To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Revenue and Customs' press release entitled Government backs high street with acceleration of cheap import reforms and crackdown on dodgy online sellers, published on 23 June 2026, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the current online...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Revenue and Customs' press release entitled Government backs high street with acceleration of cheap import reforms and crackdown on dodgy online sellers, published on 23 June 2026, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the current online...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Revenue and Customs' press release entitled Government backs high street with acceleration of cheap import reforms and crackdown on dodgy online sellers, published on 23 June 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of overseas businesses that...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Revenue and Customs' press release entitled Government backs high street with acceleration of cheap import reforms and crackdown on dodgy online sellers, published on 23 June 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of overseas businesses that...

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered reforming Schedule 8 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 to help increase levels of support for small businesses selling disability and assistive technology products online.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered reforming Schedule 8 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 to help increase levels of support for small businesses selling disability and assistive technology products online.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of VAT paid by overseas-based online vendors that operate in the UK.

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of VAT paid by overseas-based online vendors that operate in the UK.

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 24 February (HL5145), since 2017 on how many occasions the online marketplace paid VAT due from a seller, voluntarily or after court action.

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livermore on 24 February (HL5145), since 2017 on how many occasions the online marketplace paid VAT due from a seller, voluntarily or after court action.

To ask His Majesty's Government how often since 2017 has the joint liability rule been used to pursue an online marketplace for VAT which a seller on that marketplace has evaded; and with what success.

To ask His Majesty's Government how often since 2017 has the joint liability rule been used to pursue an online marketplace for VAT which a seller on that marketplace has evaded; and with what success.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the extent of VAT non-compliance by overseas retailers selling (a) goods and (b) services in the UK through online marketplaces.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the extent of VAT non-compliance by overseas retailers selling (a) goods and (b) services in the UK through online marketplaces.

To ask His Majesty's Government when marketplaces and online retailers collect VAT under legislation introduced in 2021, how does HMRC ensure the VAT collected is actually handed over to HMRC; and what audit process and checks and balances are in place for allowing this proxy arrangement.

To ask His Majesty's Government when marketplaces and online retailers collect VAT under legislation introduced in 2021, how does HMRC ensure the VAT collected is actually handed over to HMRC; and what audit process and checks and balances are in place for allowing this proxy arrangement.

My Lords, I apologise for the frightful coughs coming out of me; I can assure those sitting near me that the house doctor has said that I am not infectious, so they have a few more years to go.

Let me introduce the House to Joe Soap. He is a perfectly...

My Lords, I apologise for the frightful coughs coming out of me; I can assure those sitting near me that the house doctor has said that I am not infectious, so they have a few more years to go.

Let me introduce the House to Joe Soap. He is a perfectly...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Lipsey, whose speech imaginatively took us into the life and world of Joe Soap. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Stowell, on securing this timely debate—timely in one sense—and I offer my thanks to all members of the...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Lipsey, whose speech imaginatively took us into the life and world of Joe Soap. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Stowell, on securing this timely debate—timely in one sense—and I offer my thanks to all members of the...

My Lords, I, too, echo the praise to our support team for our committee. You hear a lot of criticism of civil servants recently, but we can only speak from experience, and they were superb. We were well chaired, too. It is true to say that there was a wide...

My Lords, I, too, echo the praise to our support team for our committee. You hear a lot of criticism of civil servants recently, but we can only speak from experience, and they were superb. We were well chaired, too. It is true to say that there was a wide...

My Lords, I first declare an interest as chair of the board of the Trust Alliance Group, which runs the Communications Ombudsman service.

I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Stowell, for setting out the committee’s stall so cogently, and thank the committee for its excellent report. As she said, it has...

My Lords, I first declare an interest as chair of the board of the Trust Alliance Group, which runs the Communications Ombudsman service.

I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Stowell, for setting out the committee’s stall so cogently, and thank the committee for its excellent report. As she said, it has...

My Lords, I thank the committee, so ably chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Stowell, and all those who have spoken on this totally compelling and hard-hitting report. It is

fair to say that they did not mince their words, and quite rightly, when you look at the statistics that...

My Lords, I thank the committee, so ably chaired by the noble Baroness, Lady Stowell, and all those who have spoken on this totally compelling and hard-hitting report. It is

fair to say that they did not mince their words, and quite rightly, when you look at the statistics that...

I start by sincerely thanking my noble friend Lady Stowell for tabling what we must all agree is a deeply important debate on this far-ranging and critical subject of digital exclusion, which we know affects millions of people across the UK, with costs to them as individuals and, as has...

I start by sincerely thanking my noble friend Lady Stowell for tabling what we must all agree is a deeply important debate on this far-ranging and critical subject of digital exclusion, which we know affects millions of people across the UK, with costs to them as individuals and, as has...

Does the noble Lord believe that meeting once every six months is adequate?

Does the noble Lord believe that meeting once every six months is adequate?

The crux of the work is done at departmental level and that feels to me more like a board meeting. So, yes, I think that set-up makes logical sense, but we will watch with interest and adapt as necessary.

Many noble Lords raised points about a new digital inclusion strategy. As...

The crux of the work is done at departmental level and that feels to me more like a board meeting. So, yes, I think that set-up makes logical sense, but we will watch with interest and adapt as necessary.

Many noble Lords raised points about a new digital inclusion strategy. As...

Perhaps the Minister can give us just a little more detail. Is there any movement towards auto-enrolment and the kind of ideas that have come out of the committee?

Perhaps the Minister can give us just a little more detail. Is there any movement towards auto-enrolment and the kind of ideas that have come out of the committee?

Yes, but I am going to have to write because that would be a multi-bullet point communication.

There is also the timely issue of contract price rises. We appreciate that households across the country are struggling with their bills because of the rise in the cost of living, and that price...

Yes, but I am going to have to write because that would be a multi-bullet point communication.

There is also the timely issue of contract price rises. We appreciate that households across the country are struggling with their bills because of the rise in the cost of living, and that price...

My Lords, I know that time is very short, but I asked about the accountability of the cross-Whitehall group being set up. We know that it is going to meet only once every six months. One assumes that it will receive at each meeting a report of progress that has...

My Lords, I know that time is very short, but I asked about the accountability of the cross-Whitehall group being set up. We know that it is going to meet only once every six months. One assumes that it will receive at each meeting a report of progress that has...

I can take that up with the chair of the group, my colleague Minister Bhatti, to understand his intentions for assuring accountability.

I once again sincerely thank my noble friend Lady Stowell for securing today’s debate, and all noble Lords who have spoken so well and clearly on this absolutely critical...

I can take that up with the chair of the group, my colleague Minister Bhatti, to understand his intentions for assuring accountability.

I once again sincerely thank my noble friend Lady Stowell for securing today’s debate, and all noble Lords who have spoken so well and clearly on this absolutely critical...