Contributions
602 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureAlthough the DBT has closed the specific Tradeshow Access Programme, it still provides considerable support to small and medium enterprises to attend trade shows, ranging from…18 Mar 2024HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureI thank the noble Lord for his mantra of sell, sell, sell. Mine is ABC: always be closing. The DBT is doing this. It is unfair to say that we closed this programme; it was not…18 Mar 2024HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureMy noble friend is absolutely right. We have a cultural issue with companies in this great nation of ours actually deciding to export. The total is about 300,000, and we have a…18 Mar 2024HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureI am very grateful to my noble friend for all the work that he has done to help exports and trade in this nation over his many years of service in this House and the other place.…18 Mar 2024HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureI am always grateful to the noble Lord for the challenge but, actually, I believe that we have come to the right conclusion, which is to crowd in significant numbers of businesses…18 Mar 2024HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureI am not entirely sure whether that is a question for me, but the noble Earl touches on defence, and I would say that we have been doing a huge amount on defence and security…18 Mar 2024HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureSince many of our exports are going to be food and drink, I think overegging the pudding is precisely what we should be doing when it comes to encouraging our exports. The…18 Mar 2024HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureI thank my noble friend for that point. Absolutely, promoting our activities is one of the key issues we face and we rely on chambers of commerce, and indeed the general body…18 Mar 2024HANSARDUK Tradeshow Programme ClosureI totally agree. Indeed, my own Secretary of State has made this the year of small business, very ably led by my colleague Kevin Hollinrake. As we speak—although it may have just…18 Mar 2024HANSARDPost Office LegislationI thank the noble Lord, Lord Young, for his comments. I wholeheartedly agree with him about how the order has come out. Our first priority is to make sure that the victims are…14 Mar 2024HANSARDPost Office LegislationThe noble Lord will have his moment; he will definitely be next, I am sure of it. My thanks go to my noble friend Lord Arbuthnot. As we all know, a huge amount of thanks should go…14 Mar 2024HANSARDPost Office LegislationI thank my noble friend for raising the salience of these very important issues. It genuinely would not be helpful or appropriate for me to make a comment on any specific case.…14 Mar 2024HANSARDPost Office LegislationWe will come to the noble Lord shortly, although it is right to be hasty. I am extremely grateful to the noble Lord, Lord McNicol, and the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, for their…14 Mar 2024HANSARDRegulator of Community Interest CompaniesI congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Harris of Haringey, if I may, on his work to oversee the Fundraising Regulator. The comments he has made and recent example that he has just…11 Mar 2024HANSARDRegulator of Community Interest CompaniesThe regulator is funded on a cost-recovery basis from fees and has significant powers, including the ability to investigate and dismiss directors. Community interest companies…11 Mar 2024HANSARDRegulator of Community Interest CompaniesI am grateful to the noble Lord for his input in this important area. These principles absolutely need to be kept under review. I have looked into this myself in great detail;…11 Mar 2024HANSARDRegulator of Community Interest CompaniesI thank the noble Lord, Lord Leong, for that point. This is not an assessment that the Government have undertaken; it is the responsibility of Companies House. With more data now…11 Mar 2024HANSARDRegulator of Community Interest CompaniesThe noble Baroness asks a good question. This is information I requested today, ahead of this Question, but have not yet received, so I will be delighted to provide that to her…11 Mar 2024HANSARDRegulator of Community Interest CompaniesI am not delighted to hear that phrased in that way, but the noble Lord is right to suggest that these complaints should be properly investigated. I have received reassurance…11 Mar 2024HANSARDRegulator of Community Interest CompaniesI am extremely grateful to the noble Lord for his comments. As he well knows, I support the mutual movement wholeheartedly. It actually goes hand-in-hand with CICs, and this…11 Mar 2024