Public Procurement: Prioritising British Suppliers
Debate between Baroness Twycross and Lord Tyrie(3 days, 21 hours ago)
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Baroness Twycross (Lab)
I am not aware of the point the noble Lord raises, but I thank him for drawing it to my attention. I will look into it and revert to him.
Lord Tyrie (Non-Afl)
My Lords, the WTO is widely held to be in deep trouble. Its dispute resolution mechanism is scarcely used and countries are imposing unilateral tariffs everywhere. The UK has to reconsider its position in the light of this. To think that through—that was part of what the noble Lord implied in his Question—have the Government made an assessment of the overall effect of the decline in WTO effectiveness on UK trade?
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
The World Trade Organization remains a really effective way for us to enable British businesses to get that reciprocal access to £1.3 trillion in public procurement opportunities overseas annually. We think that this is a valuable way of ensuring that our suppliers and businesses get access to opportunities across the world.
National Trust Acts
Debate between Baroness Twycross and Lord Tyrie
Lord Tyrie (Non-Afl)
I think that most of us would agree that the National Trust does a very fine job and has done so over many years. None the less, the noble Lord, Lord Lexden, has a point. It is a huge institution, is one of the largest landowners in the country and is in receipt of huge amounts of public money, not only directly in grants but indirectly through taxpayer reliefs. The time might now be ripe for a review that will look not only at the governance, to which the noble Lord referred, but at the accountability mechanisms, to make sure that the body remains well run.
Baroness Twycross (Lab)
The governance and the focus of the work of the National Trust is a matter for its council, not for government. I personally and the Government do not have an issue with the running of the National Trust. If any noble Lords have concerns about it, they should note that any issues around its compliance with its charitable purposes should be made to the Charity Commission. I repeat that the National Trust is the biggest conservation charity in Europe. It opens up our countryside and heritage, including diverse buildings—from Paul McCartney’s childhood home to Cliveden and Chartwell—and, as has been noted, the Welsh coastline. Rather than bashing the institution, we should support it to continue with its strategy.