National Insurance: Employer Contributions

Debate between Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and Lord Watts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

The denial of responsibility from that side of the House is quite astonishing. Public services were broken by neglect from the party opposite for 14 years. I am surprised that they do not see the irony in complaining about the measures we are having to take to sort out that mess, including our commitment to an additional £680 million for social care, further funding for local government and a real-terms boost for local government funding. I would rather hear some other ideas from that side of the House than complaints about what we are doing.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

Following the Minister’s response, does she agree that the last Government left a massive deficit in the Budget and that, while they do not like the national insurance increases, they have no suggestions whatever on how to bridge the massive gap that they left us?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I agree with my noble friend. When we start to get some alternatives from the other side of the House, I might be more prepared to listen to their arguments about not putting NICs up.

Housebuilding: Regional Mayors

Debate between Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and Lord Watts

Thursday 5th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

My Lords, we have done an extensive consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework. We reintroduced government housing targets, because we want to deliver 1.5 million homes over this Parliament. We are going to do that with the aggregate of targets from local plans, so we will consult local mayors as they develop their role in strategic plan making.

[Lord Watts (Lab)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree with me that, to increase the number of houses available, we will need to deal with the way housebuilders keep some of the stock off the record and land-bank? Will we do something about land-banking to make sure that, if developers do not develop land, someone else will?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

We will take measures to deal with land-banking and the situation with long-term empty homes. Sometimes, homes are built but still not occupied. We will increase funding to make those affordable homes and remove tax incentives and informal approaches. If they do not work, local authorities can use enforced sale procedures or empty dwelling management orders to make sure that land and property are used for their intended purposes.