Adults Lacking Mental Capacity: Child Trust Funds
Debate between Baroness Kramer and Lord Lemos(1 week, 1 day ago)
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Lord Lemos (Lab)
The noble Baroness knows that, since 2020, various changes have been made to the Court of Protection framework to make this easier and cheaper to deal with. I will not answer her question specifically, because this work is actively under way, but I am very happy to set out exactly what the arrangements are for the Court of Protection. It is important to reiterate that the Mental Capacity Act is there to protect people’s rights. We do not want to undermine that in any way, and we will not, but we will seek a solution to this problem.
Baroness Kramer (LD)
My Lords, this House used the opportunity of the Financial Services and Markets Bill to send an amendment to the other place which would enable the FCA to, in effect, enable financial institutions to release these funds based on their existing knowledge of the relationship between the parents, guardians and young people, whom they know because for many years those parents and guardians have been managing large sums of public money on that child’s behalf. Will the Government please take that seriously as the Bill is addressed down the other end, because it gets us around the dynamic of having to make very extensive changes to the Mental Capacity Act and delivers a practical solution?
Lord Lemos (Lab)
I am well aware of the amendments that the noble Baroness put down on child trust funds and junior ISAs. It is fair to say that slightly different issues are involved in child trust funds and junior ISAs, but, as I say—and I hope she can take some reassurance from this—we have considered her amendments, which are now in the other place, and thinking about a solution which resolves the issue of principle here, which is that parents who care for their children in a loving and trusting way should be able to help those now young adults to get access to these funds.
Domestic Travel and Holidays: Visitor Levy
Debate between Baroness Kramer and Lord Lemos(3 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Lord Lemos (Lab)
That is precisely why we are leaving it to local mayors to decide. Of course we will not impose a levy from the centre. I have already said that the consultation has been completed, and we will announce the response in due course. Of course we are not going to impose the same thing everywhere.
Baroness Kramer (LD)
My Lords, we support devolving more economic power to local areas, but any visitor tax must come alongside vital relief for a sector that is already struggling under the Government’s NIC hikes, which happened not so very long ago. So, will the Government enact an emergency 5p cut on VAT on hospitality, accommodation and entertainment until April 2027 to provide some ongoing relief? Will they also give us a cast-iron guarantee that a tourist tax will not be an excuse to further cut already insufficient local government funding?
Lord Lemos (Lab)
The Government have taken a number of fair and necessary decisions on tax, welfare and spending to fix the public the finances. In honour of my noble friend Lord Livermore, I should of course mention the £22 billion black hole.