Contributions
325 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDIndia and Southeast Asia: Free Trade AgreementsMy Lords, the India I was brought up in as a child was an inward-looking, insular, protective economy with a low level of growth. Since 1991, India has emerged as the…06 Mar 2025HANSARDUK Airports: British Passport HoldersMy Lords, the noble Baroness asked about people coming into this country. We are one of the few countries that do not have exit checks; in most other countries, you scan your…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSmall Farms and Family BusinessesMy Lords, the Government’s Budget proposals talk about addressing the £22 billion fiscal gap, but, as a result, they are undermining the viability of our family-run farms,…12 Dec 2024HANSARDAutumn Budget 2024My Lords, the Government, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister keep talking about growth, but to do that the private sector has to be supported to grow. It is the private sector…11 Nov 2024HANSARDDefence SpendingMy Lords, in defence expenditure as a share of GDP, Poland is at 4.12%, Estonia at 3.43%, the United States of America at 3.38%, and we come ninth at 2.33%. With 2.33% we are…31 Oct 2024HANSARDEmployment: Tax PolicyMy Lords, the Government, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister keep talking about growth. The investment summit at the Guildhall had a huge sign saying “Growth”. But, to do that,…31 Oct 2024HANSARDDefence Policy: DeterrenceMy Lords, there is direct deterrence and extended deterrence. The noble Lord, Lord Trefgarne, spoke about the credibility challenge that arises when states question the…31 Oct 2024HANSARDUkraineMy Lords, I was president of the CBI when the Ukraine war started after Russia illegally invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. On the Monday after the war started, I went to see…25 Oct 2024HANSARDSpecial Needs SchoolsMy Lords, special educational needs, or SEN, and special education needs and disabilities, or SEND, cover a wide variety of needs, including dyslexia and autism. Two out of four…24 Oct 2024HANSARDUK-US Co-operation on Using Atomic Energy for Mutual DefenceMy Lords, AUKUS is of course an acronym for the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. There are two pillars of defence:…23 Oct 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VATMy Lords, this is intended to raise £1.3 billion to get 6,500 more teachers, yet we have 7% of children in private schools. I am a governor of Wellington College and a president…17 Oct 2024HANSARDRelations with EuropeMy Lords, referendum is the most undemocratic method. It is a snapshot of a point in time; it is finite. Democracy needs to be dynamic so that every four or five years people have…10 Oct 2024HANSARDStrategic Defence ReviewMy Lords, the Government launched the strategic defence review on 16 July 2024. It is expected to report in the first half of 2025, which is an important date to note. The SDR has…09 Oct 2024HANSARDForeign Direct Investment to the UKMy Lords, in November 2023 the Harrington Review of Foreign Direct Investment made recommendations about how the UK could attract more cross-border investment. Thankfully, the new…10 Sept 2024HANSARDBudget Responsibility BillMy Lords, Rachel Reeves said: “This Government’s defining mission is to deliver economic growth. However, growth can only come through economic stability and a commitment to sound…09 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Schools: VAT ExemptionMy Lords, the Labour Party’s manifesto stated that if it was elected it would remove the exemption from VAT—and business rates, which noble Lords have not mentioned—for…05 Sept 2024HANSARDCovid-19 InquiryMy Lords, one of my favourite sayings is that good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment. The Covid-19 inquiry, chaired by the noble and learned…03 Sept 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, in May I co-chaired a geopolitical conference for the Young Presidents’ Organization. One of our speakers, given the global uncertainty and challenges that so many noble…25 Jul 2024HANSARDSteel: Port TalbotMy Lords, we should be very grateful for the investment that Tata has made in the United Kingdom, starting with Tata Steel and then Jaguar Land Rover. These are huge, risky…15 Apr 2024HANSARDHigher EducationMy Lords, last year, as chancellor of the University of Birmingham, I spoke at the QS world university rankings conference in India. I spoke with pride as, with less than 1% of…07 Mar 2024