Contributions
1,571 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDIslamophobiaMy Lords, I always thank the noble Lord for providing me with an easy question. Of course we want to work on establishing a definition that can be adopted, but I want the House to…15 Nov 2021HANSARDIslamophobiaMy Lords, I can give the assurance that we are tackling this as a matter of urgency. I completely agree with the point made about the need not to conflate race with religion. We…15 Nov 2021HANSARDRating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) BillI will start with the new clause proposed by the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, and the noble Lord, Lord Fox. This would require the Government to carry out an assessment of…10 Nov 2021HANSARDRating (Coronavirus) and Directors Disqualification (Dissolved Companies) BillMy Lords, I am grateful to noble Lords for the opportunity to speak to the benefits of Clause 1 of the Bill, which has received broad support throughout its passage. I will…10 Nov 2021HANSARDGypsies and TravellersThe right reverend Prelate should know that, when I was Communities Minister, I was someone who encouraged the use of negotiated stopping throughout the Covid-19 pandemic by…04 Nov 2021HANSARDGypsies and TravellersMy Lords, I am not a great fan of ring-fencing: that is not always the way to achieve something. We have £11.5 billion in total for a programme of affordable housing, but that can…04 Nov 2021HANSARDGypsies and TravellersMy Lords, I answered that question in my answer to a previous supplementary: there are no plans to bring in statutory provision, because the previous introduction of a statutory…04 Nov 2021HANSARDGypsies and TravellersMy Lords, we have previously discussed this in the House and it is an absolutely disgraceful example of discrimination. No one should be discriminated against because of their…04 Nov 2021HANSARDGypsies and TravellersMy Lords, we will continue to encourage all local authorities to access funding for both permanent and temporary sites through the affordable homes programme of some £11.5…04 Nov 2021HANSARDGypsies and TravellersMy Lords, the Government expect local planning authorities to assess the need for Traveller sites in their area and to plan accordingly. We are not looking to introduce a…04 Nov 2021HANSARDCouncil Tax: Second HomesMy Lords, there are a number of schemes. I have mentioned the £11.5 billion affordable homes programme; there is also the first homes scheme, which has a minimum discount of 30%…04 Nov 2021HANSARDCouncil Tax: Second HomesI recognise the noble Baroness’s interest in this issue. The Government have confirmed that we will legislate to require that holiday rentals meet an actual letting threshold…04 Nov 2021HANSARDCouncil Tax: Second HomesI point out that 96% of second homes pay council tax in full, even though they may use local services only on an occasional basis. We believe that, in the sharing economy, where…04 Nov 2021HANSARDCouncil Tax: Second HomesMy Lords, the Government support the sharing economy, but the noble Lord will be pleased to know that we recognise the concerns about the uneven regulatory requirements in it. In…04 Nov 2021HANSARDGypsies and TravellersI have also said that there is a high bar for criminality, that no one should be discriminated against because of their race or ethnicity, that we are investing in measures to…04 Nov 2021HANSARDCouncil Tax: Second HomesMy Lords, I should have registered my residential and commercial property interests, although I have not tried to use this loophole. The Government announced in March that we will…04 Nov 2021HANSARDLeaseholders: Safety Remediation CostsI thank the noble Lord for bringing this debate forward. It is obviously an important issue to discuss, and I am sure we will discuss it many times in the coming months. The…04 Nov 2021HANSARDCouncil Tax: Second HomesMy Lords, we are approaching this by ensuring that people do not game the system. It is perfectly proper, if you have a business, to be subject to the business rates regime. We…04 Nov 2021HANSARDCouncil Tax: Second HomesMy Lords, it is a hard one to answer; in some areas where tourism is incredibly important it is a great boost to the economy, and in others it can result in the hollowing out of a…04 Nov 2021HANSARDCouncil Tax: Second HomesMy understanding is that we have introduced a stamp duty surcharge of some three percentage points on top of the standard rate for those who purchase additional properties. That…04 Nov 2021