Contributions
1,161 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMaking Tax Digital for VAT (Economic Affairs Committee Report)With respect to the noble Baroness, the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court was that the tax was due and is payable by the employee and not the employer. I will come on to the…29 Apr 2019HANSARDEuropean Parliament ElectionsI agree entirely with the noble Baroness. It is important that EU citizens in this country and UK citizens in European countries are fully enfranchised and can take part in the…24 Apr 2019HANSARDEuropean Parliament ElectionsMy Lords, it remains the Government’s intention to leave the EU with a deal before 23 May so that we do not need to participate in European parliamentary elections. However, we…24 Apr 2019HANSARDEuropean Parliament ElectionsThe noble Baroness will be as familiar as I am with the reasons why we might have to go ahead with these elections. After the decision on 29 March not to vote for the withdrawal…24 Apr 2019HANSARDEuropean Parliament ElectionsI hear my noble friend’s concern about the breach of public trust that would occur were that eventuality to take place. I was in my place on 27 March when he spoke on this very…24 Apr 2019HANSARDEuropean Parliament ElectionsWell, I shall certainly be supporting Conservative candidates in the European elections. I am sure that the noble Lord, led by the Opposition Chief Whip, will be heading a task…24 Apr 2019HANSARDEuropean Parliament ElectionsI agree entirely. To some extent, that goes beyond the withdrawal agreement to the political agreement which is set out. I very much hope that we will continue to have a good and…24 Apr 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy Lords, before we move on to the next amendment, I gently remind your Lordships of the guidance in the Companion that speakers are expected to keep to within 15 minutes.…04 Apr 2019HANSARDEconomy: Productivity MeasurementThe noble Lord goes back to an issue raised by the noble Lord, Lord Haskel, which is the industrial strategy. Its main thrusts were driving up productivity, backing businesses…28 Mar 2019HANSARDEconomy: Productivity MeasurementIt is certainly the case that cost per Member is much lower in your Lordships’ House than in another place, although of course there are reasons for this. So far as productivity…28 Mar 2019HANSARDEconomy: Productivity MeasurementThe noble Lord is quite right to say that productivity in education and health has gone up. Over the past few years, productivity growth in the public sector, which had been 0.2%…28 Mar 2019HANSARDEconomy: Productivity MeasurementMy Lords, the independent Office for National Statistics measures productivity and has increased the volume and timeliness of productivity data, which can now be accessed by…28 Mar 2019HANSARDEconomy: Productivity MeasurementThe noble Lord has a long-standing interest in productivity data, perhaps inspired by the book Capitalism Without Capital by Professor Jonathan Haskel, with whom he has a…28 Mar 2019HANSARDEconomy: Productivity MeasurementThe noble Lord, whom I have known for 35 years, brings to your Lordships’ House his ability to propose and then drive through major economic reform. The proposals he refers to are…28 Mar 2019HANSARDHonours SystemMy Lords, the honours system is independent of the Government. In recent years, significant progress has been made to ensure that the system is more open and representative, but…26 Mar 2019HANSARDHonours SystemAs a beneficiary of the Order of the Companions of Honour myself, I understand the reservations. If my noble friend looks at the some 60 recipients of the Companionship of Honour,…26 Mar 2019HANSARDHonours SystemI take seriously the point made by the right reverend Prelate. People do give reasons for turning down honours; those reasons are not made public. In the letter which my right…26 Mar 2019HANSARDHonours SystemI entirely endorse what the noble Lord has said. As he was speaking, I could see noble Lords writing in their diaries the date he referred to.26 Mar 2019HANSARDHonours SystemI agree with the noble Viscount. As I said a few moments ago, the order remains in use in other countries: Antigua, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada and many other countries continue…26 Mar 2019HANSARDHonours SystemI agree: no one should get an honour simply for carrying out the job they are paid to do. As I said right at the beginning, the operation of the honours system is independent of…26 Mar 2019