Baroness Joan Walmsley

For years, this Government have promised our fishing industry a sea of opportunity, but, today, our boats are tied up in harbour, their propellers fouled with red tape manufactured in Whitehall.

Our boats are tied up in harbour, their propellers fouled with red tape manufactured in Whitehall.

Boats that are able to go to sea are landing their catches in Denmark-an expensive round trip of at least 72 hours, which takes work away from processors and other shoreside businesses in this country.

I tabled the Immigration (Health and Social Care Staff) Bill 2019-21, which was due for its second reading on Friday.

Lib Dems will continue to fight for healthcare workers' rights

But the Government have decided to axe all sitting Fridays until the end of March, meaning dozens of Private Members Bills will effectively be shut down.

It's been a huge privilege to come to know many Tamil people in my constituency and across the UK since being elected to Parliament back in 1997, and I can therefore say with total certainty, that the contribution of British Tamils to our country and society has been exemplary, with the hard work, intelligence and dedication of so many amazing British Tamils.

It is completely unacceptable that parents have received woefully inadequate food parcels in place of free school meals.

The Secretary of State must urgently investigate this situation.

The amount of food parents have received to feed their children is not anything like enough to provide an adequate, nutritious lunch every day.

Over the past year, Liberal Democrat MPs have tabled a number of Private Members' Bills that would make important changes to help build a fairer country, tackle deep-rooted inequalities and ensure a more effective response to the Covid pandemic.

Eleven key Liberal Democrat Bills were due to have "Second Reading" - the next stage of their progress through Parliament - over the next three months.

Last month's Federal Communications and Elections Committee (FCEC) kicked off with a productive Q&A with deputy Leader Daisy Cooper. Daisy's approach to collaborative working across parts of the party was warmly welcomed and FCEC expressed its support, and desire to assist, Daisy's ongoing work to support a diverse range of candidates to stand.

In the early months of this pandemic, the Government's messaging was clear. 'Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.' And so it is once again. Monday's lockdown announcement, although belated, was absolutely right.

But why must we protect the NHS? So that it can continue to tackle COVID, but also, equally, so that the NHS can carry on its life-saving work in every other area.

Like you, I watched domestic terrorists and insurrectionists storm the US Capitol last night with a sense of horror and shock.

I watched with a sense of horror and shock

A symbol of democracy worldwide was shown to be fragile, vulnerable.

It is a stark reminder that will remain etched in our memories.

The chaotic incompetence of a government that declares schools safe on a Sunday, sends children back for a day and then closes them is the sort of thing that should be the domain of political fiction.

Sadly and tragically, it's the government we suffer from in Westminster. It is a reminder about how important it is that we recover as a party, and a spur to our efforts to ensure we do our part in defeating the Conservatives at the ballot box.

Our intervention comes amidst growing concern for safety in schools, including headteachers launching legal action to force ministers to reveal data behind the decision for some schools to reopen.

Time and time again, this Government has squandered opportunities to get ahead of the virus in schools.