Live Innovation, Business and Skills Questions House of Commons


Live Innovation, Business and Skills Questions

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As many as are of the opinion, say "aye". To the contrary, "no". I

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think the ayes have it. Questions to the Secretary of State for Business,

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Innovation and Skills. With your permission I'd like to answer this

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question together with question number three. I recently announced a

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joint review into business broadband to ensure businesses can access

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affordable high-speed broadband. Over 250,000 homes and businesses in

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Yorkshire and the Humber and 100,000 in the north-east have superfast

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broadband available for the first time thanks to the Government's

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investment Road ground. I thank him for his response. If they are on

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track to meet targets, why does Ofcom analysis predicts that by

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2017, when 95% of all premises will have broadband, a land AT present --

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18% will not. Why are so many businesses left behind and does he

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accept his plans show a lack of ambition? I do not accept that and I

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hope the Honourable lady will recognise that superfast broadband

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coverage throughout the UK has increased from 45% in 2010 to almost

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90% now and we are fully on target to reach 95% by 2017. It is

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important to keep looking at new ways to extend coverage and that is

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what we are doing. A senior adviser at the Institute of Directors said

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they expect the Government to meet the universal service obligation but

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the latter is only because the bar is set so low. How will the

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Government provide the infrastructure to make Britain's

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position at the forefront of digital innovation is business and also --

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and business and also I'd ask him to address the previous question, and

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my question, about the lack of provision for S M Es. There are

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hundreds of thousands of them including in our own constituency.

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We are on target and our US all is twice as high as recommended in the

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EU and despite their being more work to do, we have wider coverage than

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EU partners and higher speeds and lowest average price. The Ofcom

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solution to the desperately poor penetration of fibre to premises in

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the UK to open access to BT's infrastructure but that would

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require reasonable rates of access as well as a clear network map. What

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can the Secretary of State do to make sure BT complies with

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requirements? I can tell my honourable friend, I have read the

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Ofcom report carefully and met with them a number of times on this issue

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but I have every reason to think the key will comply. If not we will look

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at what action we can take. Question two. We are absolutely committed to

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regional growth. We had a fresh round of golf deals. Including a

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?250 million investment fund and the devolution deal for greater language

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worth ?450 million. One of the keys to growth in the Black Country is

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greater collaboration between business and further education

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colleges and I have two of these excellently severing my

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constituency. Would the Secretary of State agreed to meet with the

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principles of each to talk about reducing the skills gap and promote

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further growth in the region? I agree with my honourable friend. One

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reason we have seen a 50% fall in his constituency is because he has

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been promoting that type of collaboration and I enjoyed visiting

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hills on college last year to learn about the technology centre and I

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will be more than happy to meet with him and the college representatives.

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Mr Keith Lasley to -- Keith Vaz. Would the Secretary of State like to

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join me and other lesser MPs in congratulating -- Leicester MPs in

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congratulating Leicester FC. It will boost jobs in the region in tourism.

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Rather than call it red Leicester anymore it is actually blue

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Leicester. I like the sound of that very much. Let me to gradually at

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him and his constituents on their stunning victory last night. The

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whole nation celebrates that and I suggest he makes the most of it

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while he can. Amanda Maling. Regional growth is reliant on

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businesses investing and exporting. I visited the business on Friday

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looking to grow their business but facing difficulties in terms of

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access to finance from their bank. This resulted in them switching

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bank. Can he outlined what measures are being taken by the Government to

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improve access to finance for small and medium businesses? She raises a

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unimportant issue and I will highlight two things. First there is

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the local growth fund which is already allocated ?8 billion and the

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Chancellor spoke of a further 4 billion by the end of Parliament.

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Also the launch of the Midlands engineering investment fund,

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hundreds of millions allocated to small businesses including those in

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Cannock Chase. We are going to get visitors across the sand West

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midlands and get the engine moving, will he talk about infrastructure

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investment more generally because in the East Midlands we are losing out,

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only ?37 per head of rail investment compared to over 200 in London. He

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raises an important issue and that is because we have a strong economy

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under this government that we have a programme of ?300 billion of

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investment over the next few years. That includes the Midlands including

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the mainline, investment in HS2, but there is always more we can do and I

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am happy to hear new ideas. Will the Secretary of State to take this

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opportunity to praise the work of promoting the economy of West

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Midlands, particularly Greater Birmingham Solihull. Could you

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clarify what will be the role of the LEPs in helping to promote regional

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economy? I join them in commending the work. Especially the Birmingham

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and Solihull LEP and I have seen the work they have achieved and that is

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commendable. They will work throughout the Midlands with

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cooperation on things like infrastructure and trade and skills.

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A couple of weeks ago I asked the Prime Minister about the possible

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closure of British Gas Albury with the loss of 700 jobs. His reply, he

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should meet, we will make sure a ministerial task force can talk to

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the company and the community. Imagine my disappointment to be told

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that there is no ministerial tax force -- task force. I don't think

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it matches up to the assurance from the Prime Minister that there needs

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to be real drive to keep and replace these jobs. Job losses are

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regrettable in all cases and we must do everything we can. Soon after the

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Prime Minister said that there was a meeting by the Business Minister and

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the employment minister with fellow managing director from British Gas.

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I understand the redundancies are not yet final but there's a

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consultation period so let us hope they are not as bad as soon. We will

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continue to do whatever we can including contacting the company.

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Question number four. We are protecting adult education budget in

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cash terms, subsidised loans to advance learners and having it an

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apprenticeship levy so this will be higher in cash terms by 2020. We are

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told that old skills budget will be devolved to regions securing a

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devolution deal but can he secured me these budgets will be ring fenced

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and not subjected to cuts? We will ensure these budgets are spent on

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skills training but the whole point of evolving the budget is -- default

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link -- evolution of the budget... Area reviews are an important way to

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understand the need for adult education so will the Minister be

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encouraging reviews on the needs of women to return to work after caring

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responsibilities? My honourable friend is absolutely

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right and one of the great opportunities in the apprenticeship

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programme is that apprenticeships are all age and four women who have

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perhaps taking a career break just want to change their profession, and

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apprenticeship is an opportunity to gain new skills will also earning an

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income so that they can forge a great career. When will the

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Government be publishing guidelines on how skills budgets may be

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devolved in those areas where devolution is being looked at? It

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depends on when the devolution deal is done and as he will be in our own

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county greater Lincolnshire, that you'll is reasonably well advanced.

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Another part of the country it is less well advanced but fundamentally

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it is pretty simple, we want them to be commissioning from their local

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colleges the adult skills provision they believe their area can benefit

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from. Given the budget is a finite amount, it is important it is

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targeted with it is green to have them most effect. Does the Minister

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agree that young adults who are low skilled and those actively seeking

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work at the best places to target those funds? I do agree those will

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often be the best targets but what I think is even more important is that

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his local authority and other combined authorities are best placed

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to identify particular groups where it is best placed and respond

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accordingly. Further education colleges in Scotland are the largest

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providers of apprenticeship education. We'll be therefore be

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exempt from the apprenticeship levy? Mr Speaker, the apprenticeship levy

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will apply to all employers through the United Kingdom with a payroll

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bill of more than ?3 million but of course there is absolutely nothing

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to stop any employer in Scotland who is paying the levy from putting

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pressure on whoever is in Government in Scotland after this Thursday to

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make sure they are increasing the investment in apprenticeships as we

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are doing in England. Mr Speaker, tucked away in the odd statement was

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the Government's admission they will be cutting efficiencies. ?360

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million of adult non-apprenticeship funding between now and 2022 dozen

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the ministers see a paradox of the Government going hell for leather on

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young people's apprenticeships while failing to ring fence funding for

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basic skills when England has 9 billion people with low literacy and

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we are ranked bottom in literacy and next to bottom in illicit among 23

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developed nations? -- 9 million. The Government cut grants by 18%. Why is

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the Government's G White paper to address technical skills shortages

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being delayed? Is it a strategy or a wing and a prayer? There was a lot

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of detail in the honourable gentleman's question but not a lot

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of clarity. The clarity is that we are increasing total funding

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available for total education by 40% in cash terms to do this Parliament

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so he talks about last year because he doesn't like this year because

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this year tells the story of the Government investing in skills for

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the future. Question five. Mr Speaker, we have removed employers'

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national insurance from apprentices under the age of 25 and introducing

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a levy for larger employers which would use the training fund to ?2.5

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billion by 2020. To mark National apprenticeship week I visited Silent

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night whose apprenticeship scheme has created 44 full-time jobs. Does

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the Minister degree that trips like this who are seeing you on year

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sales growth at the moment are a great inspiration to employers

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across the UK? I welcome that example of Silent Night because what

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is important is that apprentices and value to their employers, they're

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not just receiving training, they are adding value and consistently

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find employers saying they bring enthusiasm into their businesses. It

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is becoming increasingly clear that the systems and processes needed to

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implement the apprenticeship where they are far from ready. Many see

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this as an attack on jobs and the CBI have called for a radical

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rethink. I was grateful for the minister meeting myself and members

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of the oil and gas secretary and he knows the issues that still are

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around around double charging. Other minister CDs calls and Olivia

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fermentation of the apprenticeship levy until business has been fully

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engaged -- delay. We would be doing that because the Government has

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adequately gripped the problem in this country which is that

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businesses invest too little in skills development and that is what

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holds our productivity back. Since the CBI's survey and other surveys

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of the same kind, we have published a detailed technical guide on how

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the apprenticeship levy will work. I encourage her and her constituents

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to look at it. The levy will be coming in in April 2017 and we will

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be fixing Britain's skills problem. On Friday, I attended an event to

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mark the first anniversary of the extremely successful care Academy

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which is a unique collaboration in my constituency. In effect, it

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the excellent students who have been through the care Academy in the

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first year and a CD with me this is an extremely worthwhile programme

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for the future? -- does he agree with me? This kind of Academy is

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exactly what we need to see more so I am delighted that his constituency

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are setting an example. The Minister will know that the number of staff

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working on the apprenticeship programme is due to fall massively

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by 2020. What assessment has he made of the capacity of his department to

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deliver the apprenticeship target? The number of staff will be working

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on the apprentice programme will fall but only because we are setting

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up a new system apprenticeships that'll take up jobs currently taken

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by this staff. Several businesses in Bath have taken hundreds of new

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apprentices since the scheme started and it has enabled young people to

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get the qualifications for a great career. Whether Government is doing

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a lot to encourage older people into apprenticeships, the cultural shift

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is required to inspire even more into it? I think he is right because

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I think there is a common misconception that apprenticeships

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are only appropriate for school leavers whereas the reality is that

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they offer opportunities to people at all stages of their lives and

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careers so it doesn't just for new recruits going into an employer, it

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can be for somebody who has been working for several years but has

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discovered in themselves potential to develop. Through our one nation

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reforms we are committed to a labour market that allows everybody to

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fulfil their obligations and their opportunities whenever and whoever

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they are including those with autism. That's why the Prime

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Minister wants the disability confidence campaign and we have

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spent ?100 million a year on the access to work scheme, helping over

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36,000 people were difficulties into and we have published gains for

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employers with people with autism and Mike honourable friend the

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minister for business and small skills have met with Autism UK. The

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autism employment gap is much larger than the disability employment gap

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with only 15% in full-term employment and 26% of graduates

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remaining employed. We are losing the potential of people with autism

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to our economy. What specific support will be provided to

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employers and job-seekers to close the startling gap and all the

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Government produced aggregated data to evidence progress? The honourable

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lady makes an important point and I pay tribute to her work. We're

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investing substantially on it and through the disability confidence

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campaign we are actively engaging with employers of different sizes

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and sectors to promote access for work with people who have autism and

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on autism Day on the 2nd of April we launched the latest part of that

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campaign. We don't think waters as the right way to work. We want to

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encourage -- quarters. In -- quotas. Coding is an ideal job for people

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with autism because of the rigid nature of the work. I would be

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delighted to work with him and other ministers. It is an excellent system

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and I commend him for his leadership on it. When will the front bench

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take the example of Leicester City football club and try to get into

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the premiership on this question? There are so many talented people on

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the autism spectrum desperate for a job, waiting for a job. Many of them

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in regions like Yorkshire. What we are faced with is uncertainty for

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everyone, apprentices, people but autism, under this great cloud that

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we might lead the GP in union. No one is investing, no one is hiring.

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Even for me it would be a stretch to delve into the European Union on

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this question but the Government is doing, I think you'd agree ?100

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million a year the access to work scheme helping people with

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disabilities into work, we are committed to this and we are serious

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about giving them opportunities. April is Autism Awareness Month and

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the Economist led with an article about how the skills of people with

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autism are being wasted and if the Government had more friendly

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approaches to developing skills we could have many more people in the

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workplace. We had a fascinating and moving debate last week on autism

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and many membership moving experiences of their own children,

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including my honourable friend for Angus. Will he meet with me and a

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cross-party delegation to discuss how we can get businesses to

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properly marked the number of people on the autism spectrum and how we

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can work across this House? I was free to invite the honourable lady

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to seek an adjournment debate until you realise she now had it!

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I would simply say, yes, the right meeting would be with the Secretary

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of State for DWP who really done this and my friends are ministers

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for skills and small business. We are actively in gauging with all

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relevant charities on this issue. The lady is content with that issue

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but whether she is or isn't, she's had it! With your permission, I'd

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like to take question seven with number 14. We think leaving the

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European Union would be an absolute disaster for Britain's digital

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industries. If you were here, but he isn't, so it isn't, is the short

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answer, but we will recede unabashed by the absence of the honourable

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gentleman because we have got the honourable member, Mr Nicholas

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Brown. I thank the minister for his answer. The secretary is very

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important to the North East of England as the member for Sunderland

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Central made clear. There are 25,000 jobs now directly involved in the

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sector. What the assurance can the Minister give the host that there

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will be market access arrangements with our partners in the European

:24:29.:24:34.

Union in the event of a no vote? I can't give him that the assurance

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and that's what really worries me about us leaving the European Union.

:24:38.:24:42.

Not only the 25,000 jobs he mentioned that overall the digital

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industry represents about 7% of the UK's GVA and we are at the heart of

:24:52.:24:54.

negotiating the single digital market which will give us even more

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opportunities and that is why we must stay. This morning, I was at a

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breakfast meeting with digital companies from Vancouver and British

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Columbia who were looking at investing in the UK. Does the

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Minister agree that this dangerous and damaging Remain campaign which

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is wholly based on a fear of leaving the European Union which is not

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justified will do a great damage? Is that any assessment of how much

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damage has been done by the talking down those who want us to in

:25:29.:25:34.

servitude to the EU? -- remain in servitude.

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I hear what he has to say and I do wish the Leave campaign would stop

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running this terrible campaign of fear. I am pleased to hear that our

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Canadian trade envoy, which I gather my honourable friend acts as, shows

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that even as members of the EU we can still negotiate and engage

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globally with many other countries to stop being a member of the EU

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doesn't prevent us working outside the EU and the Leave campaign of

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fear is to stop saying that it does. On Sunday, the EU slashed roaming

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charges by 75%. And they will be abolished altogether next year. That

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is a huge boost to British businesses with European ambitions,

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as well as to Leicester City fans now with Champions League travel to

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plan. The UK is Europe's biggest digital economy. We buy and sell

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more online than any other country. Would the minister like to estimate

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how long it would take him, even with his fabled charm, to

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renegotiate all our international digital agreements in the event of a

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Brexit and what are ?180 million digital economy would do in the

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meantime? I think it would take ages, years to renegotiate. I

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recently returned from a G-7 meeting in Japan, again proving that the

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Leave campaign of fear is wrong. I was able to spend some time with the

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European vice president speaking of the great opportunities the digital

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single market presents. We want to be part of that market, growing for

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Britain. Tom Blenkinsop. Number eight. Global overproduction of

:27:48.:27:56.

reduced amount has cost steel prices to drop. We have acted decisively to

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help UK steel companies by delivering lower vouchers to prices,

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tackling unfair trade and introducing flexibility in emissions

:28:08.:28:12.

regulations. One of the issues is time. One deal took 12 months and

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that time is allocated to ensure a better buyer came forward as opposed

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to the original potential one. What conversations has he had with Tata

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to encourage the best buyer to come forward? Does he still see Tata is

:28:39.:28:48.

remaining in situ in some form? He is right about the importance of

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time in terms of securing a viable long-term future for the Tata

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business. I have spoken to officials and they have been straightforward

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about being reasonable with time. They do not have an unlimited amount

:29:03.:29:07.

but they understand and have shown that it does take time. Can I

:29:08.:29:15.

congratulate my right honourable friend on his approach particularly

:29:16.:29:23.

to Tata but also the steelworks in Cardiff. ?76 million already given

:29:24.:29:29.

and 100 million the Government is projected to spend this year. Can

:29:30.:29:35.

you confirm that and what future support we can get to high-energy

:29:36.:29:41.

steelmakers? He is right to raise the issue of steel in Cardiff. We

:29:42.:29:46.

want to see it continue. Electricity and the price of it is important to

:29:47.:29:52.

steel producers. We have extended the conversation available and

:29:53.:29:56.

announced we are moving to exemption and I think that will help them and

:29:57.:30:03.

many others. May I thank the Secretary of State for attending the

:30:04.:30:05.

Select Committee inquiry on steel on Thursday. I asked him about

:30:06.:30:10.

maintaining confidence. There are growing concerns firms are not

:30:11.:30:13.

supplying to connect to facilities because they fear the business may

:30:14.:30:17.

go into administration and will not get paid and credit insurance is

:30:18.:30:22.

being withdrawn. Businesses do not want to get their fingers burned

:30:23.:30:26.

twice and customers with long-term horizons are looking at competitors

:30:27.:30:30.

for provision. What further steps will government take on the matter

:30:31.:30:35.

of credit insurance to ensure a word goes out that this is a viable

:30:36.:30:39.

operation and firms can supply and buy from Tata with confidence? Can I

:30:40.:30:47.

thank him for the work of his committee in this area? It helps

:30:48.:30:52.

with the debate and also looking at this more closely. In terms of

:30:53.:30:58.

suppliers and large customers, I have already written and asked

:30:59.:31:02.

officials to write to all suppliers and customers. We have contacted the

:31:03.:31:13.

largest ones had Tata have given us reassurance but the biggest

:31:14.:31:15.

reassurance I can give is the approach of this government in doing

:31:16.:31:19.

everything possible to secure a long-term viable future for the

:31:20.:31:25.

business. Tata is a vital component of the Midlands engine so could the

:31:26.:31:29.

Minister update the House bearing in mind commercial sensitivities as to

:31:30.:31:32.

where discussions are to secure its future? Let me say that his approach

:31:33.:31:43.

on the work he is doing to secure Corby's future is commendable. He

:31:44.:31:47.

understands there is a limited amount we can say about a can

:31:48.:31:55.

actually -- commercially sensitive subject but we are doing everything

:31:56.:32:00.

we can. It is of strategic importance to the Welsh and wider UK

:32:01.:32:05.

economy to keep the blast furnaces operational in Port Talbot following

:32:06.:32:14.

any future takeover. It is important to provide fiscal incentive to

:32:15.:32:22.

safeguard steel-making in Wales. I agree that I would like to see a

:32:23.:32:26.

future for steel-making in Wales and we are doing everything we can to

:32:27.:32:31.

help with that. The honourable gentleman mentioned the management

:32:32.:32:34.

buyout proposal and we are taking a careful look at that and we would be

:32:35.:32:40.

willing to work with them. What action is he taking to help UK steel

:32:41.:32:45.

suppliers to get government contracts and ensure that SMEs and

:32:46.:32:53.

the supply chain benefit from that? He asks a good question and he will

:32:54.:32:57.

now we have already changed procurement rules so they can take

:32:58.:33:01.

into account economic and social factors and we are also providing a

:33:02.:33:05.

much greater visibility of the pipeline of deals and especially

:33:06.:33:12.

targeting that to SMEs. The First Minister in Wales had a package of

:33:13.:33:20.

support in place following Tata's intention to sell an announcement.

:33:21.:33:26.

Now the UK Government has belatedly followed that lead, how confident as

:33:27.:33:29.

the Minister that Tata's true intention is to be responsible? Long

:33:30.:33:36.

products took over a year and Tata want this done by the end of June.

:33:37.:33:42.

Is this a realistic prospect? I'd say we are working with the First

:33:43.:33:48.

Minister and his government on this and we understand how important it

:33:49.:33:52.

is. It is important we continue to work together. Regarding timing, as

:33:53.:33:58.

I said earlier, I believe Tata is a very sincere with a commitment to a

:33:59.:34:03.

reasonable time frame and process. I have no other reason to think that

:34:04.:34:07.

is not the case and they continue to show flexibility and I hope it stays

:34:08.:34:14.

that way. Number nine, please. Of course we have a growing and healthy

:34:15.:34:18.

economy which is good for all business but in particular it

:34:19.:34:21.

encourages people who want to start their own business and we are

:34:22.:34:25.

looking at ways to improve for example practices for self-employed

:34:26.:34:30.

people but we also have a start-up loan scheme set provided over ?10

:34:31.:34:39.

million. In my constituency there has been an increase of 10% from

:34:40.:34:47.

2014 to 20 15th in the number of registered businesses, something I

:34:48.:34:50.

am sure my right honourable friend the degree is welcome. I visited a

:34:51.:34:57.

new business set up by two sisters in my constituency. Does my right

:34:58.:35:02.

honourable friend agree that the first few years in business can be

:35:03.:35:07.

the most challenging and could she indicate how this government is

:35:08.:35:11.

doing all it can to support new and small businesses? We do know it is

:35:12.:35:17.

the first few years that are the trickiest. If you can get over that

:35:18.:35:22.

hurdle you can almost achieve anything and make sure your business

:35:23.:35:25.

grows. I explained about the start-up loans but the other great

:35:26.:35:29.

achievement in the last 12 months of this government is our work on

:35:30.:35:33.

cutting business rates. They're the biggest ever cuts in business rates,

:35:34.:35:40.

reducing the burden by ?6.7 billion, benefiting 900,000 smaller

:35:41.:35:42.

properties, very good news for small businesses. Small businesses might

:35:43.:35:51.

like to start off in the town centre of my constituency except that

:35:52.:35:55.

footfall is through the floor as the Co-op and Lloyds Bank are now

:35:56.:35:59.

closing. Who should my constituents blame for the dereliction? Tory

:36:00.:36:03.

ministers who withdrew from regeneration or absentee landlords

:36:04.:36:06.

who bought up and are now nowhere to be seen? I don't think it is as

:36:07.:36:12.

simple as that. It is unfortunate when bad news is delivered week turn

:36:13.:36:17.

it into a party political football. There are all sorts of reasons a

:36:18.:36:23.

number of high streets have problems and there are all manner of

:36:24.:36:28.

solutions to turn it round. I'd ask her to look at some of the successes

:36:29.:36:35.

of Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem councils to help and support their

:36:36.:36:38.

high streets but most important late I would suggest -- importantly I

:36:39.:36:44.

would suggest that rather than talking down her High Street she

:36:45.:36:51.

should be talking it up. Number Ten. We want to ensure apprenticeships

:36:52.:36:56.

are accessible to the widest range of people and we are rewarding

:36:57.:37:00.

reasonable adjustments to disabled learners and apprenticeship training

:37:01.:37:05.

for young people aged 19-24 and a health plan for care leavers up to

:37:06.:37:11.

the age of 24. As the Government has targets to increase the proportion

:37:12.:37:18.

of BME apprenticeships by 20% does the Minister not agree they should

:37:19.:37:21.

do the same for people with disabilities and care leavers? What

:37:22.:37:28.

I agree is that we should do all that we can and we have made this a

:37:29.:37:32.

huge priority of helping more individuals with learning

:37:33.:37:38.

difficulties and disabilities take up apprenticeships and we have done

:37:39.:37:41.

that by providing guidance and working with employers to help them

:37:42.:37:44.

better understand what more we can do. Our apprentice revolution will

:37:45.:37:52.

leave no one behind. Is he aware that the CIPD based in my

:37:53.:38:01.

constituency have been excellent in encouraging people with disabilities

:38:02.:38:06.

to take up apprenticeships. Can he confirm that when the existing levy

:38:07.:38:08.

is merged with that condition levy they will still have funding to

:38:09.:38:12.

carry on these programmes and will he come to my constituency to visit

:38:13.:38:15.

them at some stage during his tenure? I think he is absolutely

:38:16.:38:22.

right to raise their good work in this area. When the apprentice

:38:23.:38:28.

should levy is introduced in April 2017 we can make sure they will

:38:29.:38:32.

continue to have the funding available to do the same kind of

:38:33.:38:41.

work. Question number 12. I spoke to Treasury ministers on a continuing

:38:42.:38:45.

basis and in my ministerial role I am more than happy to take up the

:38:46.:38:50.

cause of small businesses. I met with the Federation of Small

:38:51.:38:53.

Businesses last week and they reiterated their concerns about the

:38:54.:38:58.

proposals but this is not a mandatory filing every quarter, it

:38:59.:39:02.

is effectively good book keeping. They raise concerns and I am or than

:39:03.:39:07.

happy to listen, and to represent them to the Treasury. We have a

:39:08.:39:11.

consultation taking place so there is always room to make sure we

:39:12.:39:17.

continue to do the right thing. I'm glad the Minister is listening

:39:18.:39:20.

because my constituent Sheila Knight is the director of a small local

:39:21.:39:24.

business and she is concerned about the proposal to make businesses

:39:25.:39:30.

submit data quarterly to HMRC. She says it will cause a huge amount of

:39:31.:39:35.

extra work, expense and worry for absolutely no benefit. Like most

:39:36.:39:40.

small businesses I collate my account information once a year and

:39:41.:39:44.

give it to my accountant. Having to do this four times a year will be

:39:45.:39:48.

huge imposition and my accountant fees will be more expensive. Does

:39:49.:39:51.

the Minister not agree with me not more bureaucracy and unnecessary

:39:52.:40:03.

cost? It is about reducing bureaucracy and cutting the cost for

:40:04.:40:06.

small businesses. This is not a quarterly tax return but sensible

:40:07.:40:10.

book-keeping which could businesses do in any event and it will help

:40:11.:40:14.

small businesses when they come to submit their final quarter, final

:40:15.:40:21.

return, the fact they have kept their bikes every quarter ended

:40:22.:40:25.

conditions. I am more than happy to meet her constituent and explain it

:40:26.:40:28.

because I think there is a lot of misinformation about it. I am

:40:29.:40:33.

pleased to hear the minister met with the FSB, which I am a proud

:40:34.:40:39.

member of, but from that meeting she will know that 50% of businesses do

:40:40.:40:44.

not operate digital accountant systems so can she understand the

:40:45.:40:48.

anxiety in that heart of the community and which she agree it

:40:49.:40:51.

might be sensible for the Treasury to introduce this on a voluntary

:40:52.:40:57.

basis the same way as with self-assessment which made it a

:40:58.:40:58.

success? There would always be full and good

:40:59.:41:06.

support into this digital movement and I think the other thing of

:41:07.:41:11.

course which is of concern to some small businesses is access to

:41:12.:41:14.

superfast broadband. There is no point in doing this unless you have

:41:15.:41:19.

that many businesses have a reticence to be up to speed but I'm

:41:20.:41:23.

confident with the excellent work of my honourable friend the Minister,

:41:24.:41:28.

we are making huge progress and making sure all businesses have

:41:29.:41:36.

access to superfast broadband. The Minister has singularly failed to

:41:37.:41:39.

explain how this is helping businesses. I don't not she's ever

:41:40.:41:45.

produced a of business accounts but the financial Secretary to the

:41:46.:41:49.

Treasury told MPs in the west Minister halt debate in January that

:41:50.:41:56.

this would require a summary of income and expenditure. As of the

:41:57.:42:02.

best -- as every businessperson knows, you can only do that by

:42:03.:42:04.

putting together the full detail each quarter. Whether she calls at

:42:05.:42:10.

filing, or updating, her claims that this is a reduction in red tape is

:42:11.:42:14.

laughable. It is a major increase in the bureaucracy, increase and costs

:42:15.:42:21.

of those businesses that do not have digital access and the Government

:42:22.:42:27.

should go away and think again. Of course Mr Speaker I am one of those

:42:28.:42:31.

people who had a real job or two before it came to this place and I

:42:32.:42:37.

can assure the honourable gentleman as a self-employed barrister I

:42:38.:42:39.

absolutely don't have too provide accounts each week but I don't claim

:42:40.:42:43.

to have been somebody who ran a business of more than just myself

:42:44.:42:48.

and maybe one other. The most important thing is that these are

:42:49.:42:50.

not quarterly returns on the honourable gentleman should

:42:51.:42:54.

understand what is proposed. This is a very good way of making sure small

:42:55.:42:59.

businesses keep up-to-date all the time with how their business going

:43:00.:43:03.

and will enable them when they come to do that return to do it better.

:43:04.:43:13.

The Government is committed in its manifesto to cutting ?10 billion of

:43:14.:43:16.

business red tape through the business impact target and we will

:43:17.:43:22.

report on our progress in June. We cannot ignore the fact that the most

:43:23.:43:26.

order some regulations on British companies are from the European

:43:27.:43:30.

Union, costing British business ?22 billion a year. Given in 2015 over

:43:31.:43:35.

469 new pieces of EU regulation and 51 EU directives, is the only way to

:43:36.:43:42.

end this cost to British business to leave? He is right to raise the

:43:43.:43:49.

issue of cutting business regulation but I have to say I don't recognise

:43:50.:43:53.

this 22 bouillon pound a year figure of EU regulation -- 20 ?2 billion.

:43:54.:44:01.

He should also look at the benefit of the single market, it is the

:44:02.:44:06.

world's biggest economic zone and it is not that it helped to generate

:44:07.:44:09.

jobs throughout Britain and Greater Manchester. Many small businesses

:44:10.:44:16.

often applied to only one lender for finance and it is usually their own

:44:17.:44:20.

bank. Of those that turned out, two in five of those businesses don't go

:44:21.:44:25.

on to apply for finance anywhere else so what more is the Government

:44:26.:44:30.

doing to make sure that small businesses have access to as good a

:44:31.:44:36.

range of financial products as possible to keep the economy moving

:44:37.:44:43.

in the right direction. The honourable gentleman may know that

:44:44.:44:47.

one of the changes brought in during the coalition Government was that if

:44:48.:44:51.

a small business is refused an application for credit that

:44:52.:44:56.

application can be, with their permission, passed on to other

:44:57.:45:00.

potential lenders and that has changed the landscape. We can also

:45:01.:45:04.

help to increase competition, that is something the Treasury has been

:45:05.:45:07.

reading on, but if you look at the number of providers you will see

:45:08.:45:10.

there has been a dramatic change there, too. Productivity measured as

:45:11.:45:21.

output per hour increase by 1% in 2015, the largest increase as a

:45:22.:45:27.

whole is 2011. It is now 1.7% higher than it was in 2008. This

:45:28.:45:33.

Government's record on productivity has been one of failure. Last July,

:45:34.:45:38.

the Government monster is deeply underwhelming productivity plan

:45:39.:45:40.

which was damned by the select committee as the vague selection of

:45:41.:45:48.

existing policies collecting dust on Whitehall book shelves. Can the

:45:49.:45:50.

Minister did the House on what steps she has taken to improve on the

:45:51.:45:57.

Government's record to date? And very sorry the honourable lady

:45:58.:46:00.

didn't seem to hear my answer and I would remind her that productivity

:46:01.:46:07.

is now 1.7% higher than it was in 2008 and we had the largest annual

:46:08.:46:11.

entities since 2011 on the last year so I don't know where she is getting

:46:12.:46:16.

her information wrong though my suspicions, but unfortunately she is

:46:17.:46:21.

wrong. This Government is absolutely committed to improving productivity.

:46:22.:46:24.

We have already heard by way of example the Skills Minister talking

:46:25.:46:27.

about the work that we are doing to provide the right skills, an

:46:28.:46:31.

essential part of the productivity part. Ministers and officials across

:46:32.:46:40.

Government continue to work around the clock to support Britain's steel

:46:41.:46:46.

industry. I will continue to update the House whenever appropriate. Our

:46:47.:46:53.

two major pieces of legislation and we are on the verge of naming the

:46:54.:46:57.

National environment research vessel. The final decision will be

:46:58.:47:01.

made by my honourable friend the Minister for science or the latest

:47:02.:47:11.

CM, -- like to call him, Joey McJoeface. It was reported in the

:47:12.:47:17.

Sunday Times that meetings are taking part in France looking at how

:47:18.:47:22.

they could take that it the UK. Does the Secretary of State agree with me

:47:23.:47:25.

that remaining in the EU is vital for British trade, particularly in

:47:26.:47:32.

the automotive and it is for the health of the British economy as a

:47:33.:47:41.

whole? I do agree and she mentioned to industries, automotive and there

:47:42.:47:45.

is space, two of our strongest industries. They lie on an

:47:46.:47:49.

international and European Supply chain but equally she could mention

:47:50.:47:52.

our services industries which account for 80% of our GDP. With the

:47:53.:48:03.

minister except that the proposal to allow waiters and waitresses rather

:48:04.:48:06.

than restaurant owners to deceive tips given to them will be warmly

:48:07.:48:12.

welcomed but does he not think the House of Commons should surely lead

:48:13.:48:16.

because in our own restaurants, agency workers and part-time workers

:48:17.:48:21.

who serve guests do not deceive tips? Can I begin by paying a huge

:48:22.:48:31.

tribute to everybody who works in this place but especially in the

:48:32.:48:38.

catering services? They often have to work the most unsociable hours

:48:39.:48:40.

and in the most difficult of conditions because suddenly they

:48:41.:48:43.

have a huge flocks of all of us going into the tearoom or whatever

:48:44.:48:47.

it might be and perhaps we underestimate the work they do. I

:48:48.:48:50.

think the honourable gentleman makes a good point and I would be more

:48:51.:48:53.

than happy to take it up with the House of oddities but I can

:48:54.:48:56.

gradually my friend the Secretary of State on launching this because

:48:57.:49:02.

quite greatly when you're in any facility and pay a tip, you expect

:49:03.:49:07.

the person you want the tip to go to to receive all of it so I think we

:49:08.:49:11.

can begin to see progress that we do the right thing on this. To select

:49:12.:49:19.

committees of this House are now prepared to examine the collapse of

:49:20.:49:25.

BHS into administration this week. Sir Philip Green bought the company

:49:26.:49:29.

for ?200 million, to convince ?1 million out of it for his own family

:49:30.:49:41.

and then sold it for ?1. What does the secretary think of the issues

:49:42.:49:44.

for public policy as he contemplates the current situation and as he

:49:45.:49:46.

think it represents responsible ownership? The honourable lady is

:49:47.:50:00.

right to a raise this issue. There has been considerable concern

:50:01.:50:03.

expressed in Parliament so I share some of those concerns. That's why I

:50:04.:50:09.

can inform her that I have written today to the Chief Executive of the

:50:10.:50:15.

insolvency service and I have instructed her to immediately

:50:16.:50:18.

commenced an investigation. She has agreed to do so and I will make both

:50:19.:50:23.

those letters, Maine and hers, available in the libraries of both

:50:24.:50:27.

houses later today. -- mine and hers. I welcome the steps the

:50:28.:50:36.

Business Secretary has taken. The pension fund went from a surplus to

:50:37.:50:42.

a black hole of ?571 million. What options do the Government and

:50:43.:50:45.

pensions regulator now have two insure Sir Philip Green pays his

:50:46.:50:51.

fair share of this huge liability and does the Secretary of State

:50:52.:50:53.

agree with me that the Pension Protection Fund was designed as a

:50:54.:50:57.

lifeboat for staff pensions, not a funding stream for the owner's

:50:58.:51:04.

luxury yachts? Hopefully the honourable lady will understand it

:51:05.:51:08.

would be wrong of me or anybody else to single out any particular

:51:09.:51:16.

individual. That is what independent investigators -- that is for

:51:17.:51:20.

independent investigators. She will also that when it comes to defining

:51:21.:51:25.

benefit pension schemes there are many deficits and just because one

:51:26.:51:29.

is in deficit does not mean there has been wrongdoing but this is an

:51:30.:51:33.

investigation I have instructed from the insolvency service but also she

:51:34.:51:36.

should be reassured that the pension regulator will also be looking into

:51:37.:51:42.

this matter. 50,000 dementia sufferers in the UK and that number

:51:43.:51:47.

is set to double over the next few years. What is the minister doing to

:51:48.:51:53.

encourage British scientists to be as innovative as possible in

:51:54.:51:59.

delivering on improved care for those suffering from dementia? We

:52:00.:52:04.

took the decision to protect the science budget, enabling us to

:52:05.:52:08.

invest and pitting the UK at the front of tackling diseases like

:52:09.:52:13.

dementia. In addition to 150 money and pounds of Government investment

:52:14.:52:16.

and is by the Prime Minister to establish dementia research, I am

:52:17.:52:24.

glad that to leading charities -- two leading charities have no place

:52:25.:52:28.

a further ?100 million towards this project and the medical research

:52:29.:52:31.

Council will be looking for an inspirational director to lead this

:52:32.:52:36.

research and bring together the research that exists in the UK and

:52:37.:52:40.

worldwide. Gaines issued by the Government on the 8th of February --

:52:41.:52:55.

guidance because concern. Can the Government agree that all grants

:52:56.:52:57.

will be exempt from the anti-lobbying cars bark

:52:58.:53:19.

I am pro that Rochester has provided the largest amount of the South

:53:20.:53:32.

East's 348 apprenticeships. I am also grateful to companies such as

:53:33.:53:37.

BAE Systems which makes an annual commitment to 12 high-level

:53:38.:53:41.

apprenticeships in my area but I would like to ask the Secretary of

:53:42.:53:44.

State had he can provide further support to my constituency, small

:53:45.:53:48.

and medium-sized businesses, to offer more local people the

:53:49.:53:50.

opportunity of a really quality apprenticeship. The performance of

:53:51.:53:57.

businesses in my honourable friend's constituency is a marketable and

:53:58.:54:01.

leads the way in the South East. I hope she is aware that we offer

:54:02.:54:04.

those employers, small employers who have never had apprentices, a grant

:54:05.:54:10.

to help them with their first fight apprenticeships and I hope she will

:54:11.:54:13.

be able to communicate with them and make sure they take up that glad --

:54:14.:54:19.

first five. Given the similarity of recent events at DHS with what

:54:20.:54:34.

happened to Hull based, Comet, will he make sure the report on Comet and

:54:35.:54:42.

the scandal is published? The honourable lady will know that was

:54:43.:54:44.

commissioned by my predecessor. I will take a close look at what she

:54:45.:54:50.

said and get back to her. Given the hope of renewed trade links between

:54:51.:54:55.

the UK and Iran, which will be dependent on good communication,

:54:56.:54:58.

does my rate honourable friend consider that now is the best time

:54:59.:55:04.

to withdraw accreditation for Persian GCSE and A-level? My

:55:05.:55:10.

honourable friend is right to raise the issue of importance with trade

:55:11.:55:14.

with Iran and that is why the Government as an stated mission that

:55:15.:55:17.

will take place soon and the more people that speak Persian in the UK

:55:18.:55:20.

and the more people that speak Persian in the UK the better. I will

:55:21.:55:23.

take this up with my honourable friend the Education Secretary. I

:55:24.:55:30.

welcome the fact that BHS administrators have entered

:55:31.:55:33.

consultation with the regional union but it was the lack of consultation

:55:34.:55:37.

that was in part to blame for the pension from going from a ?5 million

:55:38.:55:44.

surplus to a ?571 million deficit. Other Secretary of State consider

:55:45.:55:46.

the case that there should be in hands employee rights in light of

:55:47.:55:51.

this, in particular this aspect of companies law?

:55:52.:55:56.

I think it would be wrong for anyone to jump to conclusions about the

:55:57.:56:02.

pension fund and why it has this deficit. The right way forward is

:56:03.:56:07.

for independent regulators to take a look. As a champion of the Sutton

:56:08.:56:15.

trust and social mobility is inquiry into access into leading professions

:56:16.:56:18.

could the Secretary of State informed the House what is

:56:19.:56:21.

department is doing to support or leading confessions to work with

:56:22.:56:24.

schools and universities to build up the skills -based so that more young

:56:25.:56:28.

people from disadvantaged backgrounds can access to

:56:29.:56:40.

professions? We have made sure all young people know about the

:56:41.:56:42.

opportunities through education reforms and we have given young

:56:43.:56:45.

people more information about choice and introduced apprenticeships as

:56:46.:56:52.

new routes into professions. We want to see universities play their part

:56:53.:56:57.

as well which is why I have asked for more work on that. 11,000

:56:58.:57:06.

employees of PHS face an uncertain future over not just their jobs but

:57:07.:57:10.

their pensions. Will the responsibility for the pension be on

:57:11.:57:18.

the taxpayer or the company who paid themselves ?400 million of dividends

:57:19.:57:21.

whilst the pension fund was driven into the ground? The Honourable lady

:57:22.:57:29.

will know that when benefit pension funds have trouble we have the

:57:30.:57:32.

pension protection fund in place but of course we should always examine

:57:33.:57:38.

why eight pension fund may need recourse to the PPF and that should

:57:39.:57:42.

be done by independent regulators not politicians. A trading facility

:57:43.:57:50.

in my facility was established tenure ago as a partnership between

:57:51.:57:52.

the local authority and private sector. Since when, 800 apprentices

:57:53.:57:58.

have passed through its stores. Could I invite him or the skills

:57:59.:58:04.

minister to visit them and would he agree this partnership is the way

:58:05.:58:10.

forward? I feel sure he is slightly disappointed to have just a

:58:11.:58:13.

Lincolnshire neighbour coming to visit him but if you can put up with

:58:14.:58:20.

me I'd be delighted to. In the Secretary of State's discussions

:58:21.:58:23.

with Tata might also have time to raise their involvement in the

:58:24.:58:28.

outsourcing of up to 800 jobs in British Airways? They have already

:58:29.:58:36.

announced 80 redundancies. This is another example where their actions

:58:37.:58:40.

threaten our national security and jobs so will the Government started

:58:41.:58:46.

to protect those? If the honourable lady wants to send me more

:58:47.:58:49.

information on that in more detail I will gladly take a closer look. Why

:58:50.:58:56.

should 100% of British businesses have to comply with EU regulations

:58:57.:59:01.

when less than 10% of them export to the EU? I touched on this earlier

:59:02.:59:13.

and I think it is the importance of the single market, 500 million

:59:14.:59:18.

consumers, the largest single market in the world, bringing huge benefits

:59:19.:59:21.

to British businesses in terms of growth and jobs. Can I ask him to

:59:22.:59:31.

reconsider the division of bursaries for nurses and that he should

:59:32.:59:35.

consider scrapping them for two reasons. Firstly it would terms

:59:36.:59:51.

which are students and people from disadvantaged communities and also

:59:52.:59:56.

50% of training as doing practical work and it would be unfair for them

:59:57.:00:02.

to have to pay to provide service to other people. I share a

:00:03.:00:09.

determination to make sure that groups she mentioned have maximum

:00:10.:00:15.

opportunity in the NHS and that is one reason we are developing a new

:00:16.:00:18.

nursing apprenticeship offering as we enter the profession while

:00:19.:00:22.

working and earning to gain the qualification. There is no law

:00:23.:00:29.

against selling a company to a bunch of clowns, which is a great pity for

:00:30.:00:32.

the employees and pension holders at British home stores. There is an

:00:33.:00:39.

expectation that the public should be able to look at advisers on such

:00:40.:00:48.

a sale, the liars and -- lawyers and accountants, to live up to their

:00:49.:00:52.

duties. Can the assured me he will look carefully so we do not see

:00:53.:00:58.

another great British company sold to a bunch of Muppets. I can

:00:59.:01:05.

reassure him of that. He spoke on this issue number of times, very

:01:06.:01:11.

eloquently. He knows this issue well and has spoken of it before. We will

:01:12.:01:16.

learn lessons from the collapse of any company but especially something

:01:17.:01:22.

as important and as large as BHS. There will now be an investigation

:01:23.:01:27.

by the insolvent is -- insolvency

:01:28.:01:28.

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