Club and Institute Union: 150th Anniversary
Debate between Lord Davies of Coity and Baroness Hanham
Baroness Hanham
My Lords, I am very aware of the traditional nature of the clubs involved—the work they have done for so long, the people they represent, those to whom they give a good time and those whom they support. I will of course draw the attention of other departments to the nature of these organisations as requested by the noble Lord.
Lord Davies of Coity
My Lords, I wonder if the Minister can advise the House as to the number of clubs that have been forced to close in recent years as a result of government legislation?
Baroness Hanham
My Lords, we are talking about private clubs, and I have no idea why private clubs close. The Government are doing their best to support small businesses such as clubs, and have already granted them rate relief from £6,000 to £12,000 until March 2013. They are also ensuring that rural rate relief is available to public houses in particular, not all of which will have the club connections that the noble Lord refers to. The Government are doing what they can to support small business, particularly in the country, and they do not have a role in the closure of the clubs that he mentioned.
Housing
Debate between Lord Davies of Coity and Baroness Hanham
Lord Davies of Coity
My Lords, the Minister has said that the coalition Government will do the best that they can on housing. How is that expected to be done when other measures that they are taking will result in a lot of construction workers being unemployed?
Baroness Hanham
My Lords, the amount of people in construction work will depend on the amount of housebuilding, which will depend on the recovery of the economy, which the Government have set out to achieve.