United Kingdom Declining Birth Rate

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 6th November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, on the birth rate, does the Minister agree that, although there are dozens of reasons for us to criticize him, this is one area in which we can be grateful to Boris Johnson?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I sympathise with my noble friend’s point, but I find it hard to sympathise with that man on anything.

Wales: Public Services

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 5th November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

As I understand it, as heavy rail is a reserved matter and the UK Government are therefore responsible for heavy rail infrastructure across England and Wales, they spend money on this in Wales rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so through the Barnett formula. This approach applies to investment in HS2 and is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas that are reserved in Wales, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, further to the excellent question from my noble friend Lady Wilcox of Newport, can the Minister confirm, following the resetting of relations with the Scottish and Welsh Governments after the 14 disastrous years of the Tory Government, that through Brand Scotland and its Welsh equivalent, Scottish and Welsh heritage and products will be promoted throughout the world by this United Kingdom Labour Government?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

As always, my noble friend says it far better than I could. I nearly always agree with him, and I do so on this point in particular.

Independent School Fees: VAT

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Monday 21st October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

The impact assessment will cover the full range of expected impacts.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that many of us think that taxing the schools like other private enterprises is long overdue? Will he confirm that, in the case of the sons and daughters of MoD and FCDO personnel, it is in fact just a transfer from one government department to the other and has no net impact?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I absolutely agree with the spirit of my noble friend’s point. This is a necessary decision that will generate additional funding to help improve public services, including the Government’s commitments relating to education and young people. The Government are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and determined to drive up standards in those schools serving the overwhelming majority of children in this country.

UK Economy: Capital Gains Tax

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 9th October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am very grateful to the noble Baroness for giving me another opportunity to remind the House of the £22 billion black hole that was concealed by the previous Government. I am grateful to her for letting me remind the House whose mess this was in the first place that this Government now need to clear up. I am sure all noble Lords will be interested to hear that the £22 billion black hole consists of a £6 billion overspend on the asylum system that the previous Government concealed from the Office for Budget Responsibility and from this Parliament. It consists of £3 billion of uncosted commitments on road and rail projects. They overspent the reserve three times over just three months into the financial year and at no point did they tell any Member of this House or the other House or the Office for Budget Responsibility. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that and has established a reviewed to ensure that it cannot happen again.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

Did the Minister hear the “Today” programme this morning, where the BBC had somehow obtained information that millionaires in this country were threatening to leave if they were asked to pay fair taxation? Will he ignore them completely and instead take account of the millionaires who gathered at Davos and said they were willing to pay more so that the poor people in this country could become better off? Those are the millionaires we should pay attention to, not the ones who are threatening to leave the country.

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend for his insight. He knows that we must rebuild our public finances to ensure economic stability, including by addressing the £22 billion black hole. He knows too that that will involve difficult decisions on spending, welfare and tax.

European Investment Bank

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 24th July 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I agree with the noble Baroness. That absolutely has to be one of the criteria or conditions that we establish as part of the pensions review. I am sure that, as more details are announced, that will be taken into account.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend on his patience and understanding in not pointing out to Members opposite who are sitting quietly—not asking questions, even from the Front Bench—that they are the people who got us into this problem in the first place.

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

Apologies. I was unsure whether that was a question. I am most grateful to my noble friend for his warm words. He knows that I agree with him that we must reset our relationship with our closest and strongest partners in the EU.

Financial Stability: Private Equity Firms

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 13th December 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Vere of Norbiton (Con)]

I accept that the AI regulatory system is still in development, but that is not unique to the United Kingdom. The AI summit convened by the Prime Minister made good steps in the right direction.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

Can we send our deepest sympathies to Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg on the demise of Somerset Capital Management, and hope that this will now enable him to spend more time looking after his constituency?

[Baroness Vere of Norbiton (Con)]

I am not aware that there was a question there—but if the noble Lord wants to send his sympathies, I am sure they will have been heard.

Bank of England: Interest Rate Policy

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 12th July 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

Much as noble Lords continue to ask me to comment on the conduct of monetary policy by the Bank of England, as I said, the Government do not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy. We continue to support the MPC as it takes action, and we focus on making the tough decisions necessary to tackle inflation.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, does the Minister not realise that this mortgage rate misery comes on top of the huge increase in the cost of energy and the continued increase in food prices and other costs? How do the multi-millionaires who run this Government find out how ordinary people are affected?

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

The noble Lord does not reflect on the action that has been taken by this Government that has supported those who struggle most to meet the rising cost of living, with more than £90 billion of support last year and this year focused on those who need it the most, including the energy price guarantee, direct support with energy bills and cost of living payments worth hundreds of pounds to millions of families across the country.

Gross Domestic Product: Wales and the UK

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Thursday 6th July 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

It is hard to tell from the other side whether there is a success story or not when it comes to Wales. I think that the best success comes when the UK and Welsh Governments work together in the interests of the people of Wales, and the record that we can see is testament to that.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, can I ask a question where I think, for once, the noble Baroness, who is an excellent Minister, might be able to give me a positive answer? The Advocate-General for Scotland has agreed, at my request, to instruct his officials to investigate ultra vires expenditure by the Scottish Government. That is a great step forward. Can the Minister give an assurance that her officials in the Treasury will work co-operatively with the Advocate-General’s officials?

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

I can give the noble Lord that assurance.

Income Tax Threshold

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 4th July 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My noble friend is absolutely right. That is why, when we have looked at what support we can put in place for people, our number one aim is not to make the problem of inflation worse. We were able to do that through announcing the mortgage charter, which will provide important relief to people struggling with higher interest rates while not making the problem worse.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that the noble Lord, Lord Balfe, and others are lucky that they do not live in Scotland, where middle-income taxpayers pay even more tax, which the Scottish Government then use in areas where they have no responsibility—such as a Minister for Independence, serviced by 20 UK civil servants and paid for by our taxes? It is about time the Treasury did something about that. When will the Government do it?

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

I absolutely agree with the noble Lord that the UK income tax system is more competitive than the Scottish system and that we deliver better value for money.

VAT: Building Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 19th April 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My noble friend raises an important point. He is right that the renovation of existing properties can be an energy-efficient way to bring them back on to the market. There are special reduced rates of VAT for the renovation of properties that are converted either from commercial to residential use or from one residential use to another, if they are renovated after a period of two years without use. A temporary zero rate of VAT applies to installations of qualifying energy-saving materials, such as insulation, to address some of the points my noble friend raised.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Swire, has just reminded me that, the last time I intervened with the Minister, I asked her to get Treasury officials to intervene in Scotland to stop the improper expenditure—she said she would not. Will she rethink that in light of recent events?