Lords debates the Autumn Budget

Debate

Lord Livermore (Labour), Financial Secretary to the Treasury, put forward the debate and responded on behalf of the government.

This is a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to good use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns.      

Members speaking

Contributing members included:

• Lord Davies of Brixton (Labour), former director of actuary at Union Pensions Services
• Lord Desai (Crossbench), chair of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum
• Lord Eatwell (Labour), former professor of financial policy at the University of Cambridge
• Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Conservative), former chancellor of the exchequer.
• Baroness Lea of Lymm (Conservative), economist

Opening the debate, Lord Livermore said:

'This was a Budget to fix the foundations; to restore stability by repairing the public finances; to rebuild our public services after years of neglect; to choose investment rather than decline; and to keep our promises to working people.'

Lord Lamont of Lerwick said:

'If we are serious about sustainable public finances, borrowing for investment should not be accounted for outside the government’s measure for meeting their own debt target. The truth is that this is not a Budget for growth or investment; it is simply a Budget for the public sector.'

Baroness Tyler of Enfield (Liberal Democrat), added:

'My central call today is that the government exempt social care providers and GPs, along with NHS dentists, pharmacies and charitable providers of health and care, from the employers’ national insurance tax rise.'

Catch up

Watch and read the debate  

Watch on Parliament TV or read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Explore background information  

• Find out more about the issues the debate covers in the House of Lords Library briefing  
• Learn more about how the House of Lords checks and challenges government. 

Image: House of Lords / Roger Harris