My Lords, I should like to speak briefly and, in so doing, declare my interest as an adviser to and shareholder in Banco Santander. I very much support these amendments. I think that we would all agree that we want our regulations and the entire process to be simple and robust, as that is the bedroc…
My Lords, will the Minister clarify one point that I am slightly confused on? If the United States signs a deal in which ships will be paying a toll, is it the position of His Majesty’s Government and that of the French Government, I think, that they will be deploying forces to ensure that ships do …
My Lords, in response to my noble friend Lord Clarke’s question, the Minister spoke of the cuts that the Government are planning to make to the welfare budget. Is he saying that those cuts are sufficient and that that is all the Government will be doing?
My Lords, I hope I am not going to test the noble Lord’s legendary diplomatic skills in answering this question but, last year, the Prime Minister said that “security and defence” were
“not one priority amongst many others but the central organising principle of government. The first thought in the…
Of course, I agree with everything the Chancellor says. Since coming to office, this Government have implemented an economic plan to bring stability to the public finances and to strengthen Britain’s economy for the long term. The forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility, published last mo…
My Lords, can the noble Lord shed some light on when the review of hotels is likely to report and conclude, and when hoteliers might be able to see some relief on their business rates?
I know that the noble Lord thinks that his question is terribly clever, but it is perfectly possible for the Government to have ongoing priorities and for there to be specific priorities for this Budget. Those two things are not in any way contradictory. He will see what we have to say about defence…
My Lords, on 10 November, the Chancellor said on BBC Radio:
“It would, of course, be possible to stick with the manifesto commitments, but that would require things like deep cuts in capital spending”.
Does that statement still stand?
It is a pleasure to follow my noble friend Lord Bridges, and I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Elliott, on securing this important debate. I would like to start with a discussion about measuring productivity, which is, at the end of the day, crucial to growth, and which, despite the rose-tinted vi…
I am only five minutes into my speech; let us hear my whole speech before we conclude on that.
The OBR’s productivity assessment will be a look in the rear-view mirror, but the past mistakes of the previous Government do not need to determine our country’s future. While the record of the past 14 ye…
My Lords, I do not intend, in a brief intervention, to argue the case for the Bill. I support the principles behind the Bill as set out; however, I do harbour some reservations as to the process of implementation. I want to concentrate my remarks on that process and in particular the Bill’s handling…
I am grateful to the noble Lord for his question, and I should start by wishing him a very happy birthday. I have said what I have said on tax. I am not going to give a running commentary on the fiscal forecast, nor am I going to speculate on tax rises now. As I said, we will do things in the usual …
The Government have pledged not to increase taxes on working people, which is why we are not increasing income tax, national insurance contributions or VAT.