Contributions
617 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUK Economy: Capital Gains TaxMy Lords, research shows that taxing capital gains at lower rates than wages does not boost investment in productive assets. It fuels unfairness and tax abuse, as the well-off…09 Oct 2024HANSARDPassenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) BillMy Lords, it is my great pleasure to welcome the noble Lord, Lord Grayling, the noble Baroness, Lady Pidgeon and my noble friend Lord Cryer to this House. I thank them for their…07 Oct 2024HANSARDTicket Sales: Dynamic PricingMy Lords, the correct expression is customer fleecing, not dynamic pricing. Too many companies are profiteering while luring customers with misleading advertising, misleading…11 Sept 2024HANSARDIndependent Review of Children’s Social CareMy Lords, between 2011 and 2023, 816 care homes were involuntarily closed by the regulator. Of these, 804 were operated by for-profit organisations. They profiteered from…09 Sept 2024HANSARDBudget Responsibility BillMy Lords, this Bill produces comfort for Chancellors, even though the OBR acknowledges that there are shortcomings in its work. Right at the outset, can the Minister explain why…09 Sept 2024HANSARDBank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill [HL]05 Sept 2024HANSARDBank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill [HL]My Lords, Amendment 9 deals with moral hazards, which, if anything, are multiplying. The amendment seeks to restrain excessive risk-taking by imposing possible personal penalties…05 Sept 2024HANSARDBank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill [HL]I thank the Minister for his reply. I will divert slightly to the point made about dividends. The legislation is a complete mess on distributable dividends. The previous…05 Sept 2024HANSARDBank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill [HL]I thank the Minister. I withdraw my amendment for the time being, though I may bring it back at the next stage.05 Sept 2024HANSARDSocial DisorderTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the possible links between social disorder in major cities, and economic and social policies.04 Sept 2024HANSARDSocial DisorderMy Lords, I thank the Minister for his Answer. Social disorder is the outcome of despair arising from real wage cuts, poor housing, corporate profiteering, the erosion of living…04 Sept 2024HANSARDSmoking: Public PlacesMy Lords, if I set up a market stall with products guaranteed to disable, maim or kill the consumer, I would not be allowed to sell, irrespective of any economic gains. I would…03 Sept 2024HANSARDInternational Anti-Corruption CourtMy Lords, while the Minister is looking into various things, can I also invite her to look at the failure of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 to prosecute any corporation for tax…02 Sept 2024HANSARDBank Resolution (Recapitalisation) Bill [HL]My Lords, when you are the last speaker in the queue, you find that all the good points have already been made and you have to rewrite your speech rapidly. I have a number of…30 Jul 2024HANSARDPublic Spending: InheritanceMy Lords, around 2 million pensioners are caught in the income tax net because of frozen tax thresholds. Now, we are taking away another £300 from the same people through a…30 Jul 2024HANSARDCoronavirus: UK DeathsMy Lords, a report by the Institution of Health Equity earlier this year stated that, between 2011 and 2019, over 1 million people died prematurely from a combination of Covid,…29 Jul 2024HANSARDPost Office HorizonMy Lords, for nearly 20 years, institutions of government and corporations claimed that there was nothing wrong with the prosecutions of sub-postmasters. Now, of course, we know…24 Jul 2024HANSARDWater Companies: Financial ResilienceTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the financial resilience of England’s water companies.23 Jul 2024HANSARDWater Companies: Financial ResilienceMy Lords, I welcome the Minister to her post but let me illustrate the problems by referring to Thames Water. Its shares are worthless and its bonds are close to junk status,…23 Jul 2024HANSARDKing’s Speech (4th Day)My Lords, I welcome new Ministers and Peers to this House and I look forward to working with them. There is much to admire in the King’s Speech, but I have a few questions. I…22 Jul 2024