(9 months, 4 weeks ago)
Lords ChamberI thank the noble Lord for that. He makes a very good point, and it is something which the Government could well look at.
My Lords, I declare an interest as someone who will be 70 later this year. Can my noble friend explain why it is that when you are 70, you have to reapply for your driving licence? Why pick on 70?
Can I say that I agree with my noble friend? At the age of 70, drivers must renew their entitlement and, at most, every three years after that. To renew the entitlement, they must make a legal declaration that they can meet the standards required to drive and confirm that they have listed any medical condition. That is the important point: whether there are any new medical conditions.
I thank the noble Baroness. Yes, we engage regularly with the devolved Administrations. She has probably worked out that I come from a devolved Administration. I am very aware of the need to do that.
My Lords, does my noble friend not think that there are some double standards here? On the one hand, the Opposition criticise the Government for committing themselves to helping people with their heating bills and to ending the tax on jobs, which is the increase in national insurance, and argue that the Government should have published their full financial forecast before doing so, but on the other they argue that we should commit ourselves to uprating benefits without doing so. Is this not the ultimate hypocrisy?
I thank the noble Lord for making that point. I absolutely agree with him.