Contributions
438 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy Lords, I apologise to the House, but there is a great deal of noise as Peers leave the Chamber and I ask them to be quiet.04 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingMy Lords, my noble friend makes a good point. He talked about the link between productivity and employment, which throws up different statistics. That is why it is so important…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingMy noble friend is quite right, as always. He mentioned the digital age that we are in, and of course noble Lords will remember that we have the £400 million digital…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingNo, my Lords, I have not read Mr Haldane’s speech, but I will pass it on to my colleagues in the department. However, there is something that the noble Lord should acknowledge…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingMy Lords, the noble Lord mentioned a number of issues, one of which was factory output. I remind him that manufacturing now accounts for almost half of total UK exports—49% in…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingMy Lords, we have worked hard to build a stronger, fairer economy, dealing with the deficit, helping people into work and cutting taxes for individuals, families and businesses.…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingAs noble Lords are aware, the whole point of the industrial strategy is to boost productivity and the earning power of people throughout the UK, as well as encouraging investment…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingMy Lords, the noble Lord makes an important point as we move towards 31 October. We recognise that there has been some exchange rate volatility. This is not unusual as we move to…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingMy Lords, my noble friend makes some interesting points. He will be fully aware of how the labour market is responding to the policies of Her Majesty’s Government, with 3.8…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingMy Lords, I do not believe in uttering fiction from the Dispatch Box. I do not accept the noble Lord’s comment, but I will take it back to the department and ask for clarification…03 Sept 2019HANSARDSterlingMy Lords, the noble Lord will be perfectly well aware that our economy has changed over the years. As I said earlier, the manufacturing sector has seen productivity increase by…03 Sept 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesI have no information on that at present. The noble and gallant Lord makes a valid point on the worry about the systems that the Turkish military is taking up. The S-400 is a…18 Jul 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesMy Lords, there is no indication yet that that is the case. We must remember that Turkey is a valued NATO ally on the front line of some of the UK’s and the alliance’s most…18 Jul 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesThe noble Lord makes a point, but we should listen to the comments of the noble Lord, Lord West, who is far more of an expert than I am on this issue. He clearly stated that this…18 Jul 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesMy noble friend makes a good point. As I said earlier, Turkey is now excluded from the F-35 programme, both as a partner in its manufacture and as an end user. The noble Lord,…18 Jul 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesThe noble Lord makes a number of points, including in relation to the Patriot weapons system, on which Turkey felt unable to continue negotiations. But the noble Lord’s points in…18 Jul 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesMy Lords, I am not aware of exact discussions that the department has had on the sanctions issue. We are not imposing sanctions on Turkey but, at the start of the delivery of the…18 Jul 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesMy Lords, I entirely agree with the noble Lord, Lord West. He described the situation in Turkey as very worrying. This is why, of course, Turkey is now being excluded from the F35…18 Jul 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesMy Lords, we have raised our concerns about the Turkish Government’s purchase of S-400 missiles at ministerial and official level. Turkey is a valued NATO ally on the front line…18 Jul 2019HANSARDTurkey: Russian MissilesThe noble and gallant Lord has spoken about an area on which I do not have information but, as he is aware, we are urging our NATO allies to reduce their reliance on legacy…18 Jul 2019