Lord Sutherland of Houndwood

Crossbench - Life peer

Became Member: 29th June 2001

Left House: 29th January 2018 (Death)


Lord Sutherland of Houndwood is not a member of any APPGs
1 Former APPG membership
Data Analytics
Affordable Childcare
12th Jun 2014 - 11th Feb 2015
Science and Technology: Sub-Committee I
14th Nov 2007 - 13th Sep 2011
Science and Technology Committee (Lords)
3rd Dec 2003 - 8th Apr 2010
Science and Technology: Sub-Committee I
1st Dec 2004 - 7th May 2005


Division Voting information

Lord Sutherland of Houndwood has voted in 282 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
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All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lord Nash (Conservative)
(26 debate interactions)
Earl Howe (Conservative)
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
(15 debate interactions)
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Department Debates
Department for Education
(92 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(23 debate contributions)
Home Office
(13 debate contributions)
Wales Office
(13 debate contributions)
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Legislation Debates
Higher Education and Research Act 2017
(2,639 words contributed)
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Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Sutherland of Houndwood, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Lord Sutherland of Houndwood has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lord Sutherland of Houndwood has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 6 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
30th Jul 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 28 July (WA 247) what specific estimates they have made of the expected "positive impact" of the childcare element of Universal Credit on work incentives for mothers and corresponding employment rates and tax receipts from mothers paying income tax and national insurance.

The announced measures mean from April 2016, families with children who have childcare costs below the defined limits will see an improved financial incentive to work and to work more hours.

Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out many working families will face an improved incentive to work, including 100,000 families who will get childcare support for the first time under Universal Credit. The precise improvement an individual faces will vary according to circumstance.

We have not made a specific estimate of how this feeds through into employment rates and tax receipts.


14th Jul 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what projections they have made of the impact of the childcare element of universal credit on maternal employment rates, and the level of income tax paid by working mothers.

It is well known that childcare costs can be a significant barrier to maternal employment, which is why the Government is investing in childcare in Universal Credit. Universal Credit will cover childcare costs for families where the lone parent or both parents in a couple work any hours, whereas Tax Credits childcare support is only payable past 16 hours worked per week. At Budget '14 the Government announced an increase in the rate of childcare support in Universal Credit from 70% (as per the current system) to 85% of eligible childcare costs, up to defined limits, from April 2016. These measures combined mean that around 500,000 working families will get more out of the money they earn, including 100,000 families who will get childcare support for the first time under Universal Credit.

We would expect the changes in childcare support under Universal Credit to have a positive impact on work incentives for mothers, affecting maternal employment rates and tax receipts from mothers paying Income Tax and National Insurance.

30th Jul 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 28 July (WA 247), in addition to the "qualitative assessment of the economic impacts" of the Childcare Payments Bill provided in the impact assessment, what specific estimates they have made of the impact on tax receipts from mothers paying income tax and national insurance.

Details of the estimated economic effects from the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare can be found in the Childcare Payments Bill Impact Assessment[1]

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/318698/document2014-06-10-104244-1.pdf

14th Jul 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the role of HM Treasury officials in the co-ordination of childcare policy across Government.

The Department for Education leads on childcare policy across government. As in all areas of policy, HM Treasury officials help ensure that policy development is coordinated across departments.

14th Jul 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what projections they have made of the impact of directly subsidising childcare costs as proposed in the Childcare Payments Bill on maternal employment rates, and the level of income tax paid by working mothers.

Details of the estimated economic effects from the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare can be found in the Childcare Payments Bill Impact Assessment.[1]

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/318698/document2014-06-10-104244-1.pdf

14th Jul 2014
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether direct subsidies to parents to assist with childcare costs as proposed in the Childcare Payments Bill are intended to improve child development outcomes, free up parental time to work, or both.

The Childcare Payments Bill will introduce the Government’s new tax free childcare scheme. As part of our long term economic plan, Tax-Free childcare will enable more parents to go out to work, if they want to, to provide greater security for their families.