Subsidy Control Bill

My Lords, Amendment 14 was tabled by my noble friend Lord McNicol.

We always know in this e...

Amendment 23 in my name has been included in this group. That is a slightly odd grouping, and per...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord to pick up, and indeed support, many of the p...

For that campaign, we used a large inflatable white elephant.

That is what I remember seeing on Tyne Tees telly.

It was the cheapest campaign I have ever been on.

Well, I think the proposals for the White Paper are cheaper, because there is no money attached t...

My Lords, I sat here on Monday on the first day of Committee and I wondered how much of the reply...

My Lords, I rise to move Amendment 25A in my name. I shall not speak to any other amendments, bec...

My Lords, I oppose the question that Clause 18 stands part of the Bill. We have had an excellent ...

My Lords, I appear to have come into this argument about consistency between the noble Lord behin...

My Lords, the Government are anxious to reduce regional inequality and to promote greater equalit...

My Lords, I have a few short points. First, I support the noble Lord, Lord Ravensdale, regarding ...

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord McNicol, for tabling the lead amendment in this group, and...

Does the Minister accept that cultural levelling up is part of the Government’s aim, and that cul...

I agree. Personally, I am fully in favour of cultural institutions transferring out of London. I ...

If a public authority—let us say the Scottish Government—had a scheme and defined for the purpose...

If it was in compliance with the other principles in the regime, of course it would be in complia...

If the Secretary of State decided that the geography was the whole of the United Kingdom, would t...

The noble Lord is dragging me into hypotheticals, but obviously the purpose of the Bill applies t...

The Minister has mentioned the question of guidance twice. Guidance is not law, of course, unless...

Just to take both earlier points, if the Secretary of State defined an area as the whole of the U...

I do not want noble Lords getting mixed up. I was referring to the fact that schemes can be desig...

Without labouring the point, but labouring the point, I want to come back to the point made by th...

Yes, if they are an inward investor coming into the country and they do not already have an opera...

But if they are relocating suppliers in order to support—

That is not the example the noble Lord quoted. My understanding is that, if they are just increas...

I am grateful to the Minister; he is being very generous. This is just to confirm this point: if ...

I think the noble Lord is confusing two different areas. There is the area that would define a pa...

No, that is because the area is Scotland.

It does not matter, because anywhere within the United Kingdom is the area covered by this Bill.<...

Minister, Clause 18 could say the United Kingdom, but it does not. It says “area”. As the Ministe...

It would be the area of the particular authority that is offering the subsidy. Earlier, I offered...

I thank everyone. Given the nature of the earlier discussion, particularly about the cultural ven...

Moved by

Lord Fox

15: Clause 10, page 6, line 33, leave out subsections (5) and (6) a...

My Lords, they say that a change is as good as a rest, so the Minister should be very sprightly n...

My Lords, I point out that if Amendment 15 were to be agreed, I could not call Amendments 16 or 1...

I agree with every word that the noble Lord, Lord Fox, just said. I liked him shouting “tosh!” at...

My Lords, I apologise that I was not able to attend Second Reading. I had other commitments in th...

I shall add two very short points. First, it seems to me absolutely fundamental to a democratic s...

My Lords, when the Minister comes to reply, would he explain the purpose of Clause 47(6), which r...

My Lords, I support my noble friend Lord Fox and will add a couple of points. First, on the strea...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for tabling these amendments. As we have hea...

My Lords, this group of amendments contains a number of amendments tabled in relation to the Dele...

Is it the view of the Minister that the powers under subsection (6) allow for delayed disclosure?...

Yes, that is the subsection which provides the ability to publicise that fact—it is in subsection...

So the point the Minister is making, which is to have the legal ability to delay disclosure, is a...

We think that subsection (7) is important for financial stability and legal certainty but, as I h...

What is the point of Clause 47(7) if the object is to allow, in appropriate circumstances, a defe...

Might I add to my noble and learned friend’s question? To whom is the information to be given? Wh...

Ultimately, the purpose is to provide transparency so that, after the fact, the public and Parlia...

My Lords, this has been an interesting debate. The Minister said “for the moment”—perhaps for the...

Moved by

Lord Callanan

18: Clause 10, page 6, line 35, at end insert—

“(7) A su...

My Lords, the amendments in this group are technical amendments that would update the Bill to per...

I would like to raise a small, technical point; I think that the Minister skimmed over it in the ...

That issue is not covered by these amendments, but I will come back to the noble Baroness in writ...

My Lords, those on this side welcome these three amendments. It is always hard to get those first...

I echo the points of the noble Lord, Lord Fox: it is interesting to see government amendments at ...

I am happy to see that the Liberal Democrats believe in consistency and to work with the oppositi...

Moved by

Lord Callanan

19: Clause 11, page 7, line 7, at end insert—

“(2A) Prov...

Moved by

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride

21: Clause 12, page 7, line 19, leave out subs...

My Lords, we understand the Government’s desire to keep the subsidy control regime as straightfor...

My Lords, I added my name to Amendment 24. I also support Amendment 21, which is closely related,...

My Lords, it is with great pleasure that I follow my noble friend Lady Sheehan and the noble Lord...

I thank the noble Lord, Lord McNicol, for tabling Amendments 21, 24 and 68. Perhaps it would be h...

On Amendment 21 to Clause 12, if that amendment was agreed to and the line

“In subsection (...

I take the noble Baroness’s point on that. I would like to discuss it with the team when I have h...

I am glad that the Minister has come to this point. Earlier on, I think I heard her say that tran...

Given that the whole structure of the subsidy regime is to have the overarching scheme, compliant...

It was the Government who chose to put the principle of challenge on the face of the Bill. The no...

I understand the point the noble Lord is making, but I suggest we would do better to continue thi...

On that point, how would another business or organisation know the subsidy existed if it was part...

May I intervene too, on the same point? If a business does know about a subsidy and thinks it is ...

Every grant made over £500,000 will be visible. Noble Lords may be arguing that that bar is too h...

The fundamental point remains: how do people know that the subsidy has been given if it is part o...

If it is over £500,000 it will be visible.

As I was saying, a challenge would be on the bas...

As we have said in the back and forth of the discussion on these three amendments, there are stil...

Moved by

Lord Purvis of Tweed

22: Clause 12, page 7, line 25, at end insert—

“(...

My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendment 53 in this small group, which relates to the interactio...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, has raised a very relevant point; I appreciate that it is ...

We are extremely grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, for tabling these amendments and outlin...

It might indeed be an initial response, because the noble Lord has the advantage of me: I was not...

I am grateful for the Minister’s response. As much as the Government are asserting that there wil...

Moved by

Lord Purvis of Tweed

35: After Clause 29, insert the following new Clause—