Contributions
1,533 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDAutumn Budget 2024My Lords, it is a privilege to close today’s debate on the Budget. I am grateful to all 75 noble Lords for their insights, differing perspectives and expertise. I join others in…11 Nov 2024HANSARDAutumn Budget 2024I will check, but it did sound very much like it to me. The noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Rolfe, spoke against the plan to make work pay. But, as my noble friends Lady O’Grady of…11 Nov 2024HANSARDAutumn Budget 2024My Lords, it is a privilege to open this Budget debate in your Lordships’ House, and to speak alongside so many distinguished and expert noble Lords. It is, of course, a…11 Nov 2024HANSARDAutumn Budget 2024That this House takes note of the Autumn Budget 2024.11 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateI am grateful to the noble Baroness for her question. I agree with much of the sentiment that sits behind it. The Government recognise and value the contribution that legal…06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateI am afraid I cannot agree with my noble friend on that, but I agree with him that alleviating poverty should be central to the Government’s objectives. Clearly, work is one of…06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateThe noble Baroness makes a very important point, which is why reducing child poverty is central to this Government’s objectives. The previous Labour Government made massive…06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateI sympathise with my noble friend’s point, but I find it hard to sympathise with that man on anything.06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateMy noble friend makes some very interesting points. I assure him that the Treasury is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology to advance the…06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateI 100% agree with what the noble Baroness says. The ONS has said that the two biggest barriers to people having children currently are a lack of affordable housing and a lack of…06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateClearly, we have an ageing society and there are associated costs with that. That is why increasing the levels of economic growth in our country is so important, so that we have…06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateWe have to ensure that changing technology works to the benefit of all in society and contributes to our key objective of economic growth.06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateIt is a very important point and one that we should retain as we make policy.06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateI am very grateful to the noble Lord for his question. The example he gives of the reform that is no longer going ahead is an interesting one. It was a £1.4 billion commitment…06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateTo clarify, the OBR is very clear that, over the next five years, employment will grow by 1.2 million people.06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateMy Lords, in its annual fiscal risks and sustainability assessment, published on 12 September, the Office for Budget Responsibility has projected an additional 6.5 million people…06 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateThe noble Baroness makes an absolutely central point. All the evidence shows that the first months and years of a child’s life are fundamental to the opportunities that they have…06 Nov 2024HANSARDWales: Public ServicesI am not sure what question the noble Lord thinks I have not answered. He asked me specifically about investment projects. Of course, under his Government, we were the only…05 Nov 2024HANSARDWales: Public ServicesThe noble Lord is quite right that growth was one of the biggest failures of the previous Government over the past 14 years. It is absolutely our priority to do something about…05 Nov 2024HANSARDWales: Public ServicesI give the noble Baroness the same answer that I have given already: I do not think the Government have any such plans. The Northern Ireland Executive settlement for 2025-26 is…05 Nov 2024