Baroness Thornton (Lab)

My Lords, I am very pleased to welcome the Commercial Payments Bill and to take part in this Second Reading. I congratulate my noble friend the Minister on his absolutely outstanding introduction to i

I thank my noble friend for that Answer. I have great affection and support for the British Council, having been a parliamentary ambassador for it for many years, and having met many incoming delegati

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in supporting and funding the work of the British Council.

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lady Nargund on securing this debate, and I note how busy she seems to have been today. I have a strange feeling that she is only just getting started in your

I very much welcome the last part of my noble friend’s answer. I would like clarification on two points, because the word “sensitivity” has been used, and indeed is used in the guidance. I would like

My Lords, it is a great honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, and I agree with very much of what he said. As will be clear to my noble friend the Minister, some of us have joined this importan