Contributions
2,217 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAlternative Investment Fund Managers Regulations 2013My Lords, I agree with my noble friend in recognising that investment trusts play a vital role in raising capital for infrastructure projects across the UK. The FCA is of course…13 Nov 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy Lords, the Government are moving towards such steps—for example, through mayoral combined authorities and other areas where we are devolving both greater control of funding and…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsI have not received any such representations, but they have perhaps gone to the department for levelling up; I will ask it if it has ever received such representations from the…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy Lords, the existing system for local government funding directs increased resource to those councils with greater need. We understand the desire for clarity on distributional…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy Lords, I just set out the position on broader reform to the funding system for local government. The Government recognise the pressures that local authorities are facing. At…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy Lords, I repeat what I said about the recent spending review being the largest increase to core spending powers for local government in over a decade. Additionally, we have put…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsI do not agree with the noble Lord’s analysis but, as I said to the noble Baroness in my Answer, our approach takes councils’ relative needs into account. We recognise that this…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy Lords, the Government are supporting councils. This is not about what is happening after the next election. In this spending review period, councils will receive £4.8 billion…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy Lords, I do not recognise the figures that the noble Baroness has put forward. She will know, having been part of the coalition Government in 2010, that the situation this…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy noble friend sets out the rationale for the decision that was taken, and the Government have made sure that, in the commission’s place, we have strong controls so that local…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsThe Government recognise the pressures that councils are facing. The 2023-24 local government finance settlement provided councils with a 9% increase in core spending power in…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsNo, I do not agree. In recent years, a small number of local authorities took on excessive debt through their commercial strategies and investments. The Government have taken…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsMy Lords, as we speak, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Levelling Up is giving a Statement to the House of Commons on action to be taken on Birmingham City…19 Sept 2023HANSARDLocal Authorities: BudgetsThe Benches opposite may not like being reminded of their record, but it remains a fact. The reality is that in the recent spending review we have committed more money to local…19 Sept 2023HANSARDHome Office: ODA-funded SupportMy Lords, as I said in response to an earlier question, the Home Office is increasing the number of caseworkers to deal with asylum claims; it has more than doubled that over the…05 Sept 2023HANSARDHome Office: ODA-funded SupportMy Lords, the Government will update the House when we respond to that judgment.05 Sept 2023HANSARDHome Office: ODA-funded SupportI do not accept the points that the noble Lord has made. It is right that we provided the responses that we did to crises such as that in Ukraine but it is also important that we…05 Sept 2023HANSARDHome Office: ODA-funded SupportThe noble Lord is right that ODA-eligible spending runs for the first year in country. Of course, the programmes have been designed to deliver support that is appropriate to those…05 Sept 2023HANSARDHome Office: ODA-funded SupportMy Lords, by ending illegal entry as a route to claim asylum in the UK, we will change incentives for those who wish to enter the UK by that route, but it is not the only action…05 Sept 2023HANSARDHome Office: ODA-funded SupportMy Lords, that Act is only in the process of being brought into force but it is an important part of our approach to reducing the pressures of illegal migration, so that we can…05 Sept 2023