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4,729 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPost Brexit: Small Service BusinessesOf course; we are more than interested and keen to ease burdens as much as possible. It requires a willing partner on the EU side to engage in constructive discussions, but we…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Office UpdateI assure the noble Baroness that I am not trying to hide behind anything. I totally accept that the Government need to accept their share of responsibility, as do the Post Office…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Office UpdateI have given the noble Baroness an answer about the Post Office pursuing private prosecutions. I reiterate that it has no special powers in this regard: the power to bring private…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Office UpdateThere were lots of lawyers involved in this case; some might think that there were too many. However, the noble Lord makes some very good points about the operation of the justice…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Office UpdateThe next stage of the inquiry will continue to hear from affected sub-postmasters to understand what impact the Post Office’s actions had on individuals and local communities. I…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Office UpdateWe are actively discussing the next steps with the Post Office, including the best process for ensuring that fair and swift compensation is provided. As I said, it will be for the…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Office UpdateThe noble Baroness makes some very astute observations and I agree with her; the Post Office is a vital access point for customers to deposit cash, enabling the Government’s…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Brexit: Small Service BusinessesThe level playing field in the context of the TCA refers to horizontal regulations governing business. In areas of competition, labour and environmental and climate law, our…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Brexit: Small Service BusinessesThe proposals from the EU were complicated and would not have resolved many of these issues, so the noble Baroness should be wary of believing some of the propaganda she reads. We…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Brexit: Small Service BusinessesAs I said, we are working closely with the sector and across government to consider how we can help resolve these issues. I understand the noble Lord’s point. This has been very…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Office UpdateIt is for the Post Office to determine the next steps, but Ministers are closely following the situation. We are keen for it to act as speedily as possible and get on with the…24 May 2021HANSARDPost Office UpdateI thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, and the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for their comments. Let me say from the start that I completely share their outrage about this scandal, as I…24 May 2021HANSARDBiomass Electricity Subsidies: DeforestationProvided that it is not commercially confidential, I will certainly share that with the noble Lord.20 May 2021HANSARDBiomass Electricity Subsidies: DeforestationMany of these studies are published and the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, referred to a previous study that supports the assertion that forest is actually increasing in the area. But…20 May 2021HANSARDBiomass Electricity Subsidies: DeforestationMy noble friend makes a good suggestion. We did try that, of course. Subsidies have been available for more than a decade but we have seen a lack of uptake because they cannot…20 May 2021HANSARDBiomass Electricity Subsidies: DeforestationI understand my noble friend’s concern about this and know he takes a close interest in birds and wildlife, but I emphasise once again that the UK supports only biomass that…20 May 2021HANSARDBiomass Electricity Subsidies: DeforestationNo, I do not agree, because there is also the potential for PV—solar photovoltaic—generation.20 May 2021HANSARDBiomass Electricity Subsidies: DeforestationMy Lords, the UK supports only biomass which complies with strict sustainability criteria, and electricity generators receive subsidies only for compliant biomass. The criteria…20 May 2021HANSARDBiomass Electricity Subsidies: DeforestationI really do not think the noble Baroness is correct about this. Let me make the point once again that our sustainability criteria, which are some of the most stringent in the…20 May 2021HANSARDBiomass Electricity Subsidies: DeforestationIn the biomass strategy, we will explore all the factors to which the noble Lord referred. I do not have a date for when a development consent order will be agreed but all this…20 May 2021