Contributions
215 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDConstruction Sector: Cash RetentionsMy Lords, the Minister mentioned taking the views of industry. The Government have been taking the views of industry since the completion of their consultation in 2020. The reason…10 Sept 2024HANSARDConstruction Sector: Cash RetentionsTo ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to end the practice of cash retentions in the construction sector.10 Sept 2024HANSARDConstruction Sector: Cash RetentionsMy Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for that response. Cash retentions—withholding payments due to subcontractors for work done, often for an unreasonable period of time, or…10 Sept 2024HANSARDEducation for 11 to 16 Year-olds (Committee Report)My Lords, another Friday, another education debate. The more the merrier, in my view, although perhaps not always on Fridays. As a perennial tail-ender, coming so early in the…26 Jul 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, the theme of today’s debate is about creating opportunities. Nothing could be more important for that than education and skills policies. As the noble Lord, Lord Baker,…19 Jul 2024HANSARDSkills: Importance for the UK Economy and Quality of LifeMy Lords, skills are central to the future of our young people and central to the future of our nation. Every one of the main challenges we face depends for its resolution on our…09 May 2024HANSARDSkills: Importance for the UK Economy and Quality of LifeTo move that this House takes note of the importance of skills for the success of the United Kingdom economy and for the quality of life of individuals.09 May 2024HANSARDSkills: Importance for the UK Economy and Quality of LifeMy Lords, I have found this a thoroughly absorbing, enlightening and encouraging debate. I am extremely grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken, from so many different…09 May 2024HANSARDHigher Education: Arts and HumanitiesMy Lords, I declare my interest as a graduate in classics, or literae humaniores as they were called at Oxford. Studying classics can open doors to a vast range of knowledge and…01 May 2024HANSARDIndependent SchoolsMy Lords, what are the Government doing to try to close what seems to be an alarmingly growing gap between independent and state schools in the teaching of arts and creative…18 Mar 2024HANSARDReporting on Payment Practices and Performance (Amendment) Regulations 2024Before the noble Lord sits down, if that is the right phraseology, I have no doubt about the Government’s commitment to some of these further developments in reporting on…26 Feb 2024HANSARDReporting on Payment Practices and Performance (Amendment) Regulations 2024My Lords, I welcome these regulations, although I would have liked them to go even further. Prompt payment, as the Minister said, is vital to smaller construction firms,…26 Feb 2024HANSARDSelf-employment: A1 FormsMy Lords, 20% of orchestras’ earned income comes from touring, mostly to countries in the European Economic Area. The Government’s plan to remove orchestra tax relief completely…12 Feb 2024HANSARDEducation: 11 to 16 Year-oldsMy Lords, this is National Apprenticeship Week, during which I have met a considerable number of young apprentices at parliamentary events. Not one of them claimed to have found…08 Feb 2024HANSARDArtsMy Lords, I am delighted to speak in this important debate, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Bragg—whose status as a national treasure I am delighted to endorse—reminding all of us,…01 Feb 2024HANSARDIndustrial StrategyMy Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Watson, on obtaining this debate, and my new noble friend Lord Rosenfield on his excellent maiden speech. I will talk about skills,…01 Feb 2024HANSARDConstruction Sector: Cash RetentionsTo ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in determining how to end the practice of cash retentions in the construction sector, and whether they plan to meet…11 Dec 2023HANSARDConstruction Sector: Cash RetentionsMy Lords, the announcement made last month, which was mentioned by the Minister, is a small step forward but it is too little, too late, and it does not go nearly far enough to…11 Dec 2023HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I will speak about education and skills. Although the King’s Speech included an encouraging paragraph on this topic, there was rather a dearth of specific action,…09 Nov 2023HANSARDAccess to Musical Education in SchoolMy Lords, I had not planned to speak in this excellent debate, introduced by the noble Lord, Lord Boateng. However, having chaired an online education conference on music…18 Oct 2023