WhatsApp: Ministerial Communications

Lord Vaux of Harrowden Excerpts

Wednesday 8th March 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con)]

I feel that that is completely impractical. We live in a modern world, where people use WhatsApp, private mail and SMS. What we need to do is have sensible rules and training for Ministers and parliamentarians to teach them what they can do and what is risky. I personally had an excellent briefing on my first day as a Minister at the Cabinet Office. I was given my own devices and was told about the risks of social media in a way that I found encouraged me to conform very closely.

[Lord Vaux of Harrowden (CB)]

My Lords, is it appropriate for a Minister to hand a cache of WhatsApp messages—government messages—to a journalist for personal gain?

[Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con)]

I will not be drawn on the individual case, but I will point to what the Government are doing and also refer the noble Lord, who is a friend, to the Covid inquiry. My understanding is that Mr Hancock has said that he will ensure that all appropriate material is given to the inquiry, and I understand that the Department of Health and Social Care is ensuring just that.

Economy: The Growth Plan 2022

Lord Vaux of Harrowden Excerpts

Monday 10th October 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vaux of Harrowden (CB)]

My Lords, I will concentrate on the energy support package. But I will say first that while I—like everyone, I think—support the focus on growth, I am not at all convinced that the top tax rate of 45% really acts as any drag on growth. I suggest that when the economy is able to support tax cuts, the Government might want to prioritise those anomalies in our tax system that do act as a disincentive. Two jump to mind immediately: the 60% marginal rate that kicks in as personal allowances are withdrawn, and the absurd way that the lifetime cap on pensions works.

As I said, my main concern is the way that the Government intend to support people through the energy price crisis. We all agree, obviously, that something had to be done, and this was something, but the Government are treating the symptom, not the cause, and are dangerously loading the economy and future taxpayers with debt as a result. The world gas price has increased substantially because of Mr Putin’s actions, but the cost of the generation of around 60% of our electricity has actually fallen. Most renewables in recent contracts for difference auctions have been set at below 5p per kilowatt hour—even nuclear comes in at around 10p per kilowatt hour—but electricity pricing is based on the highest marginal unit, which is now gas. That electricity is now being sold to the consumer for up to 34p per kilowatt hour, plus an additional 17.8p per kilowatt hour paid by the Government. That is a total of 52p per kilowatt hour, 10 times the typical cost of generating much of our electricity—a 900% markup. So clearly somewhere in this chain an outrageous profit is being made, now subsidised and guaranteed by the Government.

The same is true for gas. The cost of production has not changed, yet the gas companies are exploiting the situation and making profits, to the point where even they are embarrassed. British Gas is already giving 10% back, while Shell says, “Give us a windfall tax.” Mr Putin must be delighted.

We cannot do much about the gas that we import but we produce about 50% of our own gas. I asked the Minister at Oral Questions in September whether it is right that the taxpayer should subsidise these excessive profits. He was kind enough to say that I had a powerful point but did not give an answer. Perhaps he might answer it today. How much of the £60 billion or whatever cost of the support scheme is actually supporting these excessive profits?

Where I part with Labour is that instinctively I do not like windfall taxes. They introduce unwelcome uncertainty into the tax system. It is much better to address the underlying market failure. In the long term, that means addressing how electricity prices and so on are calculated, but in the short term we should cap the level of profits being made and stop those companies exploiting the crisis that Mr Putin has caused. I read over the weekend that the Government may actually now be considering that. Perhaps the Minister might like to comment on that.

I realise that the situation is more complicated, with contracts for difference and forward sales, and we really do not have time today to go into all that, so would the Minister be willing to arrange a meeting for interested Peers in which the electricity market could be explained in more detail, including whether and where excess profits are actually being made?

The Minister has previously told us that a review of the electricity market is under way and will report in mid-2023. That is way too late; we must act now to prevent companies exploiting the situation to make excessive profits at the cost of both the consumer and the taxpayer. The later we leave it, the more we weaken our economy in the long term and the more difficult we make it to fix. The debt levels will pile up.

There are good reasons to borrow. Subsidising excess profits is not one of them.

Restoration and Renewal: Location of House of Lords Chamber

Lord Vaux of Harrowden Excerpts

Monday 16th May 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord True (Con)]

No—I take it as the highest duty that I have to come before your Lordships and answer questions and explain things. I repeat: decisions on how to proceed in this are a matter for Parliament, and the Government do not wish to prejudge Parliament’s decisions on it. However, following what was said by the noble Baroness, whom I greatly respect, I say that it makes sense for government and Parliament to work together to support the decisions of Parliament on this matter and, yes, secure outcomes that deliver for the public and taxpayers.

[Lord Vaux of Harrowden (CB)]

My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that the restoration of Parliament and making this iconic building safe will succeed only with real collaboration between the Lords, the Commons and the Government? Could he please answer the question that the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, asked earlier—namely, which Members of this House were contacted or consulted in advance of the letter sent on Friday?

[Lord True (Con)]

My Lords, I cannot answer that specific point. No doubt the Secretary of State could explain. The noble Lord takes the very point that I made in my previous answer—that it makes sense for government and both Houses of Parliament to work together, as he said, to create and support decisions on this matter.

Economy: Update

Lord Vaux of Harrowden Excerpts

Tuesday 28th April 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Vaux of Harrowden (CB)]

My Lords, while they are obviously very welcome, the bounce-back loans and other measures can be only a short-term fix. Many businesses that are currently allowed to operate are not doing so at the moment and others—garden centres, for example—could operate safely. Does the Minister agree that it would be better if businesses which could operate safely did so to minimise the damage to the economy? What help, financial and practical, can the Government offer to businesses which adapt their operations to enable a safe return to work as soon as possible?

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

I am afraid the noble Lord rather broke up on me. Madam Deputy Speaker, did you hear the question?

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Vaux of Harrowden]

Certainly. Many businesses that are currently allowed to operate are not doing so while others that could operate safely are not currently allowed to do so. Does the Minister agree that it would be better if businesses that can operate safely do so? What help can the Government offer to businesses to alter their operations to enable a safe return to work as soon as they do so?

[Lord Agnew of Oulton]

I share the noble Lord’s concerns about businesses that could be operating. I think we are seeing a gradual return to work. Businesses have now worked out how to manage the requirements of social distancing. Putting the health of the nation first is the Prime Minister’s priority, but if we look at the existing rules, a business can ask its employees to come in if they are not able to work at home effectively, if the employee is fit and well and is not living with someone who is self-isolating for fear of infection or who is on the official medically vulnerable list and if they are able to avoid crowded public transport, which may mean more flexible working hours. The key point the noble Lord makes is that businesses can adapt to provide reasonable social distancing measures in the workplace. That is already in the rules; I expect to see further clarification.