Contributions
1,892 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBudget: Small and Medium-sized BusinessesMy Lords, as someone who champions SMEs and regularly has my amendments rejected by the Government, I welcome some of what the Minister has set out. It will, however, be offset by…27 Nov 2025HANSARDForthcoming Fiscal ChangesMy Lords, one of the main objectives of the Treasury, as stated on its own website, is to: “Ensure the stability of the macro-economic environment”. Few people believe that this…25 Nov 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing Bill19 Nov 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing BillMy Lords, I rise to speak to Amendments 214F and 214G, in my name, as we move away from the regulation of weapons to retail crime and shoplifting. I will try to be brief. In my 15…19 Nov 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing BillMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, and my noble friend Lord Davies for their support for my amendment. I thank the Minister for agreeing to further discussions,…19 Nov 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing BillMy Lords, I rise to speak to Amendment 216 in my name. I look forward very much to hearing the Minister’s response to the proposal from my noble friend Lord Davies of Gower for…19 Nov 2025HANSARDCrime and Policing BillI thank the noble Baroness for her courtesy and the depth of her reply, but I am not quite sure how we solve the £200 problem. The points she made about enforcement are very good…19 Nov 2025HANSARDBudget: Press BriefingsMy Lords, two weeks ago the Chancellor held an unprecedented press conference at Downing Street. As a result, everyone believed that income tax rates would be increased in the…18 Nov 2025HANSARDInheritance Tax: PensionsMy Lords, I speak as someone whose relatives have struggled for years, rather than months, in coping with the probate system, partly because of the problems caused by the…17 Nov 2025HANSARDEconomic and Taxation Policies: Jobs, Growth and ProsperityMy Lords, I also start by thanking my noble friend Lord Elliott of Mickle Fell for initiating this debate so compellingly and I echo his tribute to Lord Desai. I agree with so…13 Nov 2025HANSARDCryptocurrencies: US RegulationMy Lords, these markets are global. Can the Minister tell us what contingency plans the Bank of England and the Treasury have in place should a major crypto company in the US…12 Nov 2025HANSARDBarnett Formula: WalesMy Lords, does the Minister agree that the immediate issue in Wales is not the mechanism by which funds are now allocated but how effectively those funds are spent in Wales? The…12 Nov 2025HANSARDNational Insurance: PartnershipsTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation’s proposal for increasing the National Insurance rate on partnerships,…10 Nov 2025HANSARDNational Insurance: PartnershipsMy Lords, given that professional services contribute some 12% to GDP, and that almost all the UK’s leading accountancy and law firms operate as LLPs, has the Minister examined…10 Nov 2025HANSARDPublic/Private Partnerships: SharesMy Lords, there is a shortage of capital for public projects, so permitting the public to provide some more of that capital is very sensible. The recently opened Thames Tideway…03 Nov 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsMy Lords, I very much agree on skills, but a large part of the productivity problem in the UK has been in the public sector. This is hardly surprising, since the Government…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure BillMy Lords, I have tried to get a reference to SMEs in the Bill and I thank everybody who has supported me. To respond to the noble Lord, Lord Cromwell, Amendment 119 is workable,…29 Oct 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure BillMy Lords, can the Minister also send my best wishes to the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman?29 Oct 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure Bill29 Oct 2025HANSARDPlanning and Infrastructure BillSorry, Lady Hayman. The noble Baroness is always an ally on the topic of small businesses, which is the subject of my Amendment 121G; I will concentrate on this rather than on…29 Oct 2025