Contributions
88 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDCapital Investment and Share OwnershipThe PFI has been a very mixed bag, but parts of it have been highly successful. Unfortunately, the Treasury’s approach to negotiating run-off in PFI has led a large number of…13 Mar 2025HANSARDUkraine (International Relations and Defence Committee Report)My Lords, we have before us a very important report at an important time, indeed a turning point. Rather than pick out particular aspects of the report, perhaps I could summarise…06 Mar 2025HANSARDCitizenship ApplicationsThe more that we listen to this, the more a number of us conclude that this is a major change that deserves much more substantial consideration and scrutiny by both Houses of…12 Feb 2025HANSARDThames, Yorkshire and Northumbrian Water: Ofwat Proposed FinesBy any standards, Ofwat’s performance has been shocking, and over a good number of years—in fact, the worst regulatory failure we have had since the regulators who supervised…29 Jan 2025HANSARDNational Trust ActsMy Lords—21 Jan 2025HANSARDNational Trust ActsI think that most of us would agree that the National Trust does a very fine job and has done so over many years. None the less, the noble Lord, Lord Lexden, has a point. It is a…21 Jan 2025HANSARDEconomic ProductivityDo the Government accept that the fall in business confidence since the Budget will have a depressing effect on the investment needed to secure productivity gains?05 Dec 2024HANSARDWater BillsThe Minister has described the conduct of the water companies as “disgraceful”, but is it not the responsibility of Ofwat to sort out the water companies? In that case, what steps…21 Nov 2024HANSARDCouncil TaxMy Lords, will the Minister return to the point that the noble Lord, Lord Clarke, made a moment ago? Unless we address the gross imbalance in the amount of money taken from…19 Nov 2024HANSARDUnited Kingdom Declining Birth RateFurther to that question, what conclusions do the Government draw from the substantial evidence now that immigration at the margin increases the tax yield by more than it…06 Nov 2024HANSARDKing’s SpeechI begin by congratulating the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hermer, on a speech full of wisdom and the noble Lord, Lord Booth, on a remarkable and thoughtful maiden speech. I say…23 Jul 2024HANSARDElectricity: Cost-competitivenessMy Lords, the leading expert in the field is probably Professor Dieter Helm of the University of Oxford, who has been arguing for a long time that the true cost of wind power has…16 May 2024HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers BillDoes the Minister not agree that since, with a merits appeal, a fine could be reduced to nugatory amounts, that what would be considered equivalent to a full merits review of the…14 May 2024HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill13 Mar 2024HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers BillI do not wish to move the amendment.13 Mar 2024HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers BillThis was all debated on Monday evening, but I am sure that many of us have already forgotten exactly what happened then. The amendment would secure a review for improving the…13 Mar 2024HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers BillCan the Minister tell us when he intends that review to take place?11 Mar 2024HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers BillI have tabled Amendments 65 and 153. I declare my interests, as I did in Committee and as I have set out in the register. I also declare an interest in the Bill, since I had a…11 Mar 2024HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers BillCan the Minister say whether “shortly” is the same as “quickly”, and whether it will be a comprehensive examination of the subjects or just picking off a small number of areas?…11 Mar 2024HANSARDDigital Markets, Competition and Consumers BillI have to ask the noble Baroness to bear with me for just a short while. I am being asked to speak to two amendments simultaneously, both of which are quite important,…31 Jan 2024