comprehensive mandatory instrument for ships operating in polar waters to enhance the current guidelines covering the design, equipment and operation of ships in those waters, including Antarctic cruise ships. Read full report in Hansard

ROADS: SPEED CAMERAS

28 January 2010: Lord Trimble ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to reduce the number of speed cameras in the United Kingdom. In response Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, any decision to remove a camera is for local road safety partnerships, not the Government. The Department for Transport's guidance on the deployment of cameras encourages road safety partnerships regularly to review their camera sites. Cameras in Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Read full report in Hansard

LORDS OUTREACH PROGRAMME - STREETLY SCHOOL

22 January 2010: Visited Streetly School as part of the House of Lords outreach programme - Peers in Schools - a youth engagement programme of visits to schools and sixth form colleges to talk to students about the work of the House and its role within the democratic process. "Our students found the experience overwhelmingly positive and particularly enjoyed being able to debate various issues with Lord Faulkner. Two of our year 13 students came away saying that they would now like to become involved in politics!" Head of History - Mrs Leigh Long

CYCLISTS: SAFETY

21 January 2010: Viscount Falkland asked Her Majesty's Government what measures they will take to make roads safer for cyclists. Replying on behalf of Her Majesty's Government Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, measures to make roads safer for cyclists include providing better infrastructure, funding cycle training, improving training and testing for motorists and encouraging cyclists to protect themselves by making themselves conspicuous and wearing a safety helmet. Other initiatives such as anti-drink/drug-drive and speeding campaigns, the provision of 20 mph zones and new measures on goods vehicles' mirrors can also contribute to cycling safety....Hansard report

CLIMATE CHANGE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

20 January 2010: Question for Short Debate tabled by Lord Dubs Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Dubs for this opportunity to debate the findings of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly's report on climate change and renewable energy, and I congratulate him on his distinguished chairmanship of two committees of the assembly and on driving forward this inquiry and report. I also thank the other speakers in this debate, all of whom, as I am sure he will have been delighted to hear, have supported the recommendations of the BIPA report with great enthusiasm.......read contribution in full........

CONSUMER EMISSIONS (CLIMATE CHANGE) BILL [HL] second reading

15 January 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, for bringing forward this Bill, which has generated an interesting and stimulating debate in your Lordships' House. I also thank all noble Lords who have taken part. The noble Lord, Lord Teverson, will know that, in accordance with normal practice, the Government do not normally support or oppose Private Members' Bills in this place. We make no exception in this case. I think that he will be able to tell from what I have to say that the Government have some reservations. He will have some indication of how we feel about the Bill, which may not be that far removed from the position of the Official Opposition......read more.....

LIVE MUSIC BILL [HL] SECOND READING

15 January 2010: Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, speaking on another Bill introduced from the Liberal Democrat Benches a moment ago, I reiterated the traditional approach of neutrality that the Government adopt towards Private Members' Bills. I am happy to do the same again in this case, although I think it will become clear that we have even more reservations about the Bill introduced by the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, than we do about that of the noble Lord, Lord Teverson. I shall explain why... read more....

RAILWAYS: EUROSTAR

6 January 2010: Lord Berkeley asked Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking in conjunction with the Government of France to investigate the delays in rescuing passengers in Eurostar trains which broke down in the Channel Tunnel on 18 and 19 December 2009. Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, the Government have approved the terms of reference of an independent review, to be chaired jointly by Christopher Garnett and Claude Gressier, to report directly to UK and French Ministers in parallel with Eurostar. The review will consider all aspects of the Eurostar service disruption, including the breakdowns in the tunnel, contingency planning, and communication with passengers. We expect the review to publish its findings around the end of January and the Secretary of State will make a Statement to Parliament at this point
....... read more in Hansard report

MOUNTAIN RESCUE

6 January 2010: Lord Dubs asked Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to the mountain rescue service. Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, support for mountain rescue teams is a matter for the police authority and chief constable concerned as they have responsibility for co-ordinating inland search and rescue operations. Between them, police forces contribute almost £100,000 annually in direct support and additional amounts by way of support in kind. However, in recognition of the Mountain Rescue Council's concerns, I am pleased to say that my ministerial colleague in the Department for Transport, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the honourable Member for Gillingham, has offered to facilitate a meeting with my noble friend, interested parties and relevant government departments.
Read full report of proceedings.

OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES 2012

5 January 2010: Motion to take note Moved by Lord Faulkner of Worcester That the House takes note of preparations for the hosting of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. Read full proceedings in Official Hansard Report

ROC (TAIWAN) REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UK VISITS WORCESTER

4 January 2010: I escorted the ROC (Taiwan) representative to the UK, Katharine Chang, to the University of Worcester where we were met by Pro Vice Chancellor Emeritus Judith Elkin. Representative Chang then met the Mayor of Worcester, Andy Roberts, at the Guildhall, and was shown round the Cathedral by the Dean, the Very Rev Peter Atkinson. Accompanying Representative Chang was Tony Lin, director of the cultural division at the Taipei Representative Office.