My Lords, I will speak briefly to Motion C because that deals with Amendment 35B, which I moved in the last round of ping-pong. I am delighted with the amendments that the Government have brought forward. I felt, during the process of Committee and Report, that I was banging my...

My Lords, I will speak briefly to Motion C because that deals with Amendment 35B, which I moved in the last round of ping-pong. I am delighted with the amendments that the Government have brought forward. I felt, during the process of Committee and Report, that I was banging my...

My Lords, I tabled Motion G1 in this group. The Bill will consolidate today’s pensions market into a small number of large firms. It may

well bring benefits, but it also carries the risk that the market will ossify around those large firms. Healthy markets need to be open to...

My Lords, I tabled Motion G1 in this group. The Bill will consolidate today’s pensions market into a small number of large firms. It may

well bring benefits, but it also carries the risk that the market will ossify around those large firms. Healthy markets need to be open to...

Moved by

Baroness Noakes

Moved by

Baroness Noakes

I beg to move and wish to test the opinion of the House.

I beg to move and wish to test the opinion of the House.

My Lords, I have added my name to the amendment of my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe, and I congratulate her on pursuing this important topic. I will make just three brief points in support of the review that my noble friend’s amendment calls for.

First, we need greater transparency about the...

My Lords, I have added my name to the amendment of my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe, and I congratulate her on pursuing this important topic. I will make just three brief points in support of the review that my noble friend’s amendment calls for.

First, we need greater transparency about the...

Moved by

Baroness Noakes

54: Clause 3, page 1, line 20, at end insert—

“(2A) After section 1(2), insert—

“(2A) If the person is a public authority, the amount of the employment allowance in subsection (1)(2)(a) is £20,000.

(2B) A public authority means any person whose activities involve, wholly or mainly, the performance of functions...

Moved by

Baroness Noakes

54: Clause 3, page 1, line 20, at end insert—

“(2A) After section 1(2), insert—

“(2A) If the person is a public authority, the amount of the employment allowance in subsection (1)(2)(a) is £20,000.

(2B) A public authority means any person whose activities involve, wholly or mainly, the performance of functions...

My Lords, I will also speak to Amendments 55 and 56. I thank my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe for adding her name to these amendments.

They deal with two aspects of the employment allowance: public authorities and the employment of people with personal or household care. We heard earlier in Committee...

My Lords, I will also speak to Amendments 55 and 56. I thank my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe for adding her name to these amendments.

They deal with two aspects of the employment allowance: public authorities and the employment of people with personal or household care. We heard earlier in Committee...

I am not going to thank the Minister for that reply because he has given us no more information and no justification for why employers who employ people for domestic or household care should not get the employment allowance. He has given no explanation as to why private sector public...

I am not going to thank the Minister for that reply because he has given us no more information and no justification for why employers who employ people for domestic or household care should not get the employment allowance. He has given no explanation as to why private sector public...

My Lords, I join other noble Lords in congratulating my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe on securing this debate and for her masterly introduction. Public sector productivity, or the lack of it, is holding back the UK’s overall productivity growth and thereby putting a damper on our economic growth. In the...

My Lords, I join other noble Lords in congratulating my noble friend Lady Neville-Rolfe on securing this debate and for her masterly introduction. Public sector productivity, or the lack of it, is holding back the UK’s overall productivity growth and thereby putting a damper on our economic growth. In the...

My Lords, I will start by being positive about the Budget and talk about the things that I like. First, tax cuts are good, so I support the reductions in national insurance contributions. This will increase incentives to work.

Secondly, the longer-term ambition to eliminate employee national insurance contributions is excellent...

My Lords, I will start by being positive about the Budget and talk about the things that I like. First, tax cuts are good, so I support the reductions in national insurance contributions. This will increase incentives to work.

Secondly, the longer-term ambition to eliminate employee national insurance contributions is excellent...

My Lords, I have much sympathy with Motion 1A in this group, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, because I believe that treating the NHS as a special case in any area of public policy has the effect of insulating the NHS, which is a seriously underperforming organisation that...

My Lords, I have much sympathy with Motion 1A in this group, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Brinton, because I believe that treating the NHS as a special case in any area of public policy has the effect of insulating the NHS, which is a seriously underperforming organisation that...

My Lords, it seems to me that the noble Lords, Lord Fox and Lord Hendy, are finding yet another way to try to deprive the Bill of any effect. In their own ways, they are trying to make it entirely voluntary to take part in the provision of minimum service...

My Lords, it seems to me that the noble Lords, Lord Fox and Lord Hendy, are finding yet another way to try to deprive the Bill of any effect. In their own ways, they are trying to make it entirely voluntary to take part in the provision of minimum service...

The purpose of the Bill is not to remove protection for unfair dismissal; the purpose of the Bill is to ensure that minimum service levels can be guaranteed for those who rely on the services, and we are trying to find practical ways through that. I was inviting noble Lords...

The purpose of the Bill is not to remove protection for unfair dismissal; the purpose of the Bill is to ensure that minimum service levels can be guaranteed for those who rely on the services, and we are trying to find practical ways through that. I was inviting noble Lords...

Does the noble Baroness agree that “reasonable steps” is a formulation used in a number of legislative formats? It has not been defined further on those occasions when it has been used in order to provide the flexibility to allow for the situation to be judged on its individual circumstances...

Does the noble Baroness agree that “reasonable steps” is a formulation used in a number of legislative formats? It has not been defined further on those occasions when it has been used in order to provide the flexibility to allow for the situation to be judged on its individual circumstances...

My Lords, I support the single digital platform which is now covered by government Amendment 129 in this group, but I have one caveat. The benefits of the platform, in terms of efficiency—having all the procurement details in one place—will be undermined if contracting authorities are required also to publish...

My Lords, I support the single digital platform which is now covered by government Amendment 129 in this group, but I have one caveat. The benefits of the platform, in terms of efficiency—having all the procurement details in one place—will be undermined if contracting authorities are required also to publish...

Moved by

Baroness Noakes

190: Clause 114, page 74, line 30, leave out “paid, or to be paid” and insert “payable or paid, receivable or received, or to be paid or received”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would ensure that references to amounts received, receivable or to be received in the Bill include references...

Moved by

Baroness Noakes

190: Clause 114, page 74, line 30, leave out “paid, or to be paid” and insert “payable or paid, receivable or received, or to be paid or received”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would ensure that references to amounts received, receivable or to be received in the Bill include references...

My Lords, I have Amendments 4 and 190 in this group. Some questions have been raised by the Benches opposite about whether I was here for the commencement of the debate. I assure the House that I heard every word of the Minister’s opening remarks from my place and I...

My Lords, I have Amendments 4 and 190 in this group. Some questions have been raised by the Benches opposite about whether I was here for the commencement of the debate. I assure the House that I heard every word of the Minister’s opening remarks from my place and I...

Moved by

Baroness Noakes

9: Schedule 2, page 80, line 9, at end insert—

“(3) Sub-paragraph (2) does not apply to contracts of a kind described in paragraph 2 (vertical arrangements) or paragraph 3 (horizontal arrangements).”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment disapplies the reasonableness test in sub-paragraph 2 to vertical and horizontal contracts so as...

Moved by

Baroness Noakes

9: Schedule 2, page 80, line 9, at end insert—

“(3) Sub-paragraph (2) does not apply to contracts of a kind described in paragraph 2 (vertical arrangements) or paragraph 3 (horizontal arrangements).”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment disapplies the reasonableness test in sub-paragraph 2 to vertical and horizontal contracts so as...

My Lords, Amendment 9 amends Schedule 2 in relation to exempted contracts. Specifically, it seeks to modify how vertical contracts and horizontal arrangements are allowed to qualify as exempt contracts. I thank my noble friend Lord Moylan for adding his name to the amendment. I should explain that this amendment...

My Lords, Amendment 9 amends Schedule 2 in relation to exempted contracts. Specifically, it seeks to modify how vertical contracts and horizontal arrangements are allowed to qualify as exempt contracts. I thank my noble friend Lord Moylan for adding his name to the amendment. I should explain that this amendment...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this short debate and those noble Lords who supported this amendment. I was delighted to hear what the Minister had to say, which was in the spirit of the quest for a good procurement system for this country...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this short debate and those noble Lords who supported this amendment. I was delighted to hear what the Minister had to say, which was in the spirit of the quest for a good procurement system for this country...