Rules on Duty-Free Goods

Debate between Lord Bellingham and Lord Livermore

Wednesday 22nd October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for his question. I will clarify this for him. The original Question asked about flights from Belfast to the European Union, so that is what this Question is about. I will be very clear. If we have duty-free, we have to have allowances. If we have allowances, we have to have checks and enforcement. If we have checks, we have to have border infrastructure, and border infra- structure is contrary to the Windsor Framework and the Good Friday agreement.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

My Lords, one of the key outcomes of the Windsor Framework was the plan for green lanes for goods leaving the UK but staying in Northern Ireland rather than being transported to the Republic. Can the Minister tell the House what progress has been made on the introduction of those green lanes?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

This may have been another of the fantasies that people had about certain Brexit outcomes rather than reflecting reality. What we have ended up with—I pay tribute to the previous Government for negotiating this—is the Windsor Framework, which, as I said, is the best workable solution to Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances. We absolutely support the implementation of the Windsor Framework.

Making Tax Digital

Debate between Lord Bellingham and Lord Livermore

Wednesday 17th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

It may surprise the noble Baroness to hear that I absolutely agree. As part of our regulation action plan, we committed to reducing the regulatory burden on businesses by 25%. We must have a benchmark from which we reduce that burden. We are engaged in doing that, and, as I said, I completely agree with the noble Baroness.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

On the shadow Minister’s point about the impact assessment, the Government’s own impact assessment of the Employment Rights Bill puts the costs at £5 billion extra. How is that going to help the Government’s growth agenda?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

We have an extensive growth agenda, not least in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that we talked about yesterday, and I hope all noble Lords will help that to move swiftly through the House.

Winter Fuel Payment

Debate between Lord Bellingham and Lord Livermore

Tuesday 10th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

My noble friend is obviously right to point out that the party opposite has consistently criticised the public sector pay rises that we have given.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

My Lords, following on from the question asked by the right reverend Prelate, I hope that the Minister is aware that roughly 750,000 pensioners on pension credit and therefore eligible for the winter fuel allowance applied for it last winter but have not yet had it. Will he look at this problem?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I will look at that and discuss it with my noble friend Lady Sherlock.

Spring Statement

Debate between Lord Bellingham and Lord Livermore

Thursday 27th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

They are not, and I am sure that the policies are fully in line with all equality laws, because that would have been signed up to before the policies were published. On what we are doing for working people, we saw yesterday that wages are now rising faster than prices, and that in this Parliament living standards will rise at twice the rate they did in the previous Parliament.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

During the Minister’s main response, he mentioned small businesses, SMEs, job creation and deregulation a number of times. Can he give the House the names of any SMEs that support the Employment Rights Bill?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

No, I do not have a full list of all SMEs in front of me, and I am not sure that that is a sensible question to ask me, if I am honest. Everyone is clear that we have a very clear small business strategy. We are helping small businesses to expand and grow, and to trade with the European Union.

Carbon Border Taxes

Debate between Lord Bellingham and Lord Livermore

Wednesday 12th March 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

Fertiliser production in the UK is subject to carbon pricing under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. A UK CBAM will ensure that fertiliser produced overseas faces a comparable carbon price to equivalent goods produced in the UK. Most UK agricultural prices are a function of a range of international factors and the Government do not expect a CBAM on fertiliser to put UK farmers at a competitive disadvantage.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

My Lords, I declare an interest in this subject. Further to the question asked by the noble Earl, Lord Devon, can the Minister say whether the Government have made any assessment at all of the impact that this could have on our balance of payments?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I do not think that that is relevant to this policy. Most of our trade in food is with the EU, and the EU has a similar scheme to ours.