Growing the UK Economy

Debate between Lord Livermore and Lord Grayling

Monday 3rd February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

Yes, I can, and I am happy to say that I cut my teeth in the Treasury when the noble Lord was Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, and I learnt a lot from him. I very much agree with his view of the Treasury’s role within Whitehall.

[Lord Grayling (Con)]

My Lords, I remind the House of my interests as an adviser to AtkinsRéalis. I was also the Secretary of State who introduced the last Government’s Airports National Policy Statement. The Minister has just said that he expects spades in the ground by the end of this Parliament. We are probably 12 to 18 months away from the new planning legislation so, for now, the Government have to go through an ANPS process. There are then likely to be judicial reviews, albeit curtailed as the Government intend, and then a DCO process. I asked the Transport Minister this afternoon whether he expected to be able to short-cut that process; he said he did not yet know and would not know until he saw detailed proposals from Heathrow in the summer. How can the Minister, and indeed the Chancellor, say they will get spades in the ground by the end of this Parliament? Those who have been through it before know that, unless the process changes, there is no possibility of that happening.

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I was lucky enough to be in the House for the noble Lord’s question to my noble friend the Transport Minister, and I obviously agree with what my noble friend said to him. In terms of timescales, the Government have asked Heathrow to come forward with its proposal by the summer of this year, and we have said that we want to confirm planning consent by 2028. That is obviously an accelerated process, but we are determined to do everything it takes to accelerate it. I am confident that there will be spades in the ground at Heathrow within this Parliament. The third runway is part of a wider programme of expansion of Heathrow, including various terminal expansions, so without question there will be spades in the ground at Heathrow. However, we also want to see spades in the ground for the runway within this Parliament.

Fiscal Rules

Debate between Lord Livermore and Lord Grayling

Tuesday 29th October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am very grateful to the noble Lord for allowing me to talk about the £22 billion black hole in the public finances that was covered up from the British people, from this House and from the OBR, which has confirmed it by establishing its independent review. It was always £22 billion, contrary to what the noble Lord says. If he would like to come up with £22 billion of savings, I would more than like to hear them.

[Lord Grayling (Con)]

My Lords, the Government’s goal in announcing these changes is to increase capital spending. The Minister made reference to putting in place additional process to assess the viability of that capital spending, yet we already have extensive process that can be immensely costly, with organisations such as the Infrastructure and Projects Authority going through public spending and public capital projects with a fine-toothed comb. Exactly how does he think adding additional process to what is already there is going to speed things up, given that the Government are determined to deliver capital projects more quickly?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for highlighting the guard-rails that will be set out tomorrow, when further details will be set out in the Budget.