Lords
Proceedings
8 July 2026
Unpaid Carers
My Lords, the Minister is quite right that this goes beyond employment rights. The chief executive of Care England, Professor Martin Green, warned that the Government’s changes to employer national insurance contributions would leave many care organisations
“on the brink of bankruptcy”.
During the…
Lords
Debate
8 July 2026
2 contributions
Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill
I rise to speak to Amendment 11 in my name and that of my noble friend Lord Hunt of Wirral. It is vital, as we have said throughout our consideration of this Bill, that there is clarity about the liabilities which may be acquired when the Government exercise a principal transfer power. That is parti…
My Lords, these amendments stand in my name and that of my noble friend Lord Hunt of Wirral. As we stated in Committee, we cannot have a perpetual sunset clause. A sunset that can be extended indefinitely and for an unlimited period at a time is not a meaningful sunset at all.
I welcome the Ministe…
Lords
Debate
1 July 2026
Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill
My Lords, my apologies: I was asleep at the wheel, much like the England defence. I rise to speak to Amendments 16 and 17 in my name and that of my noble friend Lord Hunt of Wirral.
I thank the Minister for his letter on Clause 44 and for meeting us to discuss the Bill and the ways in which it may …
Lords
Debate
29 June 2026
2 contributions
Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill
My Lords, Amendment 1, in my name and that of my noble friend Lord Hunt of Wirral, is very simple. It seeks to confine the powers in this Bill to genuine steel businesses. Those are undertakings consisting predominantly of the manufacture or processing of steel—or iron for the purposes of steel manu…
I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken. It was remiss of me not also to thank the Minister and his team for their extensive engagement on the Bill.
This amendment is simple. I am afraid that I do not agree with the Minister’s comments or those from the noble Lord, Lord Fox. This is very s…
Lords
Proceedings
2 June 2026
Steel Import Restrictions
My Lords, I am very grateful to the Minister for the Answer, and it is reassuring to hear that the Secretary of State is in India. However, the fact is that the previous Government secured Brexit freedoms precisely to break free from EU protectionism and position Britain as a champion of global free…
Lords
Proceedings
1 June 2026
Business Hiring
My Lords, 42 years on, I remind the House of my noble friend’s statistic that there are over 1 million NEETs at the moment. How depressing is that?
To follow on from my noble friend’s question, retail and hospitality are often young people’s first chance to enter the labour market, yet these are th…
Lords
Proceedings
20 May 2026
Supermarkets: Voluntary Price Caps
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his Answer. The Government should understand and know that price controls do not work and do not reduce prices. They instead suppress supply, create shortages, and ultimately leave consumers worse off and more exposed to food insecurity. I must say that, w…
Lords
Proceedings
20 May 2026
2026 FIFA World Cup: Replica Kit Pricing
As a West Ham fan, I have absolutely nothing to say about football. Following on from my noble friend’s question, does the Minister agree that, rather than inviting the Competition and Markets Authority into ever more marginal consumer pricing questions, the Government’s priority should be serious r…
Lords
Oral Questions
28 April 2026
2 contributions
RMT Strikes: Impact on Businesses
My Lords, transport in London is devolved to the mayor and Transport for London, and any impacts of strike action on London’s transport network are for TfL to assess and manage. Nevertheless, the Government understand that this is extremely disappointing for passengers and businesses, and we encoura…
I wonder if the noble Lord has forgotten how much money and revenue was lost during strike actions under the previous Government. We have to remember that the Secretary of State, when she came in, took swift action to deal with this, and I am pleased to say that the incidences have reduced dramatica…
Lords
Oral Questions
23 April 2026
2 contributions
Steel Sector
My Lords, steel is a vital component of the UK economy. That is why the Government have published their first ever steel strategy, underpinned by up to £2.5 billion of funding, to create stable, competitive conditions and to secure the long-term future of British steel-making. The strategy will attr…
I am grateful to the noble Lord for the advanced sight of his follow-up question; I also commend the forensic, technical nature of the Question. The trade measure to which he refers covers 20 categories of steel, including all steel that is made in the UK. That includes bright bar, wire and stainles…
Lords
Proceedings
22 April 2026
British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme
My Lords, the Minister will soon trumpet the British industrial competitiveness scheme as being very good for business. But, for all the rhetoric and self-congratulation, this policy will have no meaningful impact on the overwhelming majority of British businesses. By the Government’s own figures, a…
Lords
Statutory Instrument
21 April 2026
2 contributions
Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements (Amendment) Regulations 2026
My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their contributions to this debate on the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements (Amendment) Regulations 2026, and for underlining the importance of the sector. I also thank the noble Viscount, Lord Thurso, and the noble Lord, Lord Sharpe, for welcoming the m…
Yes, we will.
Lords
Proceedings
23 March 2026
UK Steel Strategy
My Lords, only last year Ministers were forced to rush through the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, which was an emergency nationalisation of British Steel in an industry that they had helped to destabilise. That Act told us everything we need to know—socialists must seize the means of product…
Lords
Statutory Instrument
17 March 2026
4 contributions
National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Regulations 2026
The noble Lord, Lord Sharpe, will not be surprised to hear that I do not agree with his interpretation of the Government’s announcement yesterday of a major drive to create hundreds of thousands of jobs for young people and to radically transform apprenticeships. I suggest that it demonstrates that …
My Lords, it is a sad day to be speaking on the Conservative amendment objecting to a rise in the minimum wage. I support the rise in the minimum wage and the acceleration of the rate for younger workers, who bear the full cost of living. The product of their labour is not sold for lower prices at S…
+2 more contributions in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
16 March 2026
2 contributions
UK Domestic Visitor Levy
My Lords, the precise design and scope of the visitor levy power is still under development. Our consultation closed on 18 February and the Government will publish our official response in due course. Mayors will need to decide whether to implement a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. T…
I certainly agree with the noble Lord that the Government want to see the tourism economy in Britain reach its full potential. The decision on whether to introduce a levy will be for mayors, and they will need to consult ahead of making those decisions. As a mayoral power, the ability to create a vi…
Lords
Debate
12 March 2026
Industry and Exports (Financial Assistance) Bill
My Lords, in my experience, smaller businesses rarely wake up in the morning worrying about statutory ceilings in the Industrial Development Act. What they worry about is whether they can secure the finance and insurance needed to win the next contract.
In my day job, I spend a lot of time around s…
Lords
Oral Questions
10 March 2026
Foreign Direct Investment
It is undeniable that there is a challenge in trying to get the balance between the energy sovereignty that I previously mentioned and the need to make us attractive in the short term. This Government are taking practical steps to reduce barriers, including targeted regulatory simplification, faster…
Lords
Debate
3 March 2026
2 contributions
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, Amendment 168 is in my name. I will also speak briefly to my Amendment 196, which is in the next group, but the subject matter is broadly similar. I am very grateful to my noble friends Lord Brady of Altrincham and Lord Naseby and the noble Baroness, Lady Fox, for signing these amendments.…
My Lords, I shall be super-brief, because I spoke broadly on my Amendment 196 in the previous group when I made the case—it is not hyperbole—that the hospitality sector faces an existential issue. I agree with all my noble friend Lord Udny-Lister’s words on this.
My Amendment 196 is extremely strai…
Lords
Committee Stage
25 February 2026
4 contributions
Energy-Intensive Industry Electricity Support Payments and Levy (Amendment) Regulations 2026
I do not imagine there is much clamour for me to start my speech again, so I will go back to where I got to; I made a note.
The Confederation of British Industry has warned that high energy prices threaten the United Kingdom’s standing as a manufacturing nation. It points to the competitive disadva…
My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for their valuable contributions to this debate. As I said in my opening speech, the increased relief offered through the network charging compensation scheme will provide critical support for foundation sectors across Great Britain, including steel, chemicals, ceme…
+2 more contributions in this session
Lords
Debate
24 February 2026
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
My Lords, I will speak in favour of the amendments tabled by my noble friend Lord Murray of Blidworth. I will concentrate on one narrow area—one of the practical aspects of this generational ban—which, as my noble friend Lord Clarke highlighted, is the inevitable difficulty of age verification in st…
Lords
Proceedings
4 February 2026
China and Japan
The noble Baroness said earlier that steel was at the forefront of the Prime Minister’s mind. We understand that the steel strategy, which is long awaited, is with No. 10 and the Prime Minister at the moment. Can she enlighten us a little more as to when we can expect to see that published? If she c…
Lords
Oral Questions
4 February 2026
Land Covenants: Supermarket Chains
Taking a broad perspective on the question, I came into government to support the pro-business agenda. What the Government are trying to enact is the ability to stabilise the economy based on fiscal rules, to create an investment environment that is investable from all parts of the market, and then,…
Lords
Oral Questions
27 January 2026
2 contributions
Hospitality Businesses
My Lords, hospitality businesses are fundamental to the life of our communities. As such, we are introducing permanently lower business rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, and a £4.3 billion support package over three years to shield rate payers from bill increases followi…
Business rate reform has been on the agenda for the last number of Parliaments and this Government have taken it on. Since I came into government six months ago, I have been proud that our overall objectives have been about stability in our economy, bringing down inflation—it is on target for next y…
Lords
Proceedings
22 January 2026
3 contributions
Retail and Hospitality Sector
My Lords, it is my privilege to respond on behalf of His Majesty’s Government. I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Monckton of Dallington Forest, for securing this debate. I thank all noble Lords for their thoughtful, informed and passionate contributions on a subject of real importance to our…
Is the noble Lord referring to on employment rights or does he mean across everything?
+1 more contribution in this session