Contributions
1,533 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLocal Government Finance Act 1988 (Prescription of Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers) (England) Regulations 2026My Lords, I am grateful for all the comments and questions raised throughout the debate. Let me start with the Motion tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, and the…10 Feb 2026HANSARDLocal Government Finance Act 1988 (Prescription of Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers) (England) Regulations 2026As I said, I cannot commit to introducing any specific targeted relief, but we keep all taxes under review.10 Feb 2026HANSARDLocal Government Finance Act 1988 (Prescription of Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers) (England) Regulations 2026I listened carefully to the noble Lord’s remarks and do not think he asked a specific question, which is why I did not give him a specific answer. Of course, the Treasury and…10 Feb 2026HANSARDLocal Government Finance Act 1988 (Prescription of Non-Domestic Rating Multipliers) (England) Regulations 2026As my noble friend knows, some of the best songs are often on the B-side.10 Feb 2026HANSARDNational Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) BillMy Lords, it is a pleasure to close this Second Reading debate. I am grateful to all noble Lords for their expertise, their contributions and questions, particularly at this late…04 Feb 2026HANSARDNational Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) BillThat the Bill be now read a second time.04 Feb 2026HANSARDNational Insurance Contributions (Employer Pensions Contributions) BillMy Lords, it is a pleasure to open this Second Reading debate on the Bill. It legislates for reforms announced in the Budget in November. That was a Budget to build a stronger,…04 Feb 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI am grateful to my noble friend for that question, which obviously comes from a position of deep expertise in this matter. I am more than happy to look at all the issues he…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI agree with the first thing the noble Baroness said, on the importance of the sector and jobs; I did not agree with anything else she said. She said that we have a lack of…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI may not have read all the Liberal Democrat policy documents as thoroughly as perhaps I should have. I cannot commit the review to considering specific things right now, but I am…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI am very happy to tell the noble Lord what my least favourite policy of the previous Government was, and that was Brexit.29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI respectfully say to the noble Baroness that she must take what has been announced this week in the round with what was announced in the Budget. We spent £4.3 billion supporting…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI agree with the noble Lord on the importance of consumer confidence—and six interest rate cuts since the election is very important to bolstering that consumer confidence. It is…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI am very grateful to the noble Baronesses, Lady Neville-Rolfe and Lady Kramer, for their comments and questions, and for their cautious welcome of what we have announced. The…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesHotels will continue to benefit from the support for business rates announced at the Budget. As I have already said, this latest package needs to be seen in the round with the…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI say, with the greatest respect to the noble Lord, that I am being lectured by Conservatives on stability and investment when we had 14 years of instability and chronic…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI cannot answer for the strategy of the party opposite—I am sure we would all like to know—but what matters most is that we get to the right policy and I believe that we have done…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI very much agree with everything that my noble friend said. Among the long litany of the previous Government’s failures, their failure on growth was one of their most…29 Jan 2026HANSARDBusiness RatesI am sure the noble Baroness would like to look forwards and not backwards, but I am not sure the country shares that view. The country remembers the past 14 years and the damage…29 Jan 2026HANSARDGrass-roots Music VenuesI do not think so. I shall repeat what my right honourable friend Ian Murray, the Culture Minister, said on the industry levy: “My ambition is to see the voluntary levy in place…26 Jan 2026