32 Lord Reid of Cardowan debates involving the Cabinet Office

Inflation

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Monday 1st July 2019

(4 years, 10 months ago)

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Lord Turnbull Portrait Lord Turnbull
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The basis on which that was done was that the statistics authority said it was flawed; that, I thought, was sufficient. Anyway, it said it would go on publishing the RPI and no longer designate it as a “national statistic” but rather, treat it as a legacy measure, with no further work to develop it. The chief statistician said there were many flaws with the RPI. For example, if it is used in the Carli index, which is a very simple test, if something goes up by 25% and then down by 25%, it does not end up where it started—the so-called time reversibility test. It said that it was not worth changing the treatment of clothing if it was not going to look at all the other issues.

This policy of spartan neglect proved controversial, provoking the inquiry by the EAC. Our conclusion was that RPI was deeply embedded in many aspects of economic life—on this we agreed with the noble Lord, Lord Lea—and it was wrong of the statistics authority and the ONS to just walk away from it. Indeed, it was argued that the statistics authority had a statutory duty—

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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Will the noble Lord explain something to me? I do not understand his contention that one of the main reasons why RPI is discredited is that if something goes up by 25% and then comes down by 25%, it does not end up where it started. If any figure goes up by 25% and is then reduced by 25%, it does not end up where it started.

Lord Turnbull Portrait Lord Turnbull
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I think the noble Lord should go away and write this down on a piece of paper—I think he will find that it does not end up where it started.

National Security Council Leak

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Thursday 2nd May 2019

(5 years ago)

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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Lord Young of Cookham
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I can also say that I know Gavin Williamson well, having served in Parliament with him for five years and having been Chief Whip in that time. This is a difficult time for Gavin Williamson, his wife and his children, and I hope the media will give them the time and space they need to come to terms with what has happened. On the further steps my noble friend suggested, as I say, the Cabinet Secretary has judged it not necessary to refer the matter to the police, and the Cabinet Secretary will of course read the comments of my noble friend.

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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My Lords, how is this matter to be definitively resolved? The Government say the former Defence Secretary is guilty as charged. He is the third Defence Secretary to retire under a cloud, and he completely denies that he is guilty as charged. This is not just a question of the National Security Council; the Secretary of State for Defence is in receipt and a custodian of the most sensitive and secretive areas of British foreign policy and defence, even outside the National Security Council, so it has to be resolved one way or another. I do not know whether there is any guilt attached to the former Defence Secretary, but it is in the interests of this country to clarify this by a deeper investigation. If that means a criminal investigation, so be it.

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Lord Young of Cookham
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The noble Lord uses phrases such as “guilty as charged”. The Secretary of State for Defence was dismissed because he was in breach of the Ministerial Code, which says:

“Ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister. She is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards”.


That is why the Secretary of State for Defence lost his job.

Duchy of Cornwall Bill [HL]

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
2nd reading (Hansard): House of Lords
Friday 26th October 2018

(5 years, 6 months ago)

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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Lord Young of Cookham
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I have the figures for only the past three years in my brief. I think that the noble Lord’s queries went further back than that, so I will write to him. I would just say that the Labour Party voted for the Sovereign Grant Act.

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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I want to make one comment prior to the Minister’s response to my noble friend. There may be good reasons—I can see them in principle and in practice—for insisting on more transparency surrounding the costs at Buckingham Palace, for instance, but the expectation that it will hold costs stable or reduce them is not one of them. Witness the increase in the cost of refurbishing this Parliament and the cost of the Scottish Parliament building, which was overseen by not one but two Parliaments. The cost rose from the estimate of £40 million to more than £400 million. There may be good reasons for the transparencies regarding Buckingham Palace, but the expectation that oversight by this or any other committee will reduce the price is not one of them.

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Lord Young of Cookham
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The noble Lord said that he wanted to make a comment rather than ask a question and he did exactly that.

I conclude by expressing reservations about the Bill. The Duchy of Cornwall plays an important role in providing funds to support the public and private lives of six members of the Royal Family. The Government are keen to ensure that the Duchy can continue to perform that function. Noble Lords have made informed contributions to the debate and given pause for thought. However, the Government believe that now is not the time to attempt this reform. I repeat the valid point made by my noble friend Lord Wakeham: if we make progress, it should be on a consensual basis. Considering other pressures on the legislative timetable, the Government have reservations about the prospects for the Bill in future.

Elections: Personation

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Tuesday 4th September 2018

(5 years, 8 months ago)

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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Lord Young of Cookham
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I remember that election well: my majority was 808. My noble friend raises the important issue of students. There were many allegations that some students at the last election voted twice. This issue was raised by Ministers with the appropriate body within the National Police Council, which is pursuing it. There is, I think, a small number of issues outstanding. In many cases, where a student voted twice, on one occasion it would have been as a proxy for another student.

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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My Lords, is this not one of the many challenges, with associated costs, that would be very simply addressed by ID cards? That is the solution. Why did the coalition Government allow themselves to be led by the nose by the Liberal Democrats and abolish the ID cards that had already been introduced?

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Lord Young of Cookham
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I think that the commitment to abolish ID cards was in my party’s manifesto in 2010, as well as in that of the Liberal Democrats. The House will know that the Government are not minded to introduce ID cards. We are making good progress in reducing electoral ballot fraud through voter ID and I think that that is a more proportionate solution than the one proposed by the noble Lord.

House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) (Abolition of By-Elections) Bill [HL]

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Friday 23rd March 2018

(6 years, 1 month ago)

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Viscount Trenchard Portrait Viscount Trenchard
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My noble friend has already interrupted me once. I would like to continue.

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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I am very grateful. If I could be generous in my advice, I would invite my noble colleague to remember the old Denis Healey phrase, “When in a hole, stop digging”, because the longer he goes on, the more the tenor of this House is going to move forward from a small but reasonable amendment to some radical thoughts across these Benches. I know he would not want to contribute to that, so will he answer the question that has just been asked of him: how do his comments relate to the amendment that he has just read out? We now know he can read. Can he just explain to us how what he is saying relates to that amendment?

Viscount Trenchard Portrait Viscount Trenchard
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As the noble Lord, Lord Grocott, pointed out, the amendments have the effect of damaging the Bill, ensuring that it would not be effective. As I have sympathy with that purpose, I think that my remarks are very closely related to the amendments tabled.

--- Later in debate ---
I support Amendment 59 and counsel your Lordships against aligning themselves with a Bill that would produce an all-appointed House without the consent of the people.
Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan
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I have listened very carefully to the noble Lord, Lord True. His speech was probably the most substantial criticism so far of the Bill—which I support. Does he notice the apparent contradiction at the centre of his arguments? Up until now, the main argument against the Bill is the independence and independent authority of the hereditaries. In his closing remarks, the noble Lord made the opposite argument: the reduction in hereditaries was important because it affected the party-political balance, as the hereditaries had an overwhelming party-political role in the numbers of the Conservative Party. Does he see the apparent conflict in those two arguments?

Lord True Portrait Lord True
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My Lords, I do not see any distinction at all, though I am always grateful for a compliment from the noble Lord, whom I esteem highly. I do not particularly follow the argument about independence. It is true that hereditary Peers come here by a different route, but I have never made that argument. As was said in a challenge to the noble Viscount, it is an objective fact. They come here through election by a political college and they take a political place. I therefore have some doubt about the argument. There are nuances in all these things.

Immigration Statistics

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Monday 12th March 2018

(6 years, 2 months ago)

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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Lord Young of Cookham
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It is not the case that the Government’s policy has deterred international students from coming to this country. According to the latest figures, study-related visas were up by 8% in 2017 to more than 220,000. The Government have made it absolutely clear that there is no cap on the number of genuine international students coming to this country—they are welcome. We are the second most popular destination after the United States for such students and roughly 40% of our overseas students now come from China, in a competitive market.

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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Does the Minister recognise that for more than 25 years immigration statistics have been neither authoritative nor accurate either in their generality or in their specifics? When will the Government finally recognise that only an accurate system of counting people in and out will give us such authoritative and accurate statistics, and the only way to do that is through biometric ID cards and visas?

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Lord Young of Cookham
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The point made by the noble Lord was also made by the Home Affairs Select Committee in another place. One of the recommendations echoes what he just said:

“We also recommend that the Home Office examine how all entries and exits from major ports in the UK, including for non-visa travellers, can be recorded and that all entry and exit information is then used to aid the analysis of migration flow and to better inform policy decisions”.


The Government will respond to that recommendation before Easter and I am sure that they will take on board the support expressed for that policy by the noble Lord and indeed by others.

Security: State Procession

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Thursday 9th July 2015

(8 years, 10 months ago)

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Lord Bridges of Headley Portrait Lord Bridges of Headley
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There are service ducts under many buildings for electricity, telecommunications and other services, and any security risks in relation to them, as with any other part of the buildings, have been assessed and taken into account in the sale of the leases. I need to repeat that the security agencies are involved in all disposals of government property and their advice is always taken into account.

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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My Lords, I must say with some regret to the Minister, who has not long arrived in his post, that I thought his answer to my noble friend Lord Foulkes was not only unsatisfactory but bordering on the disgraceful. He said in his previous answer that it was in the interests of the new private owners to ensure security. National security is a matter for the Government, not for new private owners. As to the reduction of the deficit, while obviously we want to do that, if the cost of reducing the deficit by a couple of hundred million pounds is to put our national security—not to mention the monarch—at risk, it is not a price worth paying. Whichever Government made the decision, will he come back to the House with a more satisfactory answer as to the national security aspects of this particular sell-off?

Lord Bridges of Headley Portrait Lord Bridges of Headley
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I apologise if I have caused offence but I was being accused of privatisation. I would, however, beg to differ. I do not believe that these decisions have put the national security at risk and I have been assured that they have gone through the appropriate processes. The properties were designated surplus to requirements, following a thorough review which concluded that the buildings could not within the bounds of costs and internal planning be updated to deliver an acceptable, efficient standard of office accommodation for use in government. The commercial arrangements with the private sector allow for government to incorporate security measures, alongside the Metropolitan Police.

Voting: UK Overseas Citizens

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Monday 6th July 2015

(8 years, 10 months ago)

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Lord Bridges of Headley Portrait Lord Bridges of Headley
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My Lords, I hardly dare say that my efforts will be greater than those of the noble Lord. What I will say, reading from my brief, which I am sure the noble Lord remembers, is that there are 5.2 million British-born migrants living overseas. I do not have a breakdown but I will certainly ask. I would stress that more than 105,000 British citizens resident overseas were registered to vote in the election—more than three times the previous highest number.

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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My Lords, I congratulate the Minister on his enthusiasm for ensuring that British citizens abroad get their rightful democratic part in the process. But before he gets to abroad, could he just consider at home, where 800,000 people born and bred in Scotland did not have a vote, though resident in the United Kingdom, in something that affected Scotland and the United Kingdom? Would he bear in mind, when he is looking at those abroad, that just as charity and various other things start at home, the franchise should start at home as well?

Lord Bridges of Headley Portrait Lord Bridges of Headley
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The noble Lord makes a very interesting and good point. I would draw his attention to the fact that important steps have already been taken to increase levels of voter registration. For example, over £14 million has been invested over the past two financial years to support the cost of activities aimed at increasing the levels of voter registration.

Algorithmic Trading

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Monday 6th July 2015

(8 years, 10 months ago)

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Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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Given the centrality of the City of London to the British economy and the intention expressed more than a decade ago by some of those associated with Islamist jihadism to “bleed Britain to bankruptcy”, can the Minister tell us what measures have been taken to protect the City of London from hacking, particularly given that a vast number of essential economic investments are now being transacted in nanoseconds?

Lord Bridges of Headley Portrait Lord Bridges of Headley
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The noble Lord speaks with a lot of experience on these matters, which are worthy of consideration. If he will forgive me, I would like to write to him on that point as it requires a detailed answer.

Deregulation Bill

Lord Reid of Cardowan Excerpts
Thursday 5th February 2015

(9 years, 3 months ago)

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Lord Wallace of Saltaire Portrait Lord Wallace of Saltaire
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I am informed that it is not correct. I certainly have no knowledge of it, but my noble friend Lord Nash assures me that it is not the case, so we are not in that area.

We have an active system of inspection. It is local authorities which are accountable for ensuring that when contracts are signed in this form, the provider is a credible and qualified provider. Having said that, Ofsted is the inspector of such arrangements and it keeps a very active role in watching what happens, receiving reports and then coming in to inspect when reports are provided of inadequate care or the accidents which sadly, as we all know, eventually and occasionally happen. Ofsted shares the Government’s view that registration adds little value and that, in many ways, it risks confusion in the system as to where accountability lies.

It is the Government’s view that accountability lies with local authorities and that Ofsted, for the Government, provides the continuing process of inspection. There are of course issues about the level of risk and the level of burdens in the system.

Lord Reid of Cardowan Portrait Lord Reid of Cardowan (Lab)
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I have a very small point on accountability, which I proffer to the Minister more in an advisory capacity than a critical one. There are occasions during a ministerial career where, on study, what seems a relatively small decision becomes an obviously profound and very risky decision. That is not to say that it should not be proceeded with—but, having listened to this debate, I have the impression that this is one of them. In the spirit of fraternity, I say to the Minister that if and when, as a result of these changes, there is a disaster with children along the lines of some that we have seen, particularly in the present context, it will not be sufficient to say that the accountability lies with local government. The accountability will come straight back to the Minister and the Government, who have freed this up without adequate protection. We are, quite properly, discussing risk management as regards children, but the Minister should consider the risk management for the reputation of the Government on this issue as well.