Contributions
409 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDElectricity Bills: VAT RemovalTo ask His Majesty’s Government how they intend to fund the proposed removal of VAT from electricity bills.23 Jul 2026HANSARDElectricity Bills: VAT RemovalMy Lords, if I may add to those comments, I too will miss the noble Lord, Lord Livermore, on the Front Bench. We did not agree on everything, but he certainly knew his facts and…23 Jul 2026HANSARDCommercial Payments Bill [HL]My Lords, we now come, as my noble friend Lord Hunt of Wirral said, to the heart of the Bill, as far as I am concerned. For many, it is the most important part. I have tabled a…21 Jul 2026HANSARDCommercial Payments Bill [HL]My Lords, my Amendment 58 comes out of discussions I have had with SMEs which are supplying much larger companies. I raised this at Second Reading and have now tabled this…21 Jul 2026HANSARDCommercial Payments Bill [HL]Before the Minister sits down, may I push him a bit on a point he made? He said that Amendment 43 could not be accepted because it would cut across all insolvency legislation by…21 Jul 2026HANSARDCommercial Payments Bill [HL]My Lords, I rise to follow my indefatigable noble friend Lord Holmes and congratulate him on his Amendments 2 and 3. I agree that there is a real risk that 60 days will become the…21 Jul 2026HANSARDCommercial Payments Bill [HL]21 Jul 2026HANSARDCommercial Payments Bill [HL]I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.21 Jul 2026HANSARDGovernment Record on Education, Employment and WelfareMy Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lady Evans on securing this debate and on her excellent opener. We are at an end-of-term moment, not least because the PM who promised us…16 Jul 2026HANSARDGovernment Record on Education, Employment and WelfareI would welcome an intervention from anyone who can claim that there was such an economist who did support the contention. There is none. The negativity that ensued was…16 Jul 2026HANSARDCommercial Payments Bill [HL]My Lords, I welcome the Bill and refer your Lordships to my business interests, which are largely in the SME sector, as set out in the register. I thank the noble Lord, Lord…09 Jun 2026HANSARDLebanon: Israel Defense Forces OperationsThe noble Baroness says that the only answer is to finance the Lebanese Government and the Lebanese army. This has been tried for years and has not been successful. The only…08 Jun 2026HANSARDAccess to Nature Green PaperMy Lords, I very much welcome the Government’s attempt to encourage people to go out in green spaces and walk, particularly along rivers. Is she aware that the Thames path is now…03 Jun 2026HANSARDHigher Earners: EmigrationThe Minister is right: HMRC has no idea of the number of people who have left the country with a high income. The Chartered Institute of Taxation and I have tried to find the…21 May 2026HANSARDHigher Earners: EmigrationTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of individuals earning more than £100,000 per annum who left the country in 2025.21 May 2026HANSARDKing’s SpeechMy Lords, I was interested to note that in the first paragraph of the gracious Speech the King mentioned the Middle East conflict, and in the second paragraph he made the…21 May 2026HANSARDWorld Economic Outlook: UK Growth and InflationAs well as the OECD report, the respected EY Item Club has said that the economy will flatline in the second and third quarters, leading to a real risk of recession. Deloitte has…22 Apr 2026HANSARDMiddle EastMy Lords, the Minister will recall that Sir Keir Starmer changed his position and offered President Trump limited support when he said that British lives were at risk in the…14 Apr 2026HANSARDMiddle East: Economic UpdateMy Lords, while the Minister is not transferring to the Diplomatic Service—we would miss him greatly—there does seem to be a sense of denial in the question by the noble Lord,…26 Mar 2026HANSARDNational Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) BillMy Lords, I will speak briefly to this group of amendments in lieu. I am grateful to my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe for returning these issues to the House despite the very…25 Mar 2026