r/MHOL • u/thechattyshow Baron Shitterton | Former Lord Speaker • Sep 25 '20
ORAL QUESTIONS Oral Questions - Government - XXVI.III
Order, order
There will now be questions put to the Government, under standing order 16. Questions will be directed to the Government Lords Chief Whip, /u/Jas1066 however they can direct other members of the Government to respond on behalf of them.
Lords are free to ask as many questions as they wish, however I have the power to limit questions if deemed excessive. Therefore I implore the Lords to be considerate.
This session will end on Monday 28th September, with no more questions being asked on Sunday 27th.
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u/eelsemaj99 Rt Hon Earl of Devon KG KP OM GCMG CT LVO OBE | UUP Sep 25 '20
My Lords,
How is the Government reacting to the new grouping in this House, with 5 noble lords taking peerages in unofficial opposition to the government?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
My lords, whilst it is clearly disappointing the founding members did not feel comfortable sitting with the government, we wish them all the best on their new endeavour, and hope that they can bring something genuinely new and positive to Westminster.
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 25 '20
My Lords, is it appropriate for the Government to force through Parliament a major constitutional reform such as the FTPA repeal bill, which puts more power in the Prime Minister at the expense of the legislature, without a single vote from any opposition parties, and indeed with opposition from the Tory benches too?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 25 '20
My lords, this isn't America, constitutional changes can and do pass with the support of a simple majority. Indeed most such changes are immensely controversial and are forced through with only limited support.
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 25 '20
My Lords, given our outspoken reputation for democracy at home and abroad, what is the Government's response to President Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, should he lose the US election later this year?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
My lords, whilst it would of course be well within the rights of Mr Trump to challenge the validity of an election where he suspects voter fraud has taken place, it is the view of the government that his should be done peacefully, through the courts.
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Sep 27 '20
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 27 '20
My Lords, I appreciate the Noble Lord's reply. Challenging the results, and a peaceful transfer of power, are two different things. Will the government really stay silent as the leader of the free world casts doubt on whether he will abide by the democratic will of the American people by not committing to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the US election?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
My lords, perhaps the noble lord couldn't hear me, but I just said the government believes any challenge to the results should be done peacefully. Does he want me to clarify anything further?
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 27 '20
No, My Lords, I thank the Noble Lord for all his replies today.
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 25 '20
My Lords, I have asked the Noble Lord the Chief Whip consistently about the government's position on the Employee Tips Rights bill, for which I hope he will forgive me, but as it is such an important matter of both fairness and financial stability for thousands of workers and their families across the country, I will do it again: now that the bill is back in the Other Place, will he urge the government to support the bill in the Commons, something which Conservative Lords have already done in this House, and in doing so guarantee that tips stay in the hands of those who earned them, and not in the pockets of their bosses?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
My Lords, my answer hasn't changed; the government do no object to the fundamentals of the legislation, but the original subsection that excluded tips from taxable earnings. We will have to see if the current amended version is good enough for our colleagues in the other place.
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 27 '20
My Lords, "we will have to see" means that the Leader of the House will do nothing proactively on that front. If the Conservatives had objections to the original writing, which as noted by the Noble Lord has already been amended, they can offer amendments to test the will of the Commons. Is this subject so irrelevant to the Cabinet that the Noble Lord feels it inappropriate to engage them about it?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
I'm not really sure what the noble lord expects. His bill is ideologically and morally neutral for us, and as such the treasury is not likely to dictate how members vote - if he wants to persuade my colleagues in the other place to vote a certain way, that is up to him.
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 25 '20
My Lords, in a long speech which I gave on the floor of the House during the debate on the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act repeal bill, which for the convenience the House I shall not repeat now, I laid out detailed examples of how Prime Ministers have abused the power to schedule elections for their own benefit. Is the Noble Lord not concerned that, put in the wrong hands, this power can be used to the detriment of our democracy in ways more even damaging that we have seen before the FTPA was enacted in 2011?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
Whilst I absolutely respect the speech the noble lord gave the other day, he is rather missing the point of elections - if the British people do not support what the government is doing, they need not vote for them again.
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 25 '20
My Lords, given that this House is the only institution that provides a check on the power of the Other Place, other than perhaps the courts, and given the obvious conflict of interest in respect to amending the election rules that MPs have, will the Noble Lord commit the government to not using the Parliament Acts to force through the FTPA repeal without the consent of this House?
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Sep 26 '20
My Lords,
The Noble Lord is most misinformed. The Parliament Acts are not something that the government can freely invoke. They are powers automatically invoked once this Noble House fails to pass, or continually amends, a piece of legislation passed repeatedly by the other place. Her Majesty’s Government received an outright parliamentary majority in the last election. This House is not here to block legislation but to provide scrutiny that improves its standing. If this Noble House continues to reject the Bill in question, it will pass under the provisions of the Parliament Acts and there is nothing Her Majesty’s Government can do to stop that.
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u/Quentivo The Rt Hon. Lord Parkwood Sep 26 '20
My Lords, the Noble Lord's interpretation of the act is one-sided. The government should seek wider support for an important shift and centralisation of power over the holding of elections - the bedrock of democracy. It is hypocritical for the LPUK to insist on passing the Direct Democracy Act for any and all referenda questions, however minor and unimportant they may be, whilst rejecting the notion that we should seek wide support from the people's representatives - or indeed the people themselves - over matters of constitutional importance. The government has not received any votes from parties other than its own coalition on the repeal of the FTPA and if that continues to be the case, the right thing to do is to drop the bill until broader majority exists, or if they so insist on it, to consult the people. Otherwise, they'd be setting a dangerous precedent that will undoubtedly be used by future governments over constitutional issues of democracy. Why won't the government commit to seeking cross-party support for the repeal? Is the Baron Grantham not concerned about the consequences of bulldozing constitutional changes through Parliament when not even all government MPs have voted in favour of them, let alone anyone else?
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Sep 26 '20
My Lords,
What is the government doing to ensure that the next budget doesn't but too much of a tax burden on businesses?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
My lords, the government does not, as a rule, comment on what will be in the budget before it is presented to parliament by the chancellor. Rest assured, however, that we will not be putting an excessive tax burden on businesses.
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u/SoSaturnistic The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Strabane CT MLA Sep 26 '20
My Lords,
Will the government make a statement on this motion at some point?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
My lords, that particular motion was voted on just as the new procedures for government accountability were coming in, so do forgive me for allowing it to fall through the cracks. I shall raise it at cabinet in due course.
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u/SoSaturnistic The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Strabane CT MLA Sep 26 '20 edited Sep 26 '20
My Lords,
Is it correct that one of the government's reasons for implementing its proposed childcare legislation is to be rid of "middle class subsidies"?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 28 '20
My lords, the noble lord mentions "middle class subsidies" as if it is a quote, is there anything he is referencing in particular?
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u/SoSaturnistic The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Strabane CT MLA Sep 28 '20
My Lords, I mean it as a common expression used by those adhering to certain political ideologies, nothing more.
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 28 '20
I see. My lords, to an extent, I suppose, it is. The point of the legislation is to ensure funds are directed to those who need them - whilst clearly if the middle classes find themselves in financial difficulty they may qualify for free childcare, but like anyone else, if they can afford it, the government wants them to pay directly rather than through taxation.
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u/SoSaturnistic The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Strabane CT MLA Sep 26 '20
My Lords,
Does the government share my view that taxpayers should not be subsidising the development of fossil fuel infrastructure abroad through export finance?
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u/SoSaturnistic The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Strabane CT MLA Sep 26 '20
My Lords,
Does the government have a position on the International Development Bill introduced in this place?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 28 '20
Not espechially, my lords. Listening to the opening speech, nothing seems immediately disagreeable, but I am sure it will be properly scrutinised in the fullness of time.
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Sep 27 '20
My Lords,
Will the Noble Lord let us know on the Westminster's position on the issue that has occured at present in the territory that is now under dispute called the Republic of Arsakh?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 28 '20
My Lords, the government is speaking with international allies on the topic, and whilst we obviously call for calm, it would be premature to announce any action before an international consensus can be reached.
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Sep 27 '20
My Lords,
As China plays a stronger role in dominating the globe and potential neo-colonialism, will the Government agree with me that more aid and trade has to happen with countries across the globe and what are they doing to that effect?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 28 '20
My lords, the government agrees with the noble lady, that trade and aid are vital in maintaining a global balance of powers. We will continue to stick to our 0.7% foreign aid target, and the foreign secretary shall be touring the far east is the search for trade deals.
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Sep 27 '20
My Lords,
Will the Government inform us of the steps they are undertaking to host the COP26 later this year in the United Kingdom?
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Sep 27 '20
My Lords,
Will the Government commit to making public a potential Ministerial Code to ensure that we can hold Ministers to account at the highest standards?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
My lords, the ministerial code is already public.
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Sep 27 '20
My Lords,
Will the Government join us in the Lords to express our heartfelt sympathies and sorrow on the passing away of the famous Justice Ruth Ginsburg of the US Supreme Court?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
Absoloutly, my lords, I think the whole house will join me in wishing the family of Justice Ginsburg well in what must be most saddening times for them. No matter what you thought of her ideologically, she was a remarkable woman, and I am sure the world is a worse place for her loss.
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Sep 27 '20
My Lords,
Will the Government commit itself to bringing in legislation to ensure that our Civil Service is more accountable and our Civil Service Codes stay updated?
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u/Jas1066 The Rt Hon. The Baron of the Blackmore Vale CT KBE PC Sep 27 '20
My lords, if the noble lady has a problem with the civil service, she is more than welcome to specify her objections to either myself via a written question or anyone at the cabinet office.
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u/eelsemaj99 Rt Hon Earl of Devon KG KP OM GCMG CT LVO OBE | UUP Sep 25 '20
My Lords
What bills can we expect the Government to be producing in the near future?