Agriculture: Foreign Workers

Debate between Lord Roberts of Llandudno and Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Wednesday 28th June 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, I know that the noble Baroness has raised this during the Queen’s Speech debate—I read an excerpt from Hansard. The agency does a good job in monitoring living standards and certainly ensures that workers receive at least the national living wage. It is not alone in this sector: there is the Association of Labour Providers and the Fresh Produce Consortium. All are working hard to ensure that the standards we would all wish for people who come to this country to work are the best that they can be. I cannot promise to accede to the points that she has made, but it is certainly important that these organisations are working hard to ensure that there is well-being among people who come here—and many people come back. One thing I have noticed at many of the fruit farms is families and people coming back to this country. We sometimes beat ourselves, but this country is seen as a good place to work in.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD)]

The Minister is of course aware that asylum seekers who come to the UK are not allowed to work for the first 12 months. If that was overturned and perhaps reduced to six months, would it not help the labour force considerably?

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, again I cannot promise, but I will certainly put that point to colleagues. The employment situation in this sector is seasonal. Part of the issue, and the point of this Question, is that we have seasonal demand for people to come and help us with our soft fruit and vegetables, and their processing. I am grateful to the noble Lord, but I do not think that I can comment any further.

Tourism

Debate between Lord Roberts of Llandudno and Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Tuesday 13th May 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, the noble Baroness makes a strong point. I know that as part of the China Ready programme, for instance, many of the major visitor centres now have their guides in Cantonese and Mandarin. I encourage the British Museum, a great institution which has the largest number of visitors in this country—many millions—and all museums to look at language opportunities.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD)]

My Lords, the Minister will be as aware as I am of the decline in traditional industries in Wales. The result has been an increase in the importance of the tourist trade, which today employs about 112,000 people directly and 56,000 others indirectly. Does the Minister not agree that this is an opportunity to encourage that growth? Nothing would do more to help that than a reduction in VAT on visitor and tourist facilities and hospitality from, say, 20% to 7%.

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, I have already referred to the robust figures for Wales in terms of employment. There is a great industrial heritage there and many visitors. However, on VAT relief, one should remember that the United Kingdom provides cultural attractions which have significant VAT relief, including national museums and galleries, and that other countries impose tourist taxes which we do not.

Elections: 16 and 17 Year-olds

Debate between Lord Roberts of Llandudno and Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Thursday 17th October 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble (Con)]

My Lords, it was for the Scottish Parliament to decide on the franchise for the referendum on Scottish independence. That decision does not affect the voting age for parliamentary and local government elections in the United Kingdom. That remains the responsibility of the UK Parliament. Reflecting the different views in society at large, there is no consensus within the Government on this issue, and there are no plans to lower the voting age in this Parliament.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno]

I regret that Answer; I had hoped for a more positive one. The Minister must be as concerned as I am that at the most recent general election only one-quarter of those eligible to vote between the ages of 18 and 24 did so. People have lost their confidence in politicians and in politics. People are disengaged in so many ways. Does the Minister not agree on the importance of young people having a good citizenship course, possibly in every school in the United Kingdom? At the end of such a citizenship course, they should be able to register at the age of 16 to become voters and be put on the electoral register.

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, I entirely agree with my noble friend that democratic engagement is essential. That is why the Government are investing in the engagement programme to ensure that the levels of electoral registration and engagement in the democratic process improve. My noble friend has raised the particular issue of young people aged 16 to 24, but that also includes residents of social housing and all sorts of other initiatives such as Operation Black Vote and Bite the Ballot. This issue is very important and the Government are investing in that programme.

War Memorials

Debate between Lord Roberts of Llandudno and Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Thursday 18th July 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

The noble Lord has out-trumped me, because I was intending to acknowledge what the noble Lord, Lord Browne of Ladyton, did with the Armed Forces Act 2006. It was very important for the families involved, and very important for the nation as well.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno]

My Lords, does the Minister not think that the rest of the United Kingdom, as well as England, should be involved in the very proper inclusion of these names? Should not the whole discussion include the churches in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, all the commemorations will involve not only all parts of the United Kingdom but all parts of the Commonwealth. They will also very much involve partnerships with all the countries that were allies and on the other side. The noble Lord mentioned local communities. We have war memorials across our land. They are the responsibility and the pride of their local communities. It is there that we should be directing and encouraging, through the Heritage Lottery Fund and the War Memorials Trust, this important work across the United Kingdom.

Devolved Administrations: Industrial Strategy

Debate between Lord Roberts of Llandudno and Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Wednesday 17th October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, I reassure the noble Lord that all matters, whether reserved or devolved, are regularly discussed with the devolved Administrations. As I said before, the whole purpose of what the UK Government and the devolved Administrations are doing is to work in the national interest to achieve greater economic growth.

[Lord Roberts of Llandudno]

My Lords, what discussions have already taken place with the Welsh Assembly Government to ensure that businesses in Wales have access to loans and the small-business grants that have been announced recently, and that in any promotion of this UK investment project, assistance is available to Welsh industry?

[Lord Gardiner of Kimble]

My Lords, across the United Kingdom, and in Wales of course, there is encouragement for that. In Deeside Enterprise Zone, for instance, the Government have agreed enhanced capital allowances, which will deliver up to 5,000 new jobs. Indeed, the Government are working very closely with the Welsh Government and have provided them with almost £57 million to help to bring broadband to everyone, and superfast speeds to 90% of Welsh homes and businesses. This is all very good news for Wales.