Contributions
1,533 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsYes, I absolutely recognise the problem and I agree with 90% of what the noble Baroness said. The only part I disagreed with was when she criticised the Government. I agree:…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsOn the noble Lord’s first point, I am very aware of some issues around the data, and I believe the ONS has been reviewing it along the lines he suggests. On the Employment Rights…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsI am grateful to the noble Lord for his insight from that period. He is absolutely right. It was a time of high productivity; it is a shame that the second Conservative Government…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsI am very happy to say that that may be a question for someone other than me.30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsI am grateful to the noble Baroness for her question. I agree. Fundamental skills are vital to improving our productivity. Labour quality is a key driver of productivity. The…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsThe noble Baroness is correct to say that public sector productivity is a major issue. I know that it is something she cares about deeply. Obviously, she will be aware that the…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsMy Lords, in the decade from 2010, the UK economy saw the lowest productivity growth since the Napoleonic Wars, which led to the lowest growth in living standards ever recorded.…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsI am grateful to the noble Lord for his question and suggestion. On the progress that has been made, he will know that the drivers of productivity are fundamental and deep-seated…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsI disagree with the noble Lord. I do not think that there is any tension between economic stability and economic growth. As I say, under the Liz Truss mini-Budget we saw the…30 Oct 2025HANSARDPublic and Private Sector Productivity TrendsI am not quite sure what the question was. I do not think that I agree with noble Lord’s diagnosis.30 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsI am grateful to the noble Baroness for her question and I pay tribute to her consistency on this matter. We share many similarities in our observations and analysis of the impact…22 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsI am very grateful to my noble friend for her question and I agree with every word she said. The Windsor Framework is the best workable solution to Northern Ireland’s unique…22 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsI am grateful to the noble Baroness for her question. She says that my Answer was predictable, but one thing that was entirely predictable was the impact of Brexit, which she…22 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsI am grateful to the noble Baroness for her question and insight. I will say up front, as I have said before, that we are committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good…22 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsThis may have been another of the fantasies that people had about certain Brexit outcomes rather than reflecting reality. What we have ended up with—I pay tribute to the previous…22 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsI am sure my noble friend and I agree on many things, but Brexit is not one of them. I hope that when he talks about our experience in the European Union he will acknowledge the…22 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsMy Lords, duty-free shopping between Northern Ireland and the EU would require the application of personal allowances and associated border checks to prevent the uncontrolled flow…22 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsI am grateful to the noble Lord for his question. I will clarify this for him. The original Question asked about flights from Belfast to the European Union, so that is what this…22 Oct 2025HANSARDRules on Duty-Free GoodsLet me be absolutely clear, again. If you have duty-free, you have to have allowances. If you have allowances, you have to have checks and enforcement. If you have checks, you…22 Oct 2025HANSARDGDP Per CapitaThat is a very long question but I can give the noble Lord a very short answer. Yes, of course, I agree with him. It is very important that we retain our high earners and retain…20 Oct 2025