My Lords, following up on the question from my noble friend, when the Minister writes to her regarding the position of dancers, will he take on board that, had the existing rules applied, Acosta would never have been able to come from Cuba to fulfil the wonderful work that he has been doing since?
My Lords, in a slightly calmer vein than the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, can I ask whether the Minister is aware that the ONS Labour Force Survey flash figures for April show a 100,000 reduction in payroll numbers? Does she think that this indicates that, as the year goes on, there will be an increase in…
My Lords, I rise for my maiden speech with a real sense of the responsibility that comes with joining a body so rich in experience, expertise and public service as your Lordships’ House. I thank Black Rod, the indefatigable doorkeepers, the police and security officers, the clerks and officials and …
It is £3.4 billion. The reason why there has been a dispute over this is that some people do not understand inflation. These numbers have been calculated in the normal way, as they are for all these kinds of projects.
My Lords, I declare my interests as set out in the register. I am regularly commissioned to present “Thought for the Day” on the BBC, as well as weekday and Sunday services. I also occasionally work with a range of other UK and global broadcasters, from GB News to Times Radio and LBC, providing comm…
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the original purpose of the change in the fiscal rules brought in by his Government was to ensure that we did not have a ball-by-ball commentary, every time there was the remotest whiff of a financial crisis, on whether or not the fiscal rules were being observ…
I agree with the noble Lord’s point, which is exactly why we have embarked on the EU reset and negotiated a new strategic partnership with the EU that is in the national interest. I completely agree that the EU is our closest partner and biggest market. In 2024, almost half the UK’s total trade was …