Contributions
1,831 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDFood BanksI echo what I think these Benches have said before: trade unions have a valuable role in our life. We have provided cost of living support worth over £37 billion for 2022-23,…09 Jan 2023HANSARDFood BanksThe noble Baroness is right that nourishment for children is incredibly important, including in schools. She will know that we have extended free school meals to more groups of…09 Jan 2023HANSARDFood BanksThat is a very important part of our programme, and the Government recognise the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. The primary aim of…09 Jan 2023HANSARDFood BanksIt is not okay. It is fair to say that we are continually looking at different ways in which we can help the most vulnerable, and I have set out some of them to the House this…09 Jan 2023HANSARDFood BanksAs I said earlier, food banks are doing a magnificent job at the moment in these very difficult times. Defra is continuing to work with food retailers and producers to explore a…09 Jan 2023HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaI am sorry to interrupt the noble Lord but I do not believe that he was here at the beginning of the Statement.20 Dec 2022HANSARDOfficial Development AssistanceI am not able to actually say that, but what I can say is that we will report on this in due course. I am not going to stand here at the Dispatch Box and say something that I…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingYes, but it comes back to the initial analysis by the OBR, which is very clear. As my noble friend will be aware, there was a judicial review in May 2021 and the judge ruled very…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingMy Lords, as part of the reversal of almost all the tax measures set out in the growth plan, the Government are not proceeding with plans to introduce a new VAT-free shopping…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingWell, what I can say is that, on 28 November, HMRC and HMT officials held a round table with industry stakeholders to collate feedback on the Chancellor’s decision to withdraw the…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingI do not agree with the noble Earl. Introducing VAT-free shopping would come at a significant fiscal cost because it would subsidise a large amount of tourist spending that…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingWell, it has been considered—as I say, we had a round table in November—and the benefit is pretty marginal. As far as I can tell from walking around London, the visitors are still…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingWe do not have any plans to analyse this further. As I have said before, fewer than one in 10 non-EU visitors used the previous VAT-free shopping scheme, indicating that it is…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingWe have no plans to reconsider this. I know that about 80% of the effect of this is on retailers—for whom I have some sympathy, I should say—in London, and 10% in Bicester…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingThe noble Lord is ingenious in what he brings up. It is fair to say that the value of the pound has helped in bringing tourists to London. I say again that London right now is…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingI take note of what my noble friend says but, as I say, we have no plans to change this policy.15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingMy noble friend makes an excellent point.15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingI can go this far, which the House will take at face value: of course, all taxes remain under review. The estimated cost of introducing a new scheme was around £2 billion per…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingAs I said earlier, on a serious note I have some sympathy for retailers—we admit that they will see some falling off of business—but I have made it quite clear that this is very…15 Dec 2022HANSARDTax-free ShoppingHopefully, I made it clear that the round table was for industry stakeholders to collate feedback on the Chancellor’s decision. There were three main concerns, which I am not…15 Dec 2022