My Lords, it seems only fair; it is the members’ money.

My Lords, it seems only fair; it is the members’ money.

My Lords, you can do a lot better than that these days, even with reliable banks.

My Lords, you can do a lot better than that these days, even with reliable banks.

My Lords, we like Amendment No. 10 and encourage the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, to press it to a Division, if he wishes. It is a modest amendment, but it makes an important point. I was struck by the horrific statistics he gave from National Debtline about the pressure of...

My Lords, we like Amendment No. 10 and encourage the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, to press it to a Division, if he wishes. It is a modest amendment, but it makes an important point. I was struck by the horrific statistics he gave from National Debtline about the pressure of...

My Lords, I listened carefully to that interesting speech. The noble Lord is always persuasive; indeed, at times he can sound quite seductive. None of us is in favour of dirigisme and poisoning the well, but I felt a little uncomfortable as I listened to some of the speech. I...

My Lords, I listened carefully to that interesting speech. The noble Lord is always persuasive; indeed, at times he can sound quite seductive. None of us is in favour of dirigisme and poisoning the well, but I felt a little uncomfortable as I listened to some of the speech. I...

My Lords, perhaps I may ask the Minister whether he might be able to dig it out from the underlying tax landscape.

My Lords, perhaps I may ask the Minister whether he might be able to dig it out from the underlying tax landscape.

My Lords, I am glad that we have started in a reasonably consensual mode today and I hope that that is how it will be for most of the afternoon. This is a proper way to work together to improve the Bill and, like the noble Baroness, I thank the...

My Lords, I am glad that we have started in a reasonably consensual mode today and I hope that that is how it will be for most of the afternoon. This is a proper way to work together to improve the Bill and, like the noble Baroness, I thank the...

My Lords, this is a satisfactory outcome. I am glad that the Government have taken notice of what the Constitution Committee said. It is excellent to see it doing its job.

My Lords, this is a satisfactory outcome. I am glad that the Government have taken notice of what the Constitution Committee said. It is excellent to see it doing its job.

My Lords, I should say first to the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, that the drafting of the amendment was very much a joint effort between me, my noble friend Lady Thomas and the officials of the House, who have been very helpful. The amendment has been carefully constructed. I thank...

My Lords, I should say first to the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, that the drafting of the amendment was very much a joint effort between me, my noble friend Lady Thomas and the officials of the House, who have been very helpful. The amendment has been carefully constructed. I thank...

My Lords, this does not relate only to pensions; this builds on work that I have done with Vince Cable in the other place on the need for a rollout of a national debt advice service. That is the key point. The incremental cost may be even less. This is...

My Lords, this does not relate only to pensions; this builds on work that I have done with Vince Cable in the other place on the need for a rollout of a national debt advice service. That is the key point. The incremental cost may be even less. This is...

My Lords, if we had a basic state pension anything like New Zealand’s, we would be delighted not to have any face-to-face advice.

My Lords, if we had a basic state pension anything like New Zealand’s, we would be delighted not to have any face-to-face advice.

My Lords, this is a wide-ranging debate, but I found that an exceptionally disappointing answer. I could hear the long grass growing as the Minister spoke. I do not see why a lot more work is necessary to establish the scale of the problem. Surely it is a very simple...

My Lords, this is a wide-ranging debate, but I found that an exceptionally disappointing answer. I could hear the long grass growing as the Minister spoke. I do not see why a lot more work is necessary to establish the scale of the problem. Surely it is a very simple...

Hurry while stocks last, my Lords.

Hurry while stocks last, my Lords.

My Lords, that was an interesting and wide-ranging speech. I am flattered that the noble Baroness, Lady Hollis, thinks that I may be able to answer the riddle of the little and big pots. I am not an expert on that, but I agree that it is a problem. I...

My Lords, that was an interesting and wide-ranging speech. I am flattered that the noble Baroness, Lady Hollis, thinks that I may be able to answer the riddle of the little and big pots. I am not an expert on that, but I agree that it is a problem. I...

My Lords, I am grateful for that thoughtful response. Does the Minister agree that aggressive tax avoidance, such as moving company headquarters offshore, or the aggressive use of tax havens to avoid business taxes or taxes like stamp duty, is an important part of assessing whether companies are acting in...

My Lords, I am grateful for that thoughtful response. Does the Minister agree that aggressive tax avoidance, such as moving company headquarters offshore, or the aggressive use of tax havens to avoid business taxes or taxes like stamp duty, is an important part of assessing whether companies are acting in...

My Lords, I start by paying tribute to the Aegis Trust for its valuable work on the amendment. From the Liberal Democrat Front Bench I thank my noble friend Lady Northover and my noble friend Lord Joffe—if I am allowed to call him that—with whom I have long and happy...

My Lords, I start by paying tribute to the Aegis Trust for its valuable work on the amendment. From the Liberal Democrat Front Bench I thank my noble friend Lady Northover and my noble friend Lord Joffe—if I am allowed to call him that—with whom I have long and happy...

My Lords, this is quite a tricky matter. I completely agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, that most employees will require advice but that that is not what they get from their employers and no employer should be in the position of giving advice. There is a clear distinction...

My Lords, this is quite a tricky matter. I completely agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, that most employees will require advice but that that is not what they get from their employers and no employer should be in the position of giving advice. There is a clear distinction...

My Lords, what was the rate of interest?

My Lords, what was the rate of interest?

I deliberately did not intervene earlier because I find this quite a difficult balance to strike in this debate and I was interested to hear the thrust of the Minister's reply. Does he have any statistics to help us further? Although one’s instinct is obviously that job turnover is much...

I deliberately did not intervene earlier because I find this quite a difficult balance to strike in this debate and I was interested to hear the thrust of the Minister's reply. Does he have any statistics to help us further? Although one’s instinct is obviously that job turnover is much...

It sounds like a case of, ““Trust me—I’m not a Minister””.

It sounds like a case of, ““Trust me—I’m not a Minister””.

We on these Benches support the amendment, and if the noble Lord chooses to press it to a Division we will support him. There is a fair element of motherhood and apple pie in it, but we Liberal Democrats are always in favour of that. I am not sure which...

We on these Benches support the amendment, and if the noble Lord chooses to press it to a Division we will support him. There is a fair element of motherhood and apple pie in it, but we Liberal Democrats are always in favour of that. I am not sure which...