Contributions
188 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I will speak to Amendment 94, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, and Amendment 159, tabled by the noble Lords, Lord Sharpe and Lord Hunt, both of which I have…16 Jul 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I support all the amendments in this first group, but I shall speak briefly to Amendment 9 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, which, as she explained, is an…14 Jul 2025HANSARDUniversal Credit: Two-child LimitMy Lords, is there any evidence that the two-child benefit cap has contributed to the rapid decline in our total fertility rates? In its latest Fiscal Risk and Sustainability…09 Jul 2025HANSARDUnpaid TaxMy Lords, back in February the Public Accounts Committee accused HMRC of not being “sufficiently curious about the true scale of tax evasion” in this country, suggesting that the…07 Jul 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I address Amendment 287 on the creation of an office for a freelance commissioner in the name of my noble friends Lord Clancarty, Lord Freyberg and Lord Colville of…16 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I rise to speak to two amendments in this group, 270 and 279, which are both under the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes. I support and have added my name to both…16 Jun 2025HANSARDEconomic GrowthMy Lords, perhaps I might offer some Cross-Bench objectivity. Here it comes. The 0.7% growth rate in Q1 was encouraging, but the growth rate over the last three quarters, which…11 Jun 2025HANSARDCorporate LiquidationsMy Lords, does the Minister accept that some of these business closures, particularly for SMEs—where payroll is their largest expense—were triggered not only by the scheduled…10 Jun 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I rise to speak to Amendment 102 in the name of my noble friend Lady Wolf of Dulwich and pitched so perfectly by my other noble friend Lord Aberdare—I realise that that…21 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I will speak in particular to Amendments 83 to 85, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Young of Acton. Clause 20, on harassment by third parties, although well-intentioned,…19 May 2025HANSARDMansion House AccordMy Lords, a number of pension providers have warned that progress will be dependent on “a steady supply of high-quality UK investment opportunities”. That is a big pipeline…14 May 2025HANSARDUK-US TradeMy Lords, I give some credit to the Government for signing a damage-limitation deal with the US, for that is what it is, but this five-page agreement does not actually constitute…12 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I will speak briefly to Amendment 19A in the names of the noble Lords, Lord Sharpe of Epsom and Lord Hunt of Wirral, and offer my support for Amendments 20 and 21. My…08 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I will speak to Amendment 63. I agree that the impact of Clauses 1 to 8 will be especially felt by these three sectors: hospitality, retail and social care. But, to be…08 May 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I rise to speak to Amendments 5 and 124 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, to which I have readily added my name. Before I get stuck into the detail, I…29 Apr 2025HANSARDNational Debt: It’s Time for Tough Decisions (Economic Affairs Committee Report)My Lords, it is a pleasure, if somewhat daunting, to follow the former Permanent Secretary of the Treasury and the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, and to be shortly followed…25 Apr 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights Bill: ProductivityMy Lords, this claim that the Bill supports productivity falls under the economic analysis section, which some have, perhaps rather unkindly, referred to as the economic fantasy…31 Mar 2025HANSARDNational Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) BillMy Lords, I too thank the Minister for his comments. It is with regret that I will neither insist on my Amendment 8B nor plan to add any further amendments. The other place has…31 Mar 2025HANSARDSpring StatementI will follow up on a key point raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Rolfe. While the OBR forecast for growth has halved to just 1%, which I think many would argue still…27 Mar 2025HANSARDEmployment Rights BillMy Lords, I have just four minutes, so I will not beat about the bush. While I understand the need to bear down on unscrupulous employment practices, this Bill is fundamentally…27 Mar 2025