Lords Diary: Baroness Anelay
4 min read
“Regardless of our changing relationship with the EU, it is vital that our commitment to NATO should remain steadfast”
Progrogation (of any kind!) causes disruption to select committees. It prevents them from carrying out their inquiry work. As Chair of the International Relations and Defence Committee, I was therefore delighted that the House of Lords has now passed the formal Motion to enable us to be ‘back in business’.
In September the Committee launched a short inquiry into Iran – Saudi-Arabia: Rising Regional Tensions – and took evidence from ex-minister for the Middle East The Rt Hon Alastair Burt MP and The Rt Hon Lord Lamont. The inquiry was cut even shorter by prorogation. I therefore put the Committee’s questions for Government answer to the minister for the Middle East by correspondence. His reply is on our Committee web-site. Although it addresses most of our concerns, it skirts round our question on HMG’s assessment of the efficacy of US policy towards Iran, so we decided to repeat our request for an answer.
We also held our first evidence-taking session for our next short inquiry on the NATO Leaders’ Meeting – scheduled to take place in London in December.
NATO celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Its first home was less than half an hour walk from Parliament at 13 Belgrave Square. It is the most successful alliance in history; and it faces great challenges at a time of such international volatility and uncertainty.
Regardless of our changing relationship with the European Union, it is vital that our commitment to NATO should remain steadfast. Whatever the pressures may be on our internal politics, it is crucial that the UK continues and strengthens its diplomatic, security and human rights work around the world.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary General, addressed the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Plenary Session in London this month. He praised the UK’s major contribution to European and transatlantic security, and views us as “a bold, outward-looking and responsible global power.”
I planned to be there to hear him – until I got a call from the chief whip inviting me to move the Humble Address to Her Majesty on the afternoon of the State Opening of Parliament, the very same day as London was hosting the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
The chief whip’s offer was one I couldn’t refuse. It was a great honour to be asked to move the motion as follows:
“Most Gracious Sovereign—We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, beg leave to thank Your Majesty for the most gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament”.
After that, one is free to reflect on the merit of the Government’s programme whilst being mindful of the guidance in the Companion to the Standing Orders that it is customary for the speech to be uncontroversial. Tricky at any time – but I always relish a challenge. This Queen’s Speech set out the broad swathe of the Government’s manifestly ambitious plans, which will have an impact on every department of government, so there was plenty of material to draw upon and welcome for its reforming zeal.
Lord [Michael] Dobbs seconded the Motion in his great-hearted, humorous style and, together, we thereby launched the House of Lords’ five days of debate in which 200 peers took part. Late on Wednesday evening, the motion on the Queen’s Speech was passed safely without any vote against. And, as Hansard puts it, “the Lord Chamberlain was ordered to present the Address to Her Majesty.”
A further 60 peers had also taken the opportunity to speak in the first Saturday sitting to take place for 37 years when we debated the Take Note Motion on the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU and the accompanying “Political Declaration”.
The House of Lords is most assuredly ‘back in business’. The question on everyone’s lips is, of course, for how long?
Baroness Anelay is a Conservative peer and chair of the International Relations and Defence Committee
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