UK Domestic Visitor Levy

Debate between Lord Harper and Baroness Taylor of Stevenage

Monday 16th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

My understanding is that this system is for English mayors.

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, the Government’s priority today appears to be to reduce the cost of living. If that is the case, why do they feel that introducing new taxes to make holidays in the United Kingdom more expensive for British people is a good idea?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

We would not have such a problem with the cost of living if the previous Government had not driven up cost of living pressures, as evidenced by the action we had to take in this Budget to take an average £150 off household energy bills from April and to freeze rail fares and prescription fees for a year. We understand that potential visitors may have concerns about the effects of a new levy. That is why local leaders will run a formal local consultation before making use of the new power.

Social Cohesion Action Plan

Debate between Lord Harper and Baroness Taylor of Stevenage

Monday 16th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend for his many years of work to create cohesive communities. I will just briefly outline some of the measures that are in schools and universities. As he says, it is very important that we make sure that those who are trying to radicalise the minds of our children and young people face the education that stops that happening and that will encourage our young people to engage in the kind of critical thinking that makes them able to ask the questions themselves.

First, we are co-designing a cohesion charter with students to bring together a set of agreed principles that guide students’ conduct and engagement on issues that underpin or undermine campus cohesion.

Secondly, the Office for Students will further strengthen its monitoring of universities’ efforts to prevent individuals becoming involved in or supporting terrorism. Universities should be alert not only to violent extremism but non-violent extremism, including the certain divisive and intolerant narratives that can reasonably be linked to terrorism.

We want to strengthen the Department for Education’s oversight of compliance issues and take appropriate enforcement action. There will be enforcement powers for the Department for Education, and it is important that people have those powers.

We are working with the Office for Students to bring together clear and concise information on higher education complaints into a single online portal, so that staff and students have quick and easy access to organisations best placed to support them. We are also enhancing the higher education sector-wide capability to meet Prevent duty obligations, while, of course, upholding freedom of speech. It is very important that we do that as well. So, there are a number of steps in the action plan.

On my noble friend’s point about online platforms, we need to increase transparency about how those online platforms operate and comply with the Act. Platforms will be required to publish regular reports, summarised by Ofcom for public understanding, to give the public a clearer picture of platform compliance.

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, may I take the Minister back to—

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I do not think I know the height of the London Eye either—I will be straight up about that. I will look it up after this.

We recognise that a new approach to integration must consider the broader immigration system and what level of immigration is tenable in maintaining a cohesive society and meeting the needs of existing communities. Integration is of course a two-way process. Society must enable participation, while newcomers are expected to engage, learn English, respect our values and contribute.

I agree with the noble Lord, in that the test must have sensible questions. I do not have a date for when that will be reviewed, but I will find out for him after this evening.

As part of this publication, we will set clear expectations for integration, including English language proficiency and participation in work, and we will develop a cross-government integration strategy. Efforts will focus on removing barriers to participation, supporting underrepresented groups and fostering the shared sense of values across the UK that I know, right across the Chamber, we all want to see.

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, I take the Minister back to the question that she was asked by my noble friend Lady Scott in the context of the excellent report Time for Change by the Union of Jewish Students. This unfortunately makes it clear that antisemitism is being normalised across campuses. If university leaders fail to take action, how will they be held accountable? I have looked in the plan that has been published and there is nothing there about holding those university leaders accountable, so what specifically are the Government going to do to make sure that antisemitism is not normalised on our university campuses?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

It is clear that there are some shocking statistics in that report. We must focus on making sure that Jewish students, along with students of all faiths, feel safe in our universities. On the noble Lord’s specific question about sanctions for university leaders, I will have to come back to him. I do not have the information on that in front of me. With all the very concerted work that is set out in the programme in relation to campuses and universities, the Government have a clear intent to make sure that our students can feel safe and be safe on a university campus.

Renters’ Rights Act: Implementation

Debate between Lord Harper and Baroness Taylor of Stevenage

Wednesday 11th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

We are working very closely with the judiciary and the Ministry of Justice. We had lots of discussion about this during the passage of the Bill. We want to ensure that the First-tier Tribunal has the capacity to deal with any increase in cases as a result of the rent increase changes. In the Property Chamber, work is progressing to increase capacity, as well as reviewing resource and working practices in readiness for that increase in demand. To ensure long-term sustainability, we have concluded that there is a case for the use of an alternative body or mechanism to make initial rent determinations, and we are continuing to work with partners across government to develop a rent determination function as quickly as possible. Hopefully, that process will take some of the pressure from the First-tier Tribunal.

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, first of all, before I ask my question to the Minister, I congratulate the Government Chief Whip on continuing, on the excellent daily list, to refer to “His Majesty’s Government”, and on having no truck with the nonsense rebranding of “the UK Government”. Long may it continue.

I ask the Minister in His Majesty’s Government: does she think the changes in the Renters’ Rights Act are going to lead to more houses being available for rent or fewer?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

It will lead to better conditions for renters and will remove some of the barriers that stop people renting, as well as barriers that can prevent renters maintaining a tenancy. We have banned rental bidding, levelling the playing field for renters; landlords will no longer be able to encourage prospective renters to stretch themselves beyond their means; they cannot discriminate against the prospective renter because they are on benefits or have children; and rent increases will be limited to once a year at market rate, with tenants able to challenge unfair rent increases at First-tier Tribunal.

The work we have done with landlords and with tenant bodies—we have worked with both, through the whole passage of the Bill—means that we have a fair system that rewards good landlords and tenants but makes sure that bad landlords are held to account for the bad practices they have had in place.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill

Debate between Lord Harper and Baroness Taylor of Stevenage

Committee stage
Friday 6th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness in Waiting/Government Whip (Baroness Taylor of Stevenage) (Lab)]

My Lords, I beg to move that the House be now resumed.

[Lord Harper (Con)]

My Lords, before the Committee decides on that question, I put two points on the record. First, we are finishing slightly early. I make the point that some of us would have been perfectly happy to continue to six o’clock to make some more progress, so this is the Government’s decision. However, I understand that we had some confusion on the adjourned group. I flag to the Chief Whip that, when we have an adjourned group and we have a list, perhaps the list could be published in some way so that there is clarity before we start proceedings about who was and was not here at the beginning of the debate on the group. That would avoid the problem we had this morning.

The other issue is that, if we had started the group today, because of the lateness of the hour and the necessity for a significant number of Members to leave early because of travel arrangements to get home, a significant number of people who might have wished to contribute to the debate would not have been able to, even if we had adjourned and continued it next week. Given that the Government Chief Whip said that it was okay for Members to leave early because of those travel situations, can he give some thought to whether, if we start a group to make progress and then adjourn, those Members could still be able to participate in the debate on the group when we resume on the following occasion? I recognise that that is a variation in procedure, but it is about trying to work with the unusual circumstances we face to make sure that people can participate, but also making the best use of the time while complying with the House’s ruling that we make more time available to make progress on the Bill.

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I shall refer the noble Lord’s comments to the usual channels.