The Lord Watson of Wyre Forest
Labour
Member of the House of Lords
M
Lord Watson of Wyre Forest's full title is The Lord Watson of Wyre Forest. His name is Thomas Anthony Watson, and he is currently on leave of absence from the House of Lords.
Allowance claims · 2026
Data not yet released for 2026 — the Lords Finance Office publishes monthly CSVs ~6-8 weeks after month-end.
Lords votes · 2026
162 divisions
1 Content(0.6%)
44 Not-Content(27.2%)
117 didn't vote(72.2%)
2026-02-04
Not-Content
62–295
Not-Content
Source: lordsvotes-api.parliament.uk. "Result" shows the headline
Content vs Not-Content tally (including tellers). The Lords doesn't
publish a "didn't vote" attendance roll like the Commons, so the
figure above conflates absence with abstention.
Recent Hansard contributions · latest 25
I sincerely apologise to the Minister for my location here today. In studio terms, I have accidentally ended up on the B-side, not the A-side.
My Lords, I declare my interest, as in the register, as the proud outgoing chair of UK Music, the umbrella body for the British music industry. I am sure I do not have to tell my noble friend that the United Kingdom is one of only three countries in the
2026-01-23
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
My Lords, this is a modest Bill but a useful one. It makes a small procedural change to the Licensing Act 2003 that will allow the Government to act more swiftly and sensibly when communities wish to come together to mark moments of national significance
2026-01-23
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
The noble Lord is an expert on election law. There are certain circumstances where that might be illegal, but I fear that he is correct on this one and will gladly take him up on that offer. For those reasons, I commend this Bill to the House.
2026-01-23
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
That the Bill do now pass.
2026-01-08
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
My Lords, I understand that no amendments have been set down to this Bill and that no noble Lord has indicated a wish to move a manuscript amendment or to speak in Committee. Unless, therefore, any noble Lord objects, I beg to move that the order of comm
2026-01-08
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
That the order of commitment be discharged.
2025-10-24
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
My Lords, this has been a good-natured, thoughtful and very convivial debate. I am grateful for all contributions made today.
The noble Baroness, Lady Monckton of Dallington Forest, and the noble Lord, Lord Bailey, made very thoughtful contributions a
2025-10-24
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
My Lords, my noble friend Lord Murphy of Torfaen may have been hesitant to talk about elections this morning, but the Bill I propose may allow him to drown his sorrows a little easier. It is a genuine privilege to bring forward the Licensing Hours Extens
2025-10-24
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill
That the Bill be now read a second time.
2025-09-03
Prostate Cancer
The Lord is absolutely correct. It was not much fun, was it? I speak as someone who is recovering from prostate cancer. Nearly two years on—so far, so good—I am under active surveillance. I was treated early because of my wise and gentle GP, Dr Nazeer, w
2025-06-24
Employment Rights Bill
The noble Lord has lured me into asking a question about impact assessments and the historic impact of the Thatcher Government. Which impact assessment said that there was a legislative decision made incorrectly during that period?
2025-06-04
Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL]
I am very disturbed that the Minister says there is a potential for the Bill to collapse, with all the important measures within it. If the other place chooses to collapse the Bill, can she tell me which Cabinet Minister or adviser will take responsibili
2025-05-19
Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL]
My Lords, it’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside, as I rise to support the amendment from the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron—which my Front Bench so clearly opposes—but I’m still standing, because I do not yet believe that Ministers have heard the cla
2024-11-27
Football Governance Bill [HL]
My Lords, I continue to be humbled by the gentle kindness and grace with which Members of this House help relatively new Members understand the list of amendments in Committee on Bills. I am particularly grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, for hel
2024-11-27
Football Governance Bill [HL]
My Lords, I apologise to the Committee for withdrawing from the Second Reading debate at short notice because of an urgent personal matter, and also draw the attention of the Committee to my declaration. Like the noble Lord, Lord Mann, I have occasionall
2024-05-23
Media Bill
Yes, it was.
2024-05-23
Media Bill
My Lords, as a relatively new Member of this House, I rise with great trepidation, following the noble Lord, Lord Pannick. As a new Member, I have noticed that every time I enter the Chamber with one view, when I hear his intellectually muscular contribu
2024-05-23
Media Bill
My Lords, I rise to support Amendment 1 and to echo some of the concerns raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Benjamin, in her Amendment 8. It is a very great honour to speak to her amendment. I congratulate her on her very important recognition with her B
2024-05-23
Business of the House
My Lords, I associate myself with the concerns raised by colleagues over the controversial clauses in the Media Bill. On a practical point, I think that the Leader of the House is proposing that the House has an amendment deadline on the Media Bill of no
2024-05-22
Media Bill
As this may be the final opportunity before a possible change of Government, can I thank the Minister for his service to the country? He enjoys the support of all political parties on the creative industries. His contribution is immense and is deeply app
2024-05-22
Media Bill
My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Viscount, Lord Astor, and say to him that, while he unwisely backed the wrong horse, I know he is a very skilled and wise politician—too skilled to back the outcome of an election on day one. As I will
2024-05-02
Nuclear Test Veterans: Support
I am grateful for that Answer, but the MoD was ruled to have acted unlawfully when it withheld Terry Gledhill’s medical records. That was part of 4,000 papers maintained as state secrets by the AWE at Aldermaston, which were then declassified and describ
2024-05-02
Nuclear Test Veterans: Support
To ask His Majesty’s Government what support they provide to nuclear test veterans.
2024-03-27
Building Safety
Can the Minister say if there is an intention in government to seek recompense for the taxpayer from the people who are responsible for this crisis?
Source: hansard.parliament.uk via hansard-api. Snippets shown
verbatim from the search API; click any debate title for the full record.
Register of Interests · 1 entries on file
Declarations under the Lords Code of Conduct. Free text — no monetary values, no hours worked. A declaration that an interest exists, not a claim about its size.
Nil
-
On leave of absence; exempt from registration
registered 2026-05-14
Source: UK Parliament Members API (Lords register). Refreshed weekly.
Read the full
Lords Code of Conduct
for what each category covers and the disclosure thresholds.
Party history
2001-06-07 → present
Labour
current
Government posts
2008-01-25 → 2009-06-09
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
2007-07-02 → 2008-01-25
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
2006-05-05 → 2006-09-06
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Veterans)
2005-05-10 → 2006-05-05
Lord Commissioner (HM Treasury) (Whip)
2004-09-09 → 2005-05-10
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
Opposition posts
2017-07-03 → 2019-11-06
Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
2016-10-07 → 2017-07-03
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
2015-09-14 → 2016-10-07
Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)
2011-10-07 → 2013-07-04
Labour Party Deputy Chair; Campaign Co-ordinator
Committee memberships
2001-06-07 → 2003-07-14
Home Affairs Committee
2023-03-07 → 2023-10-26
Horticultural Sector Committee
2024-09-05 → 2026-01-27
Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee)
2023-07-12 → 2024-05-30
Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee)
2024-01-31 → 2026-03-26
Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee
Contact
Parliamentary office
contactholmember@parliament.uk
0207 219 5353 · House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
0207 219 5353 · House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
APPGs (2026) · 3 active officership(s) · 3 historic
| Group | Role(s) | Funders | Officers in group | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
All-Party Parliamentary Group for Bladder and Bowel Continence Care
Subject Group
|
Officer | — | 4 | 2026-10-03 |
|
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Complex Needs and Dual Diagnosis
Subject Group
|
Co-Chair | — | 4 | 2025-05-30 |
|
Northern Culture All-Party Parliamentary Group
Subject Group
|
Co-Chair | — | 4 | 2027-03-18 |
One row per active APPG. Funder names link out via the
/appgs Top secretariat funders panel — click any funder
there to open its full relationship graph. Officer matching is name-based against
the parliament.uk register text and may miss titled / hyphenated variants.
Written parliamentary questions · 2026
Showing
10
of 10 tabled
10 answered(100.0%)
4
departments
2026-02-04
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Waste Management: Fires
Answered
2026-02-04
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Batteries: Fires
Answered
2026-02-04
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Electrical Goods and Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal
Answered
2026-02-04
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Waste Management: Fires
Answered
2026-02-04
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Batteries and Electrical Goods: Waste Disposal
Answered
2026-02-04
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Baltic States: Security
Answered
Source: UK Parliament Members API. The amber "interest" tag is set
by Parliament's own system when the asking member has a register entry
it deems related — typically a paid role or directorship in the
sector being asked about. Click any "i" icon to see the full
question and the department's answer.
Bills sponsored & supported · 2026
0 bills
0 as lead sponsor
0 as supporter
No bills sponsored or supported in 2026.
Source: UK Parliament Bills API. "Lead" sponsor is the
primary mover (sortOrder = 1); "Supporter" rows are
members of either House who
backed the bill at introduction. Year is the bill's first-reading
date.
Historic bills (all-time)
3 bills
1 as lead sponsor
2 as supporter
| Bill | Info | Role | Status | Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing Hours Extensions Act 2026 | Supported | Royal Assent | 2024-10-16 | |
| Licensing Hours Extensions Bill | Supported | 1st reading | 2023-12-06 | |
| Digital Heritage Bill | Sponsored | 2nd reading | 2010-01-20 |
Same source as the year-scoped panel above, but unconstrained by
year. The "Sponsored" tag = lead sponsor; "Supported" = backed at
introduction. Sorted newest first.