To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 122630 on Business: VAT, whether her Department has made an assessment on the effect that inflation has had on small business' ability to stay under the VAT threshold over the past decade.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 30 March 2026 to Question 122630 on Business: VAT, whether her Department has made an assessment on the effect that inflation has had on small business' ability to stay under the VAT threshold over the past decade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has had discussions with stakeholders on the adequacy of the BREEAM Excellent £2,000,000 threshold, in the context of inflation since it was set.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has had discussions with stakeholders on the adequacy of the BREEAM Excellent £2,000,000 threshold, in the context of inflation since it was set.

There are approximately 170,000 hospitality businesses in the UK, of which 97.7% are small businesses. The costs of labour and materials are challenges to hospitality businesses' turnover.

There are approximately 170,000 hospitality businesses in the UK, of which 97.7% are small businesses. The costs of labour and materials are challenges to hospitality businesses' turnover.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her department plans to review the Small Business Rates Relief threshold in line with inflation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her department plans to review the Small Business Rates Relief threshold in line with inflation.

My Lords, while I welcome much in the Budget, I will raise a single issue: the reforms to council tax. On a number of occasions over recent years, I have raised in Westminster and in the northern media anomalies in the levying of council tax. The classic example is that...

My Lords, while I welcome much in the Budget, I will raise a single issue: the reforms to council tax. On a number of occasions over recent years, I have raised in Westminster and in the northern media anomalies in the levying of council tax. The classic example is that...

Lords motion to take note of the Autumn Budget 2025. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the Autumn Budget 2025. Agreed to on question.

I thank the Minister for his opening speech in this debate on the Budget. In this maiden speech, I want to thank all noble Lords for their warm welcome to the House, and to thank the doorkeepers and parliamentary staff for their unfailing kindness, good humour and patience with lost...

I thank the Minister for his opening speech in this debate on the Budget. In this maiden speech, I want to thank all noble Lords for their warm welcome to the House, and to thank the doorkeepers and parliamentary staff for their unfailing kindness, good humour and patience with lost...

My Lords, it is a privilege to open this Budget debate in your Lordships’ House, and to speak alongside so many distinguished and expert noble Lords. I look forward to listening to, and learning from, all the contributions today. We should perhaps spare a thought for the noble Lord, Lord...

My Lords, it is a privilege to open this Budget debate in your Lordships’ House, and to speak alongside so many distinguished and expert noble Lords. I look forward to listening to, and learning from, all the contributions today. We should perhaps spare a thought for the noble Lord, Lord...

My Lords, I also welcome the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth and look forward to his maiden speech and working constructively with him in the months and years ahead.

We have all had a few days to consider last week’s Budget, and the conclusion that the vast majority of...

My Lords, I also welcome the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth and look forward to his maiden speech and working constructively with him in the months and years ahead.

We have all had a few days to consider last week’s Budget, and the conclusion that the vast majority of...

My Lords, like the first two speakers, I look forward to the maiden speech of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth.

The purpose of this debate is to debate the Budget. We dealt with the omnishambles of the Budget process in the debate on the Statement on Monday. Unlike...

My Lords, like the first two speakers, I look forward to the maiden speech of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth.

The purpose of this debate is to debate the Budget. We dealt with the omnishambles of the Budget process in the debate on the Statement on Monday. Unlike...

My Lords, from my perspective, the Budget has been received about as well as could have been expected in the circumstances. It also seems to have satisfied the bond markets and the Government’s own Back-Benchers, which is no small feat. It has been clear for months that the background was...

My Lords, from my perspective, the Budget has been received about as well as could have been expected in the circumstances. It also seems to have satisfied the bond markets and the Government’s own Back-Benchers, which is no small feat. It has been clear for months that the background was...

My Lords, it is a privilege to follow the right reverend Prelate’s inspiring maiden speech. He is a Bishop far from lost who has already found his feet, I would say. In the absence of my noble friend Lord West of Spithead, it would be remiss of me not to...

My Lords, it is a privilege to follow the right reverend Prelate’s inspiring maiden speech. He is a Bishop far from lost who has already found his feet, I would say. In the absence of my noble friend Lord West of Spithead, it would be remiss of me not to...

My Lords, I congratulate the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth on his engaging and humorous maiden speech, which combined passion with making some very serious points. We look forward very much to working with him, and to his future contributions.

On taking office, the Prime Minister said that he...

My Lords, I congratulate the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth on his engaging and humorous maiden speech, which combined passion with making some very serious points. We look forward very much to working with him, and to his future contributions.

On taking office, the Prime Minister said that he...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Lamont, as always, and I welcome the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth. I welcome the main proposals of this Budget: some as important measures to combat inequality and support households; others as necessary responses to what...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Lamont, as always, and I welcome the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth. I welcome the main proposals of this Budget: some as important measures to combat inequality and support households; others as necessary responses to what...

My Lords, I welcome the maiden speech made by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth. My former constituency, Havant, was within the diocese of Portsmouth, and I recognise the valuable work that the diocese does.

The media story around this Budget has been about the downgrading of the productivity...

My Lords, I welcome the maiden speech made by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Portsmouth. My former constituency, Havant, was within the diocese of Portsmouth, and I recognise the valuable work that the diocese does.

The media story around this Budget has been about the downgrading of the productivity...

My Lords, the Budget contains a set of measures that reinforce the three pillars which support investment and growth: financial stability, growing demand and institutional reform. Financial instability, as many have commented, is the enemy of investment, as painfully illustrated in the years since the global financial crisis. That is...

My Lords, the Budget contains a set of measures that reinforce the three pillars which support investment and growth: financial stability, growing demand and institutional reform. Financial instability, as many have commented, is the enemy of investment, as painfully illustrated in the years since the global financial crisis. That is...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell. I want to give some relief to the Minister by not following up the justified criticism that he is receiving from my noble friends but referring to one new policy in the Budget which I approve...

My Lords, it is always a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Eatwell. I want to give some relief to the Minister by not following up the justified criticism that he is receiving from my noble friends but referring to one new policy in the Budget which I approve...

My Lords, the Prime Minister made strong welcome statements to NATO allies about the UK’s commitment to defence at the summit in The Hague on 24 June. He pledged the United Kingdom to increase spending on defence and wider security to 5% of GDP by 2035, with a projected split...

My Lords, the Prime Minister made strong welcome statements to NATO allies about the UK’s commitment to defence at the summit in The Hague on 24 June. He pledged the United Kingdom to increase spending on defence and wider security to 5% of GDP by 2035, with a projected split...

My Lords, when the Chancellor took office, she made economic growth founded upon fiscal stability her priority to escape the fiscal straitjacket that she had inherited. She has made a good start by raising and then maintaining public investment to 2.7% of GDP throughout the forecast. That is 18% above...

My Lords, when the Chancellor took office, she made economic growth founded upon fiscal stability her priority to escape the fiscal straitjacket that she had inherited. She has made a good start by raising and then maintaining public investment to 2.7% of GDP throughout the forecast. That is 18% above...