Contributions
1,892 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEmployment Rights BillI am not sure that I agree. I have sat on a German company. Growth is very poor in Germany at the moment. A company I worked in exited France because of the difficulty with…21 May 2025HANSARDMansion House AccordMy Lords, it is disappointing that UK pension funds now invest only around 4.4% in British assets, in contrast to between 12% and 18% in Canada. That is no longer good value,…14 May 2025HANSARDBank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill [HL]My Lords, this is an important Bill, which provides the Bank of England with extra flexibility to manage bank failures, particularly those of smaller banks, in a way that…12 May 2025HANSARDData (Use and Access) Bill [HL]My Lords, I was IP Minister for nearly three years and I am a long-standing member of the APPG on IP. It is a great pleasure to speak from the Back Benches and to support the…12 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I will ask one simple question: what is flexible working? Perhaps the Minister could reply to that. I have a lot of sympathy with what has been said; I have always…08 May 2025HANSARDInheritance Tax: Impact on Rural BusinessesThe Government claim that family farms are safe from the changes to IHT. However, they have set the threshold too low, as subsequent examination has clearly demonstrated. It was…01 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillCan the Minister talk us through the agency question a little bit more? If you need emergency care, you go to an agency and it finds you someone, then you pay a very large sum of…29 Apr 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I think the Government would do themselves a great deal of good if they made special arrangements for small business. They are well precedented: we have the VAT…29 Apr 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I am speaking from the Back Benches to make two brief points. I apologise for not speaking at Second Reading. First, if we have to have a purpose clause—it is not an…29 Apr 2025HANSARDTax: ChangesMy Lords, last Friday there was an important debate here about the serious threat that the current and increasing level of national debt poses for the UK. The Chancellor has…29 Apr 2025HANSARDRenters’ Rights BillMy Lords, I rise to support Amendment 64, in the names of the noble Lord, Lord de Clifford, and the noble Baroness, Lady Bowles, to which I have added my name. They have both…24 Apr 2025HANSARDBritish SteelMy Lords, steel is a strategic national asset, which is, of course, why our Front Benches worked together on that long Saturday 12 April in a very enlightening debate, which was…24 Apr 2025HANSARDRenters’ Rights BillBefore the Minister sits down, would it be possible, before Report, for her to look at the latest situation? On Tuesday, we had an exchange on the negative impact, which woke me…24 Apr 2025HANSARDDevolved Authorities: Use of ResourcesMy Lords, achieving value for money ought to be a priority for any Government, whether national, regional or local, especially a Government committed to growth. So I come back to…23 Apr 2025HANSARDBasel 3.1My Lords, as there is a little bit of time, I also wish the House and the Minister a happy Easter and come back to him on the question of small businesses and Basel 3.1. There is…03 Apr 2025HANSARDBasel 3.1My Lords, the removal of the SME support factor when Basel 3.1 is implemented will lead to higher capital charges for loans to our vital small and medium-sized companies. Can the…03 Apr 2025HANSARDHouse of Lords (Hereditary Peers) BillMy Lords, this is an important Bill, and I am sorry not to have spoken on it before, owing to my commitments on the Front Bench at a busy time for the economy. My noble friend…01 Apr 2025HANSARDAudit, Reporting and Governance AuthorityMy Lords, the Chancellor has written to other regulators encouraging them to look at ways to help the economy to grow and be more competitive. What are the plans in this area for…31 Mar 2025HANSARDNational Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) BillMy Lords, I simply thank the Minister and, again, all who have been involved in the passage of this difficult Bill, especially those who have supported me and my noble friend Lord…31 Mar 2025HANSARDSpring StatementLet us start by standing back and considering this Statement—which is really an emergency budget—and the Government’s actions more generally against their stated economic…27 Mar 2025