Contributions
4,729 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersThe noble Baroness raises an important point. We announced a review of the business rates system, which is ongoing, and I am sure we will have more to say on that shortly.02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersWe recognise the vital role played by retailers operating in sparsely populated and isolated areas in the UK, including those in Northern Ireland. As I said, they have benefited…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersMy noble friend is right to highlight these issues. I can only tell him that we have studied the health advice very carefully: we are following the scientific advice from Public…02 Jul 2020HANSARDEnvironmental ProjectsWe remain completely committed to taking all the necessary action to improve the energy efficiency of the UK’s buildings, delivering a UK economy that is stronger, cleaner, more…02 Jul 2020HANSARDEnvironmental ProjectsThe noble Lord is correct: the net-zero challenge is fundamentally cross-cutting. That is why in the run-up to the COP 26 summit we will bring forward ambitious plans across key…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersThe noble Lord is right to highlight the difficulties that many retailers are facing. There has been a big shift to online retailing as well—of course, many high street retailers…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersI can happily say that I agree with my noble friend on that matter.02 Jul 2020HANSARDEnvironmental ProjectsI welcome my noble friend back to the Chamber. I agree with her that we are committed to building back better and greener. I am sure the overseas territories will have an…02 Jul 2020HANSARDEnvironmental ProjectsThat is an important issue. We keep things such as the building regulations under constant review, but we need to proceed at a pace that the building industry can cope with and…02 Jul 2020HANSARDEnvironmental ProjectsMy Lords, as we recover from Covid-19, the Government intend to deliver a UK economy that is stronger, cleaner, more sustainable and more resilient. As the Prime Minister set out…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersMy Lords, the global Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in unparalleled falls in retail sales and high street footfall. We have provided unprecedented support to high street…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersThe noble Baroness is right to highlight the extent of the challenge that we face. On 30 June, the Prime Minister announced a new deal which puts jobs and infrastructure at the…02 Jul 2020HANSARDEnvironmental ProjectsMy noble friend will understand that I cannot go into too many details on this until those announcements are made, but we believe we can get the balance right between protecting…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersMy noble friend is absolutely right to highlight the important role that many of these local shops play in our communities. As I said in the previous answer, we have announced £96…02 Jul 2020HANSARDEnvironmental ProjectsWe are committing resources to all those issues. We are already investing up to £121 million in hydrogen innovation, supporting a range of projects exploring the potential of…02 Jul 2020HANSARDEnvironmental ProjectsThe role of green finance is particularly important; it is one we are working closely on. The former Governor of the Bank of England is leading our efforts on that. Of course, we…02 Jul 2020HANSARDContracts for Difference (Electricity Supplier Obligations) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020I thank noble Lords for their valuable contributions to this debate. As so often, they have strayed far and wide on the general subject of renewable energy and government support,…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersI thank the noble Lord for his supportive comments. He will of course understand that I cannot make any commitments on what the Chancellor may or may not do in his next…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCovid-19: High Street RetailersThe noble Lord raises an important point. The CBIL scheme has been unprecedented and extremely successful. We are aware of difficulties that some companies have in accessing it,…02 Jul 2020HANSARDCommittee on Climate Change: Progress ReportAs I said in an earlier answer, we will set out our plans for a heat and building strategy in due course, but I would be happy to respond in writing to the noble Lord’s detailed…01 Jul 2020