"My Lords, as is customary, I thank all speakers. The contributions today have been, I think, for the most part, especially powerful, with many rooted in personal experience. We have had almost total unanimity of voice about the devastating impact on independent schools of the education tax. It was notable …..." Lord Lexden - View Speech
"My Lords, in the autumn of 2024, when I was in better health, I introduced two debates on the imposition of VAT on independent school fees, due to come into effect on 1 January 2025. Most speakers in those debates referred to the grave difficulties independent schools and the families …..." Lord Lexden - View Speech
"My Lords, my noble friend Lord Caine and others have referred to the uncomfortable reading in this report. Can the Minister confirm unequivocally that the regime for handling agents is today utterly different from that which obtained when most of the events covered by the report took place?..." Lord Lexden - View Speech
"My Lords, how are the Government getting on with recruiting the 6,500 extra teachers for which their iniquitous, unprecedented education tax is designed to pay? Is it not the case that the total number of teachers is going down, not up?..." Lord Lexden - View Speech
"My Lords, I have one specific question in relation to the proposal in paragraph 6 of the joint framework to replace the existing Commissioner for Investigations with two co-directors for investigations, one of whom must have experience outside Northern Ireland. Is it envisaged that this appointment will go to someone …..." Lord Lexden - View Speech
"My Lords, my noble friend Lord Black is, thankfully, a persistent person. The subject we are discussing today is one that he has brought before your Lordships with some frequency, through debates and Oral Questions. Those who suffer the pain and distress that osteoporosis brings have no more determined parliamentary …..." Lord Lexden - View Speech
"My Lords, have the Government noted a recent detailed survey by the Independent Schools Council which shows that their appalling education tax is producing an exodus from independent schools eight times larger than Ministers predicted? Does it not follow that the Government will have to fund many extra places in …..." Lord Lexden - View Speech
"My Lords, in begging leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, I declare my interest as a former general secretary of the Independent Schools Council and the current president of one of its constituent bodies...." Lord Lexden - View Speech