"My Lords, I pay tribute to my noble friend Lord Younger on his 15 years’ service on the Front Bench. He was an outstanding public servant and is very much missed in your Lordships’ House.
"My Lords, I am truly grateful to everyone who contributed with excellent speeches to this debate today. As the noble Lord, Lord Liddle, said, it has been a non-partisan debate, which means that I look forward to debating again when we get the Milburn report, as the Minister says, in …..." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech
"That this House takes note of the economic implications of the Government’s approach to welfare reforms and the current levels of youth unemployment...." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech
"My Lords, Lord Barnett was an outstanding public servant as a Manchester Member of Parliament and a Treasury Minister under the Callaghan Government, and he was given the task to come up with this formula in 1978 to placate the Scottish nationalists. I had the good fortune to spend some …..." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech
"The Minister has said twice at the Dispatch Box that she will report back with a decision in early 2027. Will that be January or February 2027?..." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech
"My Lords, what assessment have the Government made of VAT registration for high street businesses such as mini-markets, vape shops and the like? I recently bought a phone charger and was surprised not to see a VAT receipt, and that business—there are many businesses like this—had significant turnover, well above …..." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech
"My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Patel, for securing this important debate. When I was a Minister, the noble Lord used to stand up and ask me extremely searching questions—well, they were searching questions to me—to which I did not always know the answer. Come to think of …..." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech
"My Lords, when will the Government respond to the House of Lords Select Committee report on social mobility? That response is overdue. I appreciate that the Minister may not have the answer, but perhaps she could write to me...." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech
"My Lords, accessibility into Macclesfield station is severely curtailed for disabled people. The booking hall has been refurbished, which is most welcome, but it would be helpful if there was a completion date. Can the Minister look into this matter? The travelling public understand that it takes time to do …..." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech
"My Lords, the Minister did not answer my noble friend’s question. How many other councils could be in this position on equal pay?..." Lord Evans of Rainow - View Speech