Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to support manufacturing in the United Kingdom following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: I thank the Minister for his Answer. Trade exports with the EU are down 15% since Brexit; paperwork and delivery times are up, while regulatory divergence, which was heralded as one of the key Brexit benefits, has so far been very limited. As divergence increases, manufacturers see only additional cost, extra paperwork and further disruptions. What further steps is the Minister’s department...
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper UK-India free trade agreement: the UK’s strategic approach, published on 13 January, whether they have produced any short-run estimates for the impact of the prospective UK-India free trade agreement on (1) wages, and (2) output, by sector, measured by gross value added.
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper UK-India free trade agreement: the UK’s strategic approach, published on 13 January, to what extent they consider the long-run estimates within the document applicable to the UK in the first 15 years of the trade deal being in effect.
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the outcome of COP 27; and what plans they have to address the issues raised at the conference.
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, and I make the House aware of my register of interests.
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, I thank the Minister for his Answer. I had the privilege of attending COP 27 with rewired.earth, a not-for-profit organisation. Like many, we were very concerned at the low level of agreement and ambition for the future. With the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and the cost of living crisis, it is understandable but very worrying that there was not more emphasis on the net-zero...
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the outcome of COP27; and what plans they have, if any, to address the issues raised at the conference.
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask His Majesty’s Government which of the world’s three largest economies—the United States of America, the European Union, and China—they will prioritise in seeking to improve trading relations.
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Given that trade with the EU makes up around half our imports and exports, it is vital that FTAs with larger non-EU markets, such as the US, China and India, are advantageous to the UK economy. In recent departmental questions in the other place, Ministers seemed unable to put an estimated net value to any future trade deals that the Government...
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect at work, even government Ministers. Being rehired on worse terms and conditions is just plain wrong. It has been over seven months since the Government announced the new statutory code on fire and rehire, which I think the TUC called baby steps that would not deal with rogue employers. Can I push the Minster a little more? He...
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lord, I welcome the Minister to your Lordships’ House and wish him all the best for his maiden speech tomorrow. I know he will agree that achieving a free trade agreement with India is vital for the opportunities it presents— financial opportunities to increase our GDP, create new markets and achieve key areas of shared interest, but also opportunities to raise a number of vital issues...
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, many of the amendments in this group are sensible and could easily be accepted by the Government. We on these Benches will support Amendment 8 if the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, tests the opinion of the House. The Member’s explanatory statement is exactly as the noble Lord said, and it is a modest amendment: “This new clause would require the Secretary of State to report”—...
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have participated in this Second Reading; there have been thoughtful and detailed interventions across the House. These Benches welcome the Bill and will support its passage. However, as raised by my noble friend Lord Lennie in his opening remarks, there are a number of issues we would like to see revised, revisited and resolved. I think the deadline for...
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, will be a welcome addition to your Lordships’ House. Last year, when talking about supply chains and employment, she said: “Ministers may scratch their heads about how to protect supply chains and fill vacancies. Well, here’s a novel idea. Invite unions in with employers. Get us around the table. And let’s make that industry...
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, as many speakers have alluded to, there is little evidence to suggest that fracking is the answer to the current energy crisis. However, reducing our collective energy demand would improve energy security and lower prices. Why was the Government-led campaign to encourage household energy savings scrapped?
Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: My Lords, following on from that answer, I welcome the Government’s approach to reopening the gas storage facility in the North Sea. However, as the Minister just touched on, questions persist with regard to the safety of Rough wells, and these concerns, as he mentioned, are shared by many, including energy consultants and safety experts. This raises real concerns over the safety of...