Contributions
2,217 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeI am afraid that I cannot anticipate the results of that review, but I can say to the noble Lord that I will take his point back to the Treasury for inclusion in its review.15 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeThe noble Baroness will be aware that local authorities are obliged to borrow and invest with caution and prudence. On borrowing to invest in social housing, of course this…15 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeThe noble Lord is right: some businesses have had trouble accessing the initial loan support schemes. One thing that the Government have done to change this was the introduction…15 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeThe code is designed to encourage landlords and their tenants to find a solution that works for them both. On cash support, in addition to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and…15 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeMy Lords, the Chancellor has announced unprecedented support for businesses affected by coronavirus, including giving them access to cash to pay their rent, salaries or suppliers.…15 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeThe noble Lord will understand that that kind of question is exactly the type of thing the review will look at.15 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeThe noble Baroness will know Sunday trading laws are a topic that has come up numerous times both in this House and elsewhere. There is an economic case for changing them, which…15 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeThe noble Lord is right to say that we need to do more to support our high streets. That is why we have a £1 billion Future High Streets Fund. On business rates, the Government…15 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Furloughed Space Grant SchemeThe Government are very cognisant of the impact of the two-metre rule on businesses and it is kept under constant review. The biggest support we can give businesses is to bring…15 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudSome banks have not signed up to the code, because they believe that their actions go further than it but take a slightly different approach. However, 90% of the total volume of…11 Jun 2020HANSARDCovid-19: Recovery StrategiesMy Lords, I thank noble Lords for their words of welcome. My first appearance at the virtual Dispatch Box was to answer a Question from the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, on…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudMy Lords, it is vital that victims of authorised push payment scams are protected. The voluntary contingent reimbursement model code for APP scams, launched in May 2019, sets…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudThe noble Baroness is right that the Lending Standards Board has looked at reimbursements and found that, under the voluntary code, they have not been as high as expected. It has…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudThe code is little over a year old. However, the Lending Standards Board will follow up on the review it has made of reimbursements with each of those firms. The follow-up…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudOne of the steps being taken to protect consumers further from the risk of fraud is the introduction of confirmation of payee. That is a new service intended to reduce the number…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudI am sure that once the confirmation-of-payee scheme has been rolled out across the six largest banks, the regulator will look at how that has worked and any further measures that…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudMy noble friend is right that it is essential that banks take proper steps to ensure that bank accounts are not opened fraudulently. The Financial Conduct Authority requires banks…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudAs I said to my noble friend Lord Young, there are requirements on banks to ensure that, when bank accounts are set up, the firms identify and verify the customer’s identity.…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudI believe that the regulator has sufficient powers. However, the voluntary code is just over a year old. There will be a review of the operation of that code by the end of the…11 Jun 2020HANSARDBanks: Authorised Push Payment FraudThe implementation of this is monitored by the regulator, and it will be responsible for ensuring that banks comply with that condition. Should anyone have needed to delay…11 Jun 2020