:00:07. > :00:14.Good morning and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the
:00:15. > :00:19.comments. Now the Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn will be asking the
:00:20. > :00:23.question of the Russian forces from Syria following last night's
:00:24. > :00:28.dramatic announcement of the withdrawal from President Putin. The
:00:29. > :00:33.first debate on the legislation widely called the snooper's Charter,
:00:34. > :00:42.more properly known as the investigators Howard Bill. It talks
:00:43. > :00:49.about giving powers to look at people's internet browsers. He said
:00:50. > :00:58.it will not be giving a blank check for the Bill through the comments.
:00:59. > :01:08.First, it's question to the Business Secretary and his ministerial team.
:01:09. > :01:13.Or it, order! Questions to the Secretary of State for Business,
:01:14. > :01:19.Innovation and Skills. Thank you, number one please. Britain is one of
:01:20. > :01:25.the top ten places in the world to start and run a business. We are
:01:26. > :01:29.boosting skills, productivity, raising the quality and quantity of
:01:30. > :01:35.apprenticeships in England. We are cutting tax and building stronger
:01:36. > :01:39.tax... Links with emerging markets. I thank the secretary of state for
:01:40. > :01:43.that answer. My role constituency is home to many businesses with strong
:01:44. > :01:47.local roots but global aspirations. May I ask what this Government is
:01:48. > :01:56.doing to help small and medium-sized companies become exporters? Mr
:01:57. > :01:59.Speaker, he speaks with a great deal of experience. He is an experienced
:02:00. > :02:05.entrepreneur and a taken very seriously. I can assure that my
:02:06. > :02:14.department is working on exports. UTI is one of those things that
:02:15. > :02:18.connects businesses all over the world. We travel around the country
:02:19. > :02:25.and meet businesses face to face. It has already visited Yorkshire. How
:02:26. > :02:30.on earth are small and medium-sized businesses going to be competitive
:02:31. > :02:34.it in 100 days' time they find that their access to those level playing
:02:35. > :02:39.field markets are going to be firmly thrown away. The door will be shut
:02:40. > :02:43.in their face and what is the secretary of state going to do to be
:02:44. > :02:47.much more vocal in highlighting the phenomenal risk to our businesses if
:02:48. > :02:54.we end up losing access to some of those important markets? The
:02:55. > :02:59.honourable gentleman is right to raise this issue. There are a lot of
:03:00. > :03:03.risks with that decision. It's my personal belief that this
:03:04. > :03:06.uncertainty created would be bad for business and jobs and growth.
:03:07. > :03:09.However, there is a lot the Government has gone and will
:03:10. > :03:17.continue to do to support business, such as cutting the tax rate, which
:03:18. > :03:19.I hope he welcomes. Mr Speaker, I am yet to speak to a smaller
:03:20. > :03:23.medium-sized businessman who has that what they want is more
:03:24. > :03:30.regulation either from this place or the European Union. Do you not agree
:03:31. > :03:34.that the thing that would most help small and medium-sized enterprises
:03:35. > :03:37.become more competitive both in this country and around the world, would
:03:38. > :03:43.be for this country to leave the European Union? I think my
:03:44. > :03:49.honourable friend is right to raise the issue of red tape of regulation
:03:50. > :03:51.for businesses. It can strangle businesses and that's why in the
:03:52. > :03:57.last Government we were proud of cutting red tape by ?10 million and
:03:58. > :04:05.with this Government we are going to cut it by another 10 billion. SMEs
:04:06. > :04:08.in your question going to be competitive with the cuts to local
:04:09. > :04:16.authority. Business rates are soaring 11% on top of additional
:04:17. > :04:22.costs. Can I ask, do you want the high street without any shops? I
:04:23. > :04:28.think what Frank would want is a high street full of customers and
:04:29. > :04:33.what that means is making sure our economy remains strong. It grew
:04:34. > :04:36.faster than any other G-7 country last year and that is because of the
:04:37. > :04:42.long-term plan that this Government has. We will hear more about it
:04:43. > :04:47.tomorrow from the Chancellor. Is not vital that my right honourable
:04:48. > :04:53.friend's target of 100,000 new businesses exporting 2020 is met by
:04:54. > :04:58.lighting that sparked in small and medium-sized businesses to exploit
:04:59. > :05:05.the first time, but above all to keep exporting. Mr Speaker, he is
:05:06. > :05:09.absolutely right. Not enough British businesses exploit. There are more
:05:10. > :05:14.than double the amount of businesses exploit Germany, compared to the UK.
:05:15. > :05:20.We can do more and that is at the heart of our strategy. And surely
:05:21. > :05:22.ministry will agree with me that it part of helping small and
:05:23. > :05:26.medium-sized businesses become more competitive is to make sure there is
:05:27. > :05:33.access to a skilled workforce. The younger women's trust has shown that
:05:34. > :05:37.sectors are not welcoming young women. Less than 4% of engineering
:05:38. > :05:40.apprentices are female. Can the Minister tell me what he is doing to
:05:41. > :05:46.encourage more young women into apprenticeships? I think the
:05:47. > :05:49.honourable lady does raise an important issue. We want all people
:05:50. > :05:52.to benefit from the apprenticeship programmes that we have both in
:05:53. > :05:56.England and Scotland and elsewhere. That means more and more women. In
:05:57. > :06:00.the last three years we have tripled the amount of women in England that
:06:01. > :06:05.take up into sheds in engineering. That is something that I think
:06:06. > :06:12.Scotland can look at as well to see how we can achieve that. I also
:06:13. > :06:16.think that trying to think about how many women think about these must
:06:17. > :06:21.start at an earlier age. We must start at an earlier age to encourage
:06:22. > :06:25.women to look at these careers. He will be aware that the Scottish
:06:26. > :06:30.Government has done some great work and arrow Minister for education has
:06:31. > :06:33.been doing, but I would suggest that he needs to work every specifically
:06:34. > :06:38.on the issue of pay for women apprenticeships. Their male
:06:39. > :06:43.counterparts can be paid as much as 21% more an hour. What steps is he
:06:44. > :06:48.and his Government taking to make sure that everybody is equal? I'm
:06:49. > :06:51.sure the honourable lady will welcome that under this Government
:06:52. > :06:56.what we have seen is the gender pay gap all to its lowest level since
:06:57. > :07:01.records began. Of course, there is still much more to do and at the
:07:02. > :07:12.heart of that is a strong economy. I hope she will support the budget
:07:13. > :07:19.tomorrow. Thank you, Mr Speaker. We are immobilising the Government to
:07:20. > :07:22.improve the export performance. A UTI will be at the centre of the
:07:23. > :07:29.approach and relative departments will be at the centre of this to
:07:30. > :07:33.help British business export. The reality is, the UK expert story is
:07:34. > :07:37.one of declining market share in the global market. Does the Secretary of
:07:38. > :07:45.State agree with the statement of the Chamber of Commerce and will he
:07:46. > :07:51.accept their position on exporting? I do accept that more needs to be
:07:52. > :07:58.done to get British businesses to exploit. But also implemented means
:07:59. > :08:04.that all governments has a role to play, for example the great British
:08:05. > :08:08.food unit, where a UTI works with that unit. I think a lot of the
:08:09. > :08:16.Government can get behind exporting by working together. If the UK left
:08:17. > :08:27.the single market, my understanding is that the highest tariff that
:08:28. > :08:32.could be applied would be the 4.1 9%. Can my right honourable friends
:08:33. > :08:37.write to me to put say that is correct and provide a factual
:08:38. > :08:41.concept for the risks of leaving the European Union? Can he also read to
:08:42. > :08:45.me to confirm that that number is lower than the annual fluctuation of
:08:46. > :08:51.the euro and sterling for the last three years? First of all, in answer
:08:52. > :08:58.to his first question about can I check that, of course I can. You
:08:59. > :09:03.raise is an important point about trade and tariffs. He will also be
:09:04. > :09:06.aware that there are lots of non-tariff barriers as well,
:09:07. > :09:14.particularly when it comes to services. It's important to look at
:09:15. > :09:19.that also. For the 40 staff in the steel factory in my exigencies that
:09:20. > :09:29.will close in May, can I ask him to listen and back their proposals for
:09:30. > :09:34.a materials cut that will provide and promote our competitive nurse
:09:35. > :09:40.and exports? First of all, I'm sorry that in your constituency the firm
:09:41. > :09:43.may close. We shall do everything we can to try and protect jobs like
:09:44. > :09:47.that and certainly research has an important role to play. We are
:09:48. > :09:54.looking very carefully at that proposal and we will here shortly.
:09:55. > :10:00.Spartan global services export refurbished computers to businesses
:10:01. > :10:07.across the globe. Can he outline what is being done to encourage more
:10:08. > :10:15.businesses like Spartan to take the opportunities that experts offer?
:10:16. > :10:19.Again, she has raised an issue about exporting and what might we can do.
:10:20. > :10:24.I know there are many companies in her constituency that can do a lot
:10:25. > :10:31.more if we had fewer barriers. One of the suggestions is that we should
:10:32. > :10:37.get on with the deal with the EU and US. It would be the world's largest
:10:38. > :10:40.free trade agreement and it would certainly help companies like Harris
:10:41. > :10:46.export more to one of the world's largest markets. Will the Secretary
:10:47. > :10:52.of State have immediate discussions with his Cabinet colleague regarding
:10:53. > :10:57.the need to ensure the export of pork from both Britain and Northern
:10:58. > :11:04.Ireland to Taiwan, which has been awaited since August last year? I
:11:05. > :11:09.think that's a very important issue. British food is our biggest
:11:10. > :11:15.manufacturing industry, but a lost my can be done in terms of exports.
:11:16. > :11:20.I know my right honourable friends has taken this very seriously and I
:11:21. > :11:24.will look at this issue. We have a massive trade deficit with the
:11:25. > :11:27.European Union, but it is with the rest of the world. We had just
:11:28. > :11:32.celebrated Commonwealth Day. If you look at how much are our traders
:11:33. > :11:36.with the Commonwealth, it is relatively small. Will he embarked
:11:37. > :11:42.on his project Commonwealth so we can export far more of our goods to
:11:43. > :11:45.our cousins abroad? I think my friend is absolutely right about
:11:46. > :11:50.trying to do more with the Commonwealth. The links are very
:11:51. > :11:56.strong and with some of those countries, like India, we have had a
:11:57. > :12:00.big focus for many years now about exploits and tourism. All that has
:12:01. > :12:09.helped, but there is always more we can do. He is a silly rates to raise
:12:10. > :12:10.this issue. Deficit and trade goods was 123,000,000,020 14.
:12:11. > :12:20.Manufacturing accounts is only 8% of jobs in our economy. Scottish
:12:21. > :12:27.Government has boosted this. What is the Minister and the UK Government
:12:28. > :12:44.doing to support manufacturing? Is he just singing type? Very
:12:45. > :12:48.irregular? Ever I heard you correctly, he was suggesting that
:12:49. > :12:53.the SNP should get the credit for the rise in exports in Scotland.
:12:54. > :12:57.That is the hard work of Scottish businesses who have worked very hard
:12:58. > :13:01.to achieve that. I don't think anybody would credit the SNP with
:13:02. > :13:05.that. Where Government policy is important is making sure we have a
:13:06. > :13:13.stable and strong economy, and that is down to the long-term economic
:13:14. > :13:16.plan that comes from Westminster. I might warn the secretary of the not
:13:17. > :13:27.to be too gleeful about the long-term economic plan.
:13:28. > :13:34.What the stock of band -- bank lending fell after the financial
:13:35. > :13:37.crisis but is now recovering, with four consecutive quarters of
:13:38. > :13:42.positive lending. Peer-to-peer lending is becoming
:13:43. > :13:49.important as an alternative to bank finance, it has grown from ?20
:13:50. > :13:56.million in 2011 to nearly ?1.5 billion in 2015.
:13:57. > :14:01.Perhaps he has already given the warning about the budget, given that
:14:02. > :14:06.he probably knows that in the North West we have seen just half the
:14:07. > :14:10.business investment than we have seen in London. So clearly something
:14:11. > :14:15.has gone wrong with the long-term economic plan if we are not actually
:14:16. > :14:20.seeing rebalancing. What conversation have they had with the
:14:21. > :14:24.Treasury about their attack on other financial institutions, for example
:14:25. > :14:31.building societies? I think the honourable lady's right
:14:32. > :14:37.to raise the importance of credit for every region in the UK, for that
:14:38. > :14:42.thinks of having a vibrant growing economy as being important. We talk
:14:43. > :14:46.regularly with the Treasury on these issues, for example the work we do
:14:47. > :14:52.in the British business bank, which has provided over ?2.4 billion of
:14:53. > :14:56.financing over the last four years, helping some 40,000 businesses, many
:14:57. > :14:59.in the North West. When people take the decision to
:15:00. > :15:04.start their own business it is either on the back of a great idea
:15:05. > :15:10.or they have got skills which are useful. But turning a great idea or
:15:11. > :15:14.having skills into a business for most people requires expert advice.
:15:15. > :15:16.What steps is the Secretary of State doing to ensure potential
:15:17. > :15:20.entrepreneurs have that advice available to them?
:15:21. > :15:25.I know my honourable friend speaks with experience, he is a very
:15:26. > :15:29.successful businessman, and no doubt he has talked to many businesses
:15:30. > :15:32.about just this type of issue. One of the ways we try to help is
:15:33. > :15:39.through the growth hubs, we have made sure everywhere in England has
:15:40. > :15:50.a growth hubs. You can get a locally tailored advice for local companies.
:15:51. > :15:56.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am pleased to tell you, since you have been so
:15:57. > :16:02.kind unwelcoming to me, I would like to tell you 4 million homes now have
:16:03. > :16:10.superfast broadband. -- kind and welcoming. I have recent -- frequent
:16:11. > :16:19.talks to ensure the world -- the UK's position as a leader.
:16:20. > :16:25.It is lovely that the member likes having his name and Ernst!
:16:26. > :16:29.It is clear that lots of businesses are not happy with the service they
:16:30. > :16:32.are receiving from BT. Can my honourable friend tell me what
:16:33. > :16:37.discussions he is having with BT to ensure that they are delivering for
:16:38. > :16:40.businesses, not only across the country but specifically in Basildon
:16:41. > :16:46.and folic? I don't want to labour the point but
:16:47. > :16:52.I think -- I don't think you fully understand the effect might -- your
:16:53. > :16:54.words have on me. -- Basildon and Thurrock.
:16:55. > :16:58.The Secretary of State for business recently announced we are going to
:16:59. > :17:02.have a review of business broadband, because we understand how important
:17:03. > :17:06.broadband is for businesses, and also of course Ofcom has recently
:17:07. > :17:11.published its digital communications review which will impose minimal
:17:12. > :17:24.quality requirements on open reach, much tougher than currently exists.
:17:25. > :17:27.-- Thurrock. -- Openreach. The Government claims
:17:28. > :17:32.to champion the contribution that small businesses make to our
:17:33. > :17:38.economy, but Ofcom's latest figures show that half of small businesses
:17:39. > :17:43.in business parks cannot get 10 megabits broadband, a quarter cannot
:17:44. > :17:49.get 5 megabits, and one in ten cannot even get 2 megabits. My local
:17:50. > :17:53.Chamber of Commerce tells me of businesses where the staff have to
:17:54. > :17:56.go home if they want to send an e-mail. So responding to me in a
:17:57. > :18:02.debate last week, the Minister said that the Government's broadband roll
:18:03. > :18:11.out had been an old -- unadulterated success. If it -- if this success,
:18:12. > :18:15.what would fail look like? -- failure looked like. As usual my
:18:16. > :18:22.colleagues on these benches have anticipated my answer. There is a
:18:23. > :18:26.picture of failure, Mr Speaker, we have had to write or ?50 million
:18:27. > :18:28.from a failed Labour schemes to deliver broadband in South
:18:29. > :18:32.Yorkshire, and if they had been elected they would be two years
:18:33. > :18:43.behind us in the roll-out of superfast broadband.
:18:44. > :18:49.Speaker-macro, the balance of trade and services has improved from a
:18:50. > :18:57.surplus of ?4.3 billion in 2010 to it a surplus of ?88 billion in 2015.
:18:58. > :19:00.This answer highlights that while exports in goods are vital
:19:01. > :19:05.especially to manufacturing cities like Gloucester, there may be even
:19:06. > :19:10.more vulnerability to the surplus of our services if we were to leave
:19:11. > :19:13.Europe. Can I ask what assessment my right honourable friend has made of
:19:14. > :19:18.sectors but like insurance and investment managers whose businesses
:19:19. > :19:22.are past ported across Europe, and also other sectors like advertising,
:19:23. > :19:26.animators, designers and film producers?
:19:27. > :19:32.My honourable friend speaks with experience, he is a distinguished
:19:33. > :19:38.former pension fund manager, a very important service the UK industry
:19:39. > :19:40.provides, and yes, the UK -- EU's financial services passport means
:19:41. > :19:45.that financial services firms are authorised in the UK to provide
:19:46. > :19:51.their services across the UK is back EU without the need for further
:19:52. > :19:55.authorisations. Services represent almost 80% of our economy and access
:19:56. > :19:59.to the world's largest single market helps them create thousands of
:20:00. > :20:03.British jobs. The Secretary of State must know
:20:04. > :20:08.that however good and we all applaud the growth in services exported from
:20:09. > :20:11.this country, it must go hand in hand with an increase in
:20:12. > :20:18.manufacturing. Isn't he not worried that one of our leading agriculture
:20:19. > :20:23.technology company is going to be taken over by a China company,
:20:24. > :20:27.backed by the Chinese Government? What will that do for our
:20:28. > :20:30.competition, and our supply chains, and why will he not meet a
:20:31. > :20:34.cross-party group of members of Parliament that we have begged him
:20:35. > :20:38.to meet? Of course the honourable gentleman
:20:39. > :20:43.is right about the importance of manufacturing in our economy, that
:20:44. > :20:49.is why it has increased in terms of output, employment and value since
:20:50. > :20:54.2010. But the company he mentions have said there should be no change
:20:55. > :20:57.in their footprint, but also when it comes to foreign investment in
:20:58. > :21:02.British industry I see that as a vote of confidence. If you look like
:21:03. > :21:07.companies like Jaguar Land Rover, since foreign investment employment
:21:08. > :21:10.has gone up threefold. Our strong performance and services
:21:11. > :21:15.are still not enough to offset the difficulties we are having with our
:21:16. > :21:22.trade with the European Union where we have an annual trade deficit now
:21:23. > :21:26.of 62 billion pounds. Given that non-EU trade exports have increased
:21:27. > :21:30.by 30% since 2010, isn't it clear that the best future for this
:21:31. > :21:34.country is outside the European Union, so we can negotiate
:21:35. > :21:39.free-trade agreements with China, India, Brazil, the Commonwealth and
:21:40. > :21:45.the rest of the world's I think where I agree, Mr Speaker, that it
:21:46. > :21:48.is clear that trade agreements can lead to more trade with these
:21:49. > :21:51.countries, they do reduce barriers in other ways that would be in the
:21:52. > :21:56.way. What we have through the EU at the
:21:57. > :22:00.moment is access to over 50 trade agreements, if we look at some other
:22:01. > :22:04.countries like the US or China these are countries with 14 or trade
:22:05. > :22:09.agreements. I do agree with him that we need to focus a lot more on
:22:10. > :22:13.trade, but the trade agreements we have accessed today are very
:22:14. > :22:19.valuable in terms of global trade, not just with the EU.
:22:20. > :22:23.If the Minister aware that productivity in our flagship service
:22:24. > :22:29.industry, financial services itself, productivity has fallen behind
:22:30. > :22:32.similar productivity in the United States, in France, even in Italy?
:22:33. > :22:35.Can the Minister explained that, is it something to do with the
:22:36. > :22:43.regulations his Government has imposed on financial services?
:22:44. > :22:45.I am not sure if it is to do with what the honourable gentleman asked
:22:46. > :22:50.about regulations, because all of the other markets he mentions have
:22:51. > :22:55.also had to look at regulations after the financial crisis. But he
:22:56. > :22:59.rightly highlights a general productivity problem across British
:23:00. > :23:07.industry, all sectors, were compared to our G7 competitors we are some 25
:23:08. > :23:14.points behind, that is why we have a productivity plan working with
:23:15. > :23:19.industry to turn that around. Speaker-macro, last year we passed
:23:20. > :23:22.the consumer rights act which established a defined period of 30
:23:23. > :23:34.days to reject faulty goods after purchase.
:23:35. > :23:39.My constituents -- my constituent has raised concern about the delay
:23:40. > :23:43.in having his faulty Hotpoint tumble drier fixed. Given the risk of fire
:23:44. > :23:46.with these projects -- products, what is the Government doing to
:23:47. > :23:51.ensure consumers have speedy assistance?
:23:52. > :23:55.I understand that this risk was assessed as being a low risk, but
:23:56. > :24:00.nevertheless it is very important that the company deals with it. His
:24:01. > :24:04.local Trading Standards service has informed us they are currently
:24:05. > :24:08.satisfied that the companies taking this matter seriously, but I am sure
:24:09. > :24:11.the company will want to pay particular attention to this
:24:12. > :24:16.constituent, since his case has been raised in the House of Commons.
:24:17. > :24:19.The Minister referred to the consumer rights act, when that Bill
:24:20. > :24:24.was going through I tabled a number of amendments to address the issue
:24:25. > :24:27.of unsafe and faulty electrical goods, and the then Minister gave a
:24:28. > :24:34.series of assurances which now appear to be hobbled when we see the
:24:35. > :24:40.campaigning work by the daily Mirror. -- hollow. Is it under
:24:41. > :24:44.review? Absolutely, and I will make sure I
:24:45. > :24:52.have a conversation with the honourable gentleman to understand
:24:53. > :24:56.what continuing concerns he has. Today is world consumer rights day.
:24:57. > :25:01.And the consumer rights Bill in the UK was trumpeted as bringing a new
:25:02. > :25:07.era of simplified clearer consumer laws. However, most Trading
:25:08. > :25:13.Standards services have been cut by at least 40% of staff since 2010.
:25:14. > :25:16.Can the Minister explained how consumers can enforce these new
:25:17. > :25:20.rights, and Rogue traders be brought to justice in the light of these
:25:21. > :25:24.cuts? I'm afraid it is somewhat typical of
:25:25. > :25:31.the opposition to assume that unless there is public money and public
:25:32. > :25:33.money always growing, that it is impossible to enforce rights?
:25:34. > :25:37.Trading standards are simply one of the enforcement mechanisms for
:25:38. > :25:40.consumer rights, consumers can enforce their own rights which is
:25:41. > :25:43.something established by the consumer rights act, and Trading
:25:44. > :25:52.Standards are working more efficiently across the country.
:25:53. > :25:55.Of course we do know that for small businesses late payment is a serious
:25:56. > :26:00.problem and continues to be so, that is why we are creating the small
:26:01. > :26:04.business commissioner, who at -- he or she will have as the fundamental
:26:05. > :26:08.principle absolutely to tackle this problem, because we want to change
:26:09. > :26:11.the culture, that is why it is good to see that some of the larger
:26:12. > :26:22.companies have changed their late payment policies. That is why from
:26:23. > :26:23.October larger companies will be under a duty to report their payment
:26:24. > :26:42.policies. We show that for Government
:26:43. > :26:44.departments were failing to meet the Government's own departments. I
:26:45. > :26:50.won't public sector departments included? What I can say is that I
:26:51. > :26:54.have particularly asked that we have a full look at the way that all
:26:55. > :26:59.Government at all contracted levels I making sure that late payment is
:27:00. > :27:05.not a problem, and particularly that subcontractors don't breach are very
:27:06. > :27:09.clear rules about late payment and the terms and conditions that are
:27:10. > :27:12.only fear and should be in all contracts and all Government
:27:13. > :27:20.contracts. They should not just be seeing it, but doing it. Number
:27:21. > :27:26.eight, Mr Speaker. It's absolutely the case that our country will
:27:27. > :27:32.indeed be stronger, safer and better off remaining in the European Union.
:27:33. > :27:39.The United Kingdom automated industry exported ?15 billion to the
:27:40. > :27:44.EU in 2015, were the aerospace and mounted to 5.8 billion. Our
:27:45. > :27:47.membership allows us to continue to attract international investment
:27:48. > :27:50.into the United Kingdom, as well as working with those countries to the
:27:51. > :28:00.various trade agreements we have two other countries in the world. Toyota
:28:01. > :28:04.UK and another company are two companies heading huge supply chains
:28:05. > :28:11.in north-east Wales, which employed 10,000 people. Does the honourable
:28:12. > :28:17.lady agree with me that it would be absolute madness to throw those
:28:18. > :28:21.anchors away by risking leaving the European Union and placing jobs in
:28:22. > :28:26.Wales and the rest of the UK at risk? It's a pleasure to agree with
:28:27. > :28:31.the honourable gentleman, who might become a honourable friend on this
:28:32. > :28:34.matter. We are undoubtedly better remaining as a member of the
:28:35. > :28:40.European Union. It's not just that the sake of those larger companies,
:28:41. > :28:43.but we know that it goes all the way through the supply chains, which
:28:44. > :28:47.often accompanies the smaller companies. I would urge him to speak
:28:48. > :28:52.to the leader of his party and urge him to make sure that the Labour
:28:53. > :28:56.Party throws its full weight behind the steering in a campaign. He would
:28:57. > :29:04.be better at doing that than engaging on CMD rallies. The Right
:29:05. > :29:09.honourable lady knows that planes have the honour of crossing borders
:29:10. > :29:14.without pesky border controls. Having found her to be a champion
:29:15. > :29:20.for my constituency contact can she confirmed that she will come to knew
:29:21. > :29:24.the discussions with UTI irrespective of what happens on the
:29:25. > :29:31.23rd of June? It was a great pleasure to come to his constituency
:29:32. > :29:37.and see Bob ideate's construction. I am delighted to say that I will
:29:38. > :29:41.continue to make sure that UTI is properly used by all industries,
:29:42. > :29:45.especially the one that he represents to make sure that the
:29:46. > :29:56.increase sales force it is an excellent plane, Mr Speaker. Since
:29:57. > :30:03.1995, Europe's share of commercial aviation manufacturing across the
:30:04. > :30:09.world has risen from 16% of the world market because of the
:30:10. > :30:12.cooperation between France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.
:30:13. > :30:16.Wouldn't she be better off having a word with some of her own
:30:17. > :30:19.colleagues, rather than worrying about the Labour Party, which is
:30:20. > :30:26.united in its support to remain in the European Union. Doesn't that
:30:27. > :30:30.statistic give a practical and potent example that she can use with
:30:31. > :30:35.her own backbenchers and supporters of why it is absolutely in the UK's
:30:36. > :30:42.long-term interest to remain in the European Union? As I've already
:30:43. > :30:46.said, we are stronger and safer with the European Union. I am delighted
:30:47. > :30:50.that the leader of my party, the Prime Minister, is leading the
:30:51. > :30:55.campaign for us to remain in the European Union. If I may say, Mr
:30:56. > :30:59.Speaker, I was totally yesterday for the majority of Conservative MPs
:31:00. > :31:05.actually support the Prime Minister. However, I will make the point yet
:31:06. > :31:09.again that unfortunately, the leader of the Labour Party is failing in
:31:10. > :31:15.his duty to play a full part, and instead of supporting Trident, he
:31:16. > :31:27.goes on CND rallies, instead of going out and supporting Stronger
:31:28. > :31:32.In. With your permission, I will answer this question along with
:31:33. > :31:38.question 11. I continue to promote the plan for the region. This will
:31:39. > :31:42.bring thousands of jobs to the middle of the economy by 2030. Last
:31:43. > :31:52.week I opened a factory and innovation centre in the Midlands.
:31:53. > :31:55.The grouping is with number ten. As its national apprenticeship week, we
:31:56. > :32:02.can all welcome the creation of over 2.6 billion and ships since May,
:32:03. > :32:06.including half a million in the Midlands and 1440 in my
:32:07. > :32:11.constituency. Will you join me in welcoming a report published today
:32:12. > :32:14.which shows the potential for a degree of pensioners to help meet
:32:15. > :32:24.the needs of employers in my constituency and across the country.
:32:25. > :32:27.Yes, I will. Let me congratulate my honourable friend and the hardware
:32:28. > :32:35.key has already put in in the small time he has been in his new role --
:32:36. > :32:40.the hard work he has put in. We have seen an increase in partnership
:32:41. > :32:47.stats. He is right to raise this issue because it is about quantity,
:32:48. > :32:50.not quality -- quality, not quantity. We will do everything we
:32:51. > :32:54.can to support quality apprenticeships. The people of
:32:55. > :33:02.Lancashire are grateful for the Government's investment so far with
:33:03. > :33:07.apprenticeships. Can he advise me if I should be at fault for any further
:33:08. > :33:16.investments which I have previously discussed, in the budget tomorrow?
:33:17. > :33:21.He is an incredibly powerful advocate for the people of Lincoln.
:33:22. > :33:29.His energy is legendary. He is like the Jura sell bunny. I can
:33:30. > :33:32.congratulate him on what he has already achieved in securing
:33:33. > :33:39.investment and like him we will all have to wait to see what the budget
:33:40. > :33:49.holds. I think it was meant as a tribute. Thank you very much. It was
:33:50. > :33:52.a great pleasure to meet with the honourable gentleman yesterday to
:33:53. > :33:55.discuss his campaign, which I can put the support. We had already
:33:56. > :33:59.begun to look at this very important problem to look at whether or not we
:34:00. > :34:04.need to change the legislation. As a result of the meeting, I have
:34:05. > :34:08.already undertaken the trading standards officer, the primary
:34:09. > :34:14.authority in particular, we would need to look at what this is and
:34:15. > :34:20.particularly the legal sale of laser pens to children. They should be
:34:21. > :34:24.bought by people who will use them for the intended purposes, not
:34:25. > :34:30.children. We will now look at the EU and how we can change some of the
:34:31. > :34:33.regulations. As I thank the Minister for that answer. I told her about
:34:34. > :34:37.the case of a seven-year-old boy in my constituency who was almost
:34:38. > :34:41.blinded last year by a laser pen that he purchased at a Christmas
:34:42. > :34:45.fair. The problem is that these laser pens are very dangerous and
:34:46. > :34:48.they are being marketed for children as toys. Can the Minister update the
:34:49. > :34:54.House further as to what the Government will be doing to stop
:34:55. > :34:59.this form of marketing? I don't see how it can possibly be legal. It
:35:00. > :35:03.must be illegal. We are contacting trading standards, but also the
:35:04. > :35:07.police, and I know that the honourable gentleman has already
:35:08. > :35:11.contacted his local Trading Standards, they have contacted the
:35:12. > :35:15.police and an investigation is taking place. As a result, I am
:35:16. > :35:18.confident that the message will be put out there so that we stop the
:35:19. > :35:24.imports. That is one of the reasons why I want to stop working with the
:35:25. > :35:28.European as well. I don't see how it can be legal for these pens to be
:35:29. > :35:34.sold as toys. They are clearly not toys. As we raise the standard of
:35:35. > :35:38.apprenticeships by making them a longer and more testing, it is not
:35:39. > :35:45.surprising that there has been a slight drop in success rates to 69%.
:35:46. > :35:49.That is why we are sure that 29% of the trading pay advisors is only
:35:50. > :35:54.paid on completion. There has been a drop. The Minister knows of my
:35:55. > :35:59.concern that achieving his quantity of apprenticeship targets could be
:36:00. > :36:04.at the expense of quality and a fall in completion figure. There seems to
:36:05. > :36:09.be a particular problem in London. I wonder if he has any further
:36:10. > :36:14.proposals for improving apprenticeship completion is? I
:36:15. > :36:18.would hope the honourable gentleman, who is a very consistent champion of
:36:19. > :36:24.high quality apprenticeships, should in some sense be actually
:36:25. > :36:28.encouraged. The steps that we are taking to insist that and apprentice
:36:29. > :36:31.ship must last a minimum of 12 months, and secondly to insist on
:36:32. > :36:35.the training content of the apprenticeships being relatively
:36:36. > :36:38.progressive. That is flushing out poorer quality training provision
:36:39. > :36:43.and having a temporary effect on completion rates. As he knows, we
:36:44. > :36:47.propose to put employers in charge of the money. They will training
:36:48. > :36:51.provision and they will have a very strong interest to ensure that as
:36:52. > :37:00.many apprentices as possible complete the programme. With 19,000
:37:01. > :37:05.apprentice ship starts this year, an increase of over 12%, in my
:37:06. > :37:08.constituency nearly 3600, can I congratulate the Government on what
:37:09. > :37:14.they have done so far and urge the Minister to go further and faster?
:37:15. > :37:20.He agree with my honourable friend, because while that figure is
:37:21. > :37:23.encouraging, it is a tiny percentage of the number of apprenticeship
:37:24. > :37:28.starts every year. We want to see more, as especially chartered by the
:37:29. > :37:33.Secretary of State. People will see that they can start and a petition
:37:34. > :37:42.at any level and go anywhere. What assessment has the Minister made of
:37:43. > :37:47.post-19 loans and training options? We are delighted that we have been
:37:48. > :37:52.able to extend these loans and have the general subsidy of student
:37:53. > :37:59.loans. They are now available to people over 24 and over the age of
:38:00. > :38:03.19. They are available for levels three and above any programme of
:38:04. > :38:10.study. We believe it is a wheel opportunity for people to invest in
:38:11. > :38:14.their own futures and study. Can I associate myself with the Secretary
:38:15. > :38:17.of State's advocacy for national apprenticeship week, which of course
:38:18. > :38:25.is the Labour Government started. It is worrying to learn that the people
:38:26. > :38:29.who are completed apprentice ships in London last year, compared to
:38:30. > :38:40.those who started them is only 50%. Across England, only 52%, a drop on
:38:41. > :38:47.6% of the previous year. The latest umber of apprenticeships starting in
:38:48. > :38:52.two as is down on 2010, and only 4% of our woman of friendships do
:38:53. > :38:57.engineering. Does the Minister agree with me that 50% of the population,
:38:58. > :39:01.women, must be crucial elements for his 3 million apprenticeship
:39:02. > :39:08.targets? How will he have the muscle to achieve that with the cuts in
:39:09. > :39:15.apprentice ship the staffing in the last month alone. More cuts to come.
:39:16. > :39:20.I do think the opposition will find that it is a hiding to nothing to
:39:21. > :39:28.consistently pickles and talk down the apprenticeship programme, which
:39:29. > :39:32.is dramatically successful and. Of course, some people will not
:39:33. > :39:36.complete the apprentice ships because it is not just a programme,
:39:37. > :39:41.it is a job. Sometimes employers will decide that that person is not
:39:42. > :39:45.suitable for that job. We want more numbers and it would be quite good
:39:46. > :39:53.to have some support from the opposition about a programme that
:39:54. > :40:02.they claim to have invented. This is consulting for 90 days with staff
:40:03. > :40:10.and trade unions on the move of jobs. We are consulting on how they
:40:11. > :40:15.can avoid making redundancies. The consultation will be on the 2nd of
:40:16. > :40:19.May. I thank the Minister for confirming that no decision will be
:40:20. > :40:26.taking on the closure of the office before the end of the 90 day
:40:27. > :40:31.consultation. The Sheffield Council has said that moving 247 jobs from
:40:32. > :40:35.Sheffield to London will add around ?2.5 million to the annual operating
:40:36. > :40:39.costs of the department, and he has offered to work with him to look at
:40:40. > :40:45.alternatives. But the Department take up this offer before the final
:40:46. > :40:50.decision is made? The department is in consultation with staff and trade
:40:51. > :40:56.unions and local authorities. These changes will result in ?350 million
:40:57. > :41:10.across the spending review period or a 30 to 40% of such budgets. This is
:41:11. > :41:14.an important saving. Number 15, Mr Speaker. I can carry on where I left
:41:15. > :41:18.off and explain that broadband business is going very well. We
:41:19. > :41:24.anticipate that 80% of businesses will have access to broadband by the
:41:25. > :41:30.end of 2017. We have surpassed our target for the UK as a whole. I
:41:31. > :41:33.thank the Minister for his response, but my constituent is struggling to
:41:34. > :41:40.run a business with broadband speeds of no more than 1.8 megabits. He is
:41:41. > :41:46.not due to get faster broadband until July, 2017 at the earliest. It
:41:47. > :41:55.is a necessity, not a luxury. Will he make a concession to escalate the
:41:56. > :41:59.broadband so that my constituents can compete with other businesses? I
:42:00. > :42:03.am confident that her constituents will achieve levels of 96%
:42:04. > :42:07.broadband. The point she makes that I would like to emphasise to the
:42:08. > :42:12.opposition spokesman, is that that is why we have brought forward the
:42:13. > :42:18.Labour target. We will achieve this by the end of 2015. Many of my rule
:42:19. > :42:22.and forming constituents are looking to diversify and I setting up their
:42:23. > :42:28.own businesses and working from home. Many of them are frustrated
:42:29. > :42:33.for the wait for BT to deliver superfast broadband and have been
:42:34. > :42:40.left to take their own trenches. What messages does the Minister have
:42:41. > :42:49.my constituents who have been let in this situation? I message to her is
:42:50. > :42:53.that people have to make up their mind on... On my moment I'm being
:42:54. > :42:57.berated because BT has a monopoly, and then I been berated because
:42:58. > :43:02.people have a different provider. It is a fantastic amenity broadband
:43:03. > :43:05.programme. We encourage lots of competition and I am pleased that
:43:06. > :43:09.they are thriving and providing an excellent service.
:43:10. > :43:19.Order. Topical questions. It is a busy week for the department
:43:20. > :43:22.of business, we are in the middle of British science week. Yesterday I
:43:23. > :43:28.helped launch national apprenticeships week and met some
:43:29. > :43:32.young people learning skills to do the jobs for tomorrow, and of course
:43:33. > :43:36.tomorrow is the budget and we will see the Chancellor and hear from him
:43:37. > :43:41.about our long-term plan to make Britain the best place in the world
:43:42. > :43:45.to start and to grow a business. The Secretary of State will remember
:43:46. > :43:50.several visits to my constituency, so he will be delighted to know that
:43:51. > :43:53.on Thursday this week the Telford International centre is hosting a
:43:54. > :44:02.national apprenticeships show. Including local employers such --
:44:03. > :44:06.Telford has had dramatic fall in youth unemployment, and will he join
:44:07. > :44:10.me in congratulating Telford businesses, colleges and many people
:44:11. > :44:17.who have helped youngsters get the first step on career ladder?
:44:18. > :44:21.I am pleased she is wearing the apprenticeship urged today to mark
:44:22. > :44:25.this important week. I recall a number of visits to Telford and some
:44:26. > :44:29.of the visits we had with local businesses. I will warmly join her
:44:30. > :44:32.in congratulating those local businesses, the colleges, the
:44:33. > :44:36.training providers, in the work they have done to boost prevent --
:44:37. > :44:44.apprenticeships. It means thousands of young people helping to achieve
:44:45. > :44:48.-- being helped to achieve their full potential.
:44:49. > :44:53.It is national apprenticeship week. It is British science week. It is
:44:54. > :44:59.global consumer day, and it is the Ides of March. Today the CBI has
:45:00. > :45:04.released a survey showing that 80% of its members support the case that
:45:05. > :45:08.staying in the EU is best for jobs, growth and investment. They are
:45:09. > :45:13.right, aren't they, Secretary of State?
:45:14. > :45:18.I think the best outcome of this referendum is that we stay, it
:45:19. > :45:24.provides as the opportunities that we need. And I think the uncertainty
:45:25. > :45:28.of a leave that would be the enemy of jobs and growth.
:45:29. > :45:33.I thank the honourable gentleman for that response, it wasn't heard
:45:34. > :45:42.brilliantly on parts of his own backbenchers, but isn't it the case
:45:43. > :45:46.that his lukewarm call -- the Prime Minister is back when the Prime
:45:47. > :45:49.Minister launched the Conservatives propose campaign, the Business
:45:50. > :45:54.Secretary had a prior engagement, announcing that "With a heavy heart
:45:55. > :46:02.and no enthusiasm, I will be voting for the EU to remain a member -- for
:46:03. > :46:07.the UK to remain." He asserted he would remain a Brussels bashar, but
:46:08. > :46:19.isn't it really the case that he is increasingly seen in his own party
:46:20. > :46:24.as a Brexit, -- Brexit betrayer. Doesn't the case to remain in the EU
:46:25. > :46:28.deserves a Business Secretary who can campaign with his heart as well
:46:29. > :46:33.as his head? It is a shame that this is the best
:46:34. > :46:38.the right honourable lady can come up with. You would think she would
:46:39. > :46:41.want to make a positive case. I think what she -- what the right
:46:42. > :46:45.honourable lady should focus on is speaking to her own boss and asking
:46:46. > :46:52.about the contribution that he wants to make to this debate.
:46:53. > :46:56.As a conference of schoolgirl who left school at 16, social mobility
:46:57. > :47:01.is very important to me, and I'm pleased to be involved in APG G and
:47:02. > :47:07.getting people from diverse backgrounds into top professions.
:47:08. > :47:11.What steps are the Government taking to make sure more people can secure
:47:12. > :47:21.further Investec -- education or employment?
:47:22. > :47:25.I am pleased to set out the Government's support, we have
:47:26. > :47:28.committed to double spending and rose to 3 million apprenticeships
:47:29. > :47:35.each year, they are providing a crucial platform to providing
:47:36. > :47:37.opportunity and social mobility. Small care home providers in my
:47:38. > :47:42.constituency tell me their businesses will not be viable from
:47:43. > :47:45.April because they face the living wage increase with no chance of an
:47:46. > :47:51.increase in fees from Hull City Council. With Hull's lower council
:47:52. > :47:56.tax base, even year-old percent social care level will not close the
:47:57. > :48:00.funding gap. What advice can ministers give to the small
:48:01. > :48:04.businesses which are very valuable in my constituency?
:48:05. > :48:08.I have had meetings with various providers of social care. I don't
:48:09. > :48:12.entirely accept her assessment that the increase in council tax
:48:13. > :48:15.specifically to create extra funding for social care is not going to be
:48:16. > :48:20.able to address the higher costs resulting from the national living
:48:21. > :48:24.wage, and I do note that in a week when we have had a very significant
:48:25. > :48:28.increase in the national minimum wage and a month before the national
:48:29. > :48:33.living wage comes in, that this we hear from the opposition will be --
:48:34. > :48:36.is an attempt to say that these interventions are actually going to
:48:37. > :48:39.be damaging to the people they represent, rather than substantially
:48:40. > :48:45.boosting their incomes? Like many in the House I welcome the
:48:46. > :48:49.Chancellor's moves to develop a northern powerhouse. But my
:48:50. > :48:53.constituents are also interested in the Secretary of State's work to
:48:54. > :48:58.drive forward the Midland engine. Can he assure me that tomorrow's
:48:59. > :49:03.budget will contain some welcome news for my constituents and people
:49:04. > :49:06.across the West Midlands? I can absolutely reassure my
:49:07. > :49:10.honourable friend, the Government is absolutely committed to a long-term
:49:11. > :49:14.economic plan for the Midlands engine. I was involved in the launch
:49:15. > :49:19.of the Midlands engine prospectus, and we are looking by 2030 to have
:49:20. > :49:23.?34 billion increase in the local economy and 300,000 jobs which will
:49:24. > :49:31.benefit his constituents and mind. I welcome the Minister on Wednesday
:49:32. > :49:36.reiterating her department's view that she and they will abide by the
:49:37. > :49:40.will of the House of Commons with regard to the code. But tenants
:49:41. > :49:46.would have two measure -- surrender the length of the lease. Will she
:49:47. > :49:52.ensure this is taken out of the final stage of drafting?
:49:53. > :49:56.What I will undertake to do, Mr Speaker, is to be true to all that
:49:57. > :49:59.we promised we would be when this matter was considered last year when
:50:00. > :50:03.the Bill went through, and that is what we will do. I do hope now that
:50:04. > :50:08.they honourable gentleman might be adopting the words if I may say of
:50:09. > :50:12.the Institute of innkeepers, who have welcomed the appointment of Mr
:50:13. > :50:17.Paul Newby as the pub code adjudicator, saying that it has
:50:18. > :50:21.fantastic integrity. He will be both feared and respected by a pub
:50:22. > :50:26.companies. Sounds like a job we have done well.
:50:27. > :50:29.A large number of young people interested in setting up their own
:50:30. > :50:35.business, can my right honourable friend tell the House what steps are
:50:36. > :50:43.being taken to make sure they can achieve their ambitions?
:50:44. > :50:46.As he will know, we have had a real look at how the self-employed work
:50:47. > :50:50.and all the sorts of changes that might be made to improve their
:50:51. > :50:54.condition -- conditions, and to make sure there is more fairness between
:50:55. > :50:58.those who don't have self-employment. We are having a
:50:59. > :51:02.look at that excellent report, and seeing how we can encourage more
:51:03. > :51:08.people to start up their own business and indeed if they are self
:51:09. > :51:11.employed to have a better deal. In February the Cabinet Office
:51:12. > :51:15.announced its intention to insert a new clause into grad agreements for
:51:16. > :51:24.charities. Many investors are worried that this will prevent them
:51:25. > :51:27.from being -- on the Secretary of State confirm if universities will
:51:28. > :51:32.be exempt from this, and if so, what form the exemption will take?
:51:33. > :51:36.We are discussing with Cabinet colleagues exactly how we might
:51:37. > :51:41.treat universities with respect to this proposal.
:51:42. > :51:47.The Secretary of State will know that in the West Midlands the beer
:51:48. > :51:52.and pub industry employs 86,000 people in 5000 pubs with 124
:51:53. > :51:55.breweries and contributes ?1.3 billion worth of tax. Given his
:51:56. > :52:01.support for the brewing industry when he was in the Treasury, being
:52:02. > :52:05.the man who led the call for the duty cut, will he outlined what his
:52:06. > :52:14.department is doing to support the beer and pub industry, and will peak
:52:15. > :52:18.as the Chancellor for another cut? My honourable friend has been an
:52:19. > :52:23.excellent advocate of that industry. And he would just have heard from my
:52:24. > :52:26.honourable friend on the pubs code adjudicator which I think is a
:52:27. > :52:31.positive development, I have heard him loud and clear on a further cut,
:52:32. > :52:35.I know he has made those representations to the Chancellor. I
:52:36. > :52:40.do recall when I was the economic Secretary I had a beer named after
:52:41. > :52:49.me, which was a fine brew. There are lots of reasons to cut beer duty.
:52:50. > :52:55.Government spend on small business -- SMEs topped ?2.1 billion last
:52:56. > :52:58.year. I wrote to the Government to find out how much we were spending
:52:59. > :53:05.in the North West. With an average UK spend of per head population, why
:53:06. > :53:16.does the North West get just ?29 per head, and Oldham, just ?15.
:53:17. > :53:20.As we know, we have a Chancellor committed to the northern
:53:21. > :53:27.powerhouse, and worked -- that is what we continued to do.
:53:28. > :53:30.As ministers know, the steel industry is a very important
:53:31. > :53:35.employer in Corby, and with the final prebudget discussions taking
:53:36. > :53:38.place, with ministers impress upon the Chancellor that business rates
:53:39. > :53:42.holiday for the industry would be a very welcome news?
:53:43. > :53:46.Will continue to fight for our steel industry and the views of myself and
:53:47. > :53:49.my right honourable friend the Secretary of State about the need to
:53:50. > :53:53.look at business rates and in particular plant and machinery at
:53:54. > :53:59.employment -- important arguments that we continue to put forward.
:54:00. > :54:05.Last week and that a large number of companies involved in securing and
:54:06. > :54:12.maintaining -- they expressed extreme concern about the
:54:13. > :54:19.environmental impact. Will the Minister commit to an immediate
:54:20. > :54:22.environmental review of the site? Moleskin to make sure we do the
:54:23. > :54:29.right thing by the site, and we will be -- and I will be reintroducing
:54:30. > :54:36.revisiting Redcar. But she makes a good point, why are things I am keen
:54:37. > :54:41.to make sure is that this must not be a white elephant, and if we have
:54:42. > :54:45.to make decisions now to ensure a proper future for it now we will do
:54:46. > :54:50.it. Businesses are continually telling me that their plans for
:54:51. > :54:53.expansion are hampered by over and excessive regulation. Much of which
:54:54. > :54:58.emanates from the European Commission. Can the Minister give an
:54:59. > :55:04.assurance that the Government will also -- always be fighting on of
:55:05. > :55:08.businesses than regulators? I'm absolutely delighted that in the
:55:09. > :55:12.last Government we reduced the cost of regulation by ?10 billion on
:55:13. > :55:17.small businesses, and we are furthermore committed to
:55:18. > :55:23.turbo-charging, it is one in, three out.
:55:24. > :55:28.A recent report highlighted innovation is a key driver of growth
:55:29. > :55:35.across the economy, and found UK companies were less innovative and
:55:36. > :55:41.less focused on innovation. With the UK GDP growth advised down, isn't it
:55:42. > :55:44.time the Minister said greater attention to supporting innovation
:55:45. > :55:48.and economy? Says 2010 the UK has risen from 14th
:55:49. > :55:53.to second place in the global innovation index, behind only
:55:54. > :55:58.Switzerland. We continue to support innovation in this country, and are
:55:59. > :56:02.expanding. The most promising sector in the
:56:03. > :56:06.British economy at the moment is life sciences, yet historically
:56:07. > :56:09.start-ups to the sector have had difficulty attracting venture
:56:10. > :56:12.capital. The Minister update us on progress he is making on getting
:56:13. > :56:16.this vital resource into this vital sector?
:56:17. > :56:21.Gives me a chance to congratulate my honourable friend for his
:56:22. > :56:28.leadership. The life sciences sector is growing, we hit a 17 year
:56:29. > :56:31.financing higher last year. The challenge is to make sure those
:56:32. > :56:37.emerging businesses grow into substantial global companies.
:56:38. > :56:41.May I love them national apprenticeships week as a great
:56:42. > :56:45.opportunity to praise all apprentices and promote
:56:46. > :56:52.apprenticeships as a means to secure training skills and jobs for the
:56:53. > :56:56.future. A statement to the House about apprenticeships, the Minister
:56:57. > :57:02.said, we do not expect people to pay the levy. So what does this mean?
:57:03. > :57:07.Can any company take up and and spent levy? What does the Minister
:57:08. > :57:15.mean about the apprenticeship levy that will not be used by smaller
:57:16. > :57:19.firms? As ever, be asked some penetrative a good questions, but I
:57:20. > :57:25.fear that he will have to wait until tomorrow where he will hear more and
:57:26. > :57:28.then over the next few weeks. Does the Minister agree with me that we
:57:29. > :57:32.need to do more to support small businesses in terms of training
:57:33. > :57:42.support, to encourage and to hire women re-entering the labour market
:57:43. > :57:47.post-children. Yes, I absolutely agree. This is something that we are
:57:48. > :57:51.very much focused on. We are working with the equalities minister on this
:57:52. > :57:54.and we want to make sure that women have the same opportunities as men
:57:55. > :58:05.to re-enter the workforce, and we will take this as a big priority.
:58:06. > :58:10.The Government has pledged to have the disability employment gap. What
:58:11. > :58:17.is the Minister going to do our disabled people undertaking
:58:18. > :58:20.apprenticeship employability and fulfilling their potential? It takes
:58:21. > :58:27.me great pleasure to be able to agree entirely with you honourable
:58:28. > :58:32.lady. The participation in disability of friendships is not too
:58:33. > :58:35.bad but we can always do more. We need to make sure that the
:58:36. > :58:43.qualifications were English and maths, that they don't discriminate
:58:44. > :58:46.against disabled people. Does the Secretary of State agree with me
:58:47. > :58:51.that with conservatives keen to promote the economic case of
:58:52. > :58:57.promoting the European Union, it is excellent news that CGI pointing out
:58:58. > :59:09.that 90% of their members support as. Absolutely. It is excellent to
:59:10. > :59:12.see the CBI support the campaign. We are seeing more voices in businesses
:59:13. > :59:16.standing up for British businesses and putting forward the argument is
:59:17. > :59:21.not just about how bad it will look and what Brexit operas, but making
:59:22. > :59:28.the positive case for staying, within a reformed you European
:59:29. > :59:31.Union. It is in our better interest. Further to a previous question, the
:59:32. > :59:37.Minister will know that right across the whole of the United Kingdom, we
:59:38. > :59:39.have many young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas within
:59:40. > :59:44.universities. What more can the Government do to encourage them to
:59:45. > :59:49.stay in the country to produce our goods? Scotland is doing
:59:50. > :59:57.particularly well in the minute with 11 Bush sent -- 11% share of
:59:58. > :00:03.Innovate UK. Scotland is punching above its weight and I have hope
:00:04. > :00:08.this continues to be the case. What does the Minister of universities
:00:09. > :00:13.doing about the appalling anti-Semitism at Oxford University?
:00:14. > :00:18.We now hear of an anti-Semitic play being played at York University.
:00:19. > :00:25.This is an appalling example of disgraceful and blade tips --
:00:26. > :00:30.blatant anti-Semitism. What is the Minister doing to deal with it?
:00:31. > :00:33.Well, I have of course discussed this with the Vice Chancellor of
:00:34. > :00:38.Oxford University, as well as with the Chief Executive. Anti-Semitism
:00:39. > :00:43.has no place in our universities or anywhere else in our society, which
:00:44. > :00:46.is why last November we asked universities UK to read a review
:00:47. > :00:53.into harassment and hate crime in higher education. We expect
:00:54. > :00:55.university leaders to deal with anti-Semitism without any
:00:56. > :01:00.hesitation, taking disciplinary action and involving the police
:01:01. > :01:05.wherever necessary. In this glorious week of the Cheltenham and Festival
:01:06. > :01:09.and St Patrick's Day, with the Secretary of State join me in paying
:01:10. > :01:13.tribute to the Irish community in Britain and all those who work to
:01:14. > :01:17.promote trade between our two countries, would he acknowledge and
:01:18. > :01:19.pay tribute to the fact that this relationship has been cultivated
:01:20. > :01:29.within the European Union and long may that continue. It is a great
:01:30. > :01:36.pleasure as the son of a jockey who won at Cheltenham Festival of two
:01:37. > :01:44.congratulates him and the economy. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My
:01:45. > :01:51.constituency is a centre for aerospace. With the Minister Joe me
:01:52. > :02:02.for congratulating everyone involved in the Mars space programme? The
:02:03. > :02:07.space economy is growing. I look forward to the results from the Mars
:02:08. > :02:16.sniffer when it comes back from Myers. -- Mars. I received an update
:02:17. > :02:22.that a signal has been received and we can successfully say that the
:02:23. > :02:32.launch has been a success. Thank you. Order! We come now to the
:02:33. > :02:38.urgent question. Mr Hilary Benn. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. To
:02:39. > :02:39.ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if
:02:40. > :02:44.he will announcement by Russia that it is
:02:45. > :02:52.redeploying the main part of its force from Syria,
:02:53. > :02:57.implications of this for the peace process? We have of course seen the
:02:58. > :03:00.media reports of Russian withdrawal of forces, including this morning
:03:01. > :03:06.that the first group of Russian planes have left the airbase to
:03:07. > :03:09.return to Russia. However, I should tell the House that none of the
:03:10. > :03:10.members of the International Syria