Brexit: Negotiations

Debate between Lord Lea of Crondall and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Thursday 15th November 2018 Lords Chamber

[Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

My Lords, it is Labour’s turn to speak.

[Lord Lea of Crondall]

The Minister lays great stress on what might be summarised as “There is no alternative”—a phrase that we have heard somewhere before. This slogan is patently inaccurate. I know that the Minister would like it to be the case, but is she not obliged to consider alternatives as they are presented?

Airbus

Debate between Lord Lea of Crondall and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Tuesday 26th June 2018 Lords Chamber

[Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach (Con)]

My Lords, we have reached the end of the programme of Question Time. We now have a Private Notice Question, which I believe the noble Lord, Lord West, wishes to ask.

Brexit: New Partnership

Debate between Lord Lea of Crondall and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Thursday 2nd February 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)]

My Lords, would the Minister acknowledge—

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I am sorry but it is the turn of the Liberal Democrats. If we are taking questions from around the House, it is the Liberal Democrats’ turn.

EU: Free Movement of Labour

Debate between Lord Lea of Crondall and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Tuesday 5th November 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I have not noted that particular report. I am concerned that we are experiencing a pull factor in this country, and that is something that we need to address if we are going to get a proper balance between migrants who are coming here to support the British economy and those who, through other purposes, are seeking to abuse our systems.

[Lord Lea of Crondall (Lab)]

My Lords, will the Minister recommend that all colleagues study reports on the nature of multinational corporations in this context? Is he aware that many executives and other workers in many industries, including the motor car industry, are moving all the time from, say, a job in Frankfurt to a job in Limoges or wherever? We need Ministers’ assistance to improve the public’s perception of this issue as the tabloids are not going to do it.

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I agree with the noble Lord that many of the people coming here are essential to the British economy. That is why the Government facilitate their presence here, to support economic activity in the country. As I say, we welcome the brightest and the best.

Visas

Debate between Lord Lea of Crondall and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Monday 17th June 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I am grateful to the noble Lord. He has a strong focus on this issue. Indeed, the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, is presenting a report, which we will be debating shortly, on the whole question of family visas. We need to make sure that we have a proper balance between safeguarding our own position and our commitments within the wider communities here in the United Kingdom and, at the same time, facilitating visits to this country.

[Lord Lea of Crondall]

My Lords, one of the concrete points made by the Chinese authorities in this article to which reference has been made is that a decreasing proportion of Chinese visitors to Europe—the European Union, broadly—are coming to this country, because they can get a Schengen visa for all of the continent, in effect, and the extra hassle of getting a visa for Britain deters people from adding Britain to the European tour, as it were. Will the Minister carry out a study as to whether our documentation could not be nearer in line with what is done for the Schengen countries without our sovereignty being impugned so that, as a result, a bigger proportion of the Chinese would be able to come to this country?

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I think the noble Lord is very perceptive in anticipating future debates on this subject. This is clearly one of the difficulties that we have in not being party to the Schengen agreement. Given that the House, I am sure, would not welcome our incorporation into the Schengen agreement, we are seeking to discuss with others, including the Schengen countries, ways in which we can maximise the opportunities for visitors to come to this country.

Water: National Grid

Debate between Lord Lea of Crondall and Lord Taylor of Holbeach

Wednesday 28th March 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

My noble friend makes a very good point, indicating that water efficiency is one of the key strategies which it is in all our interests to pursue, particularly at this time when drought threatens a good deal of the country. That and water capture and storage are strategies which individuals and businesses can undertake for themselves.

[Lord Lea of Crondall]

Does the Minister recall that the last time the noble Lord, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, invented a statistic regarding the water directive—in this case, £65 billion—he got his arithmetic wrong, as he subsequently acknowledged, by a factor of 1,000? Does the Minister think that the same is likely to apply on this occasion?

[Lord Taylor of Holbeach]

I cannot possibly comment on the accuracy of the mathematics of the noble Lord, Lord Pearson. He has placed a figure before the House and, of course, is accountable for what he has suggested, but I cannot comment on it.