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As many as are of the opinion, say "aye". To the contrary, "no". I | :00:00. | :00:11. | |
think the ayes have it. Questions to the Secretary of State for Business, | :00:12. | :00:22. | |
Innovation and Skills. With your permission I'd like to answer this | :00:23. | :00:25. | |
question together with question number three. I recently announced a | :00:26. | :00:30. | |
joint review into business broadband to ensure businesses can access | :00:31. | :00:37. | |
affordable high-speed broadband. Over 250,000 homes and businesses in | :00:38. | :00:41. | |
Yorkshire and the Humber and 100,000 in the north-east have superfast | :00:42. | :00:44. | |
broadband available for the first time thanks to the Government's | :00:45. | :00:48. | |
investment Road ground. I thank him for his response. If they are on | :00:49. | :00:55. | |
track to meet targets, why does Ofcom analysis predicts that by | :00:56. | :01:01. | |
2017, when 95% of all premises will have broadband, a land AT present -- | :01:02. | :01:08. | |
18% will not. Why are so many businesses left behind and does he | :01:09. | :01:12. | |
accept his plans show a lack of ambition? I do not accept that and I | :01:13. | :01:19. | |
hope the Honourable lady will recognise that superfast broadband | :01:20. | :01:22. | |
coverage throughout the UK has increased from 45% in 2010 to almost | :01:23. | :01:30. | |
90% now and we are fully on target to reach 95% by 2017. It is | :01:31. | :01:33. | |
important to keep looking at new ways to extend coverage and that is | :01:34. | :01:42. | |
what we are doing. A senior adviser at the Institute of Directors said | :01:43. | :01:46. | |
they expect the Government to meet the universal service obligation but | :01:47. | :01:49. | |
the latter is only because the bar is set so low. How will the | :01:50. | :01:54. | |
Government provide the infrastructure to make Britain's | :01:55. | :01:57. | |
position at the forefront of digital innovation is business and also -- | :01:58. | :02:05. | |
and business and also I'd ask him to address the previous question, and | :02:06. | :02:12. | |
my question, about the lack of provision for S M Es. There are | :02:13. | :02:23. | |
hundreds of thousands of them including in our own constituency. | :02:24. | :02:28. | |
We are on target and our US all is twice as high as recommended in the | :02:29. | :02:36. | |
EU and despite their being more work to do, we have wider coverage than | :02:37. | :02:41. | |
EU partners and higher speeds and lowest average price. The Ofcom | :02:42. | :02:49. | |
solution to the desperately poor penetration of fibre to premises in | :02:50. | :02:55. | |
the UK to open access to BT's infrastructure but that would | :02:56. | :02:57. | |
require reasonable rates of access as well as a clear network map. What | :02:58. | :03:03. | |
can the Secretary of State do to make sure BT complies with | :03:04. | :03:09. | |
requirements? I can tell my honourable friend, I have read the | :03:10. | :03:13. | |
Ofcom report carefully and met with them a number of times on this issue | :03:14. | :03:16. | |
but I have every reason to think the key will comply. If not we will look | :03:17. | :03:25. | |
at what action we can take. Question two. We are absolutely committed to | :03:26. | :03:36. | |
regional growth. We had a fresh round of golf deals. Including a | :03:37. | :03:44. | |
?250 million investment fund and the devolution deal for greater language | :03:45. | :03:51. | |
worth ?450 million. One of the keys to growth in the Black Country is | :03:52. | :03:55. | |
greater collaboration between business and further education | :03:56. | :04:02. | |
colleges and I have two of these excellently severing my | :04:03. | :04:08. | |
constituency. Would the Secretary of State agreed to meet with the | :04:09. | :04:11. | |
principles of each to talk about reducing the skills gap and promote | :04:12. | :04:18. | |
further growth in the region? I agree with my honourable friend. One | :04:19. | :04:22. | |
reason we have seen a 50% fall in his constituency is because he has | :04:23. | :04:28. | |
been promoting that type of collaboration and I enjoyed visiting | :04:29. | :04:33. | |
hills on college last year to learn about the technology centre and I | :04:34. | :04:35. | |
will be more than happy to meet with him and the college representatives. | :04:36. | :04:52. | |
Mr Keith Lasley to -- Keith Vaz. Would the Secretary of State like to | :04:53. | :04:59. | |
join me and other lesser MPs in congratulating -- Leicester MPs in | :05:00. | :05:10. | |
congratulating Leicester FC. It will boost jobs in the region in tourism. | :05:11. | :05:17. | |
Rather than call it red Leicester anymore it is actually blue | :05:18. | :05:23. | |
Leicester. I like the sound of that very much. Let me to gradually at | :05:24. | :05:29. | |
him and his constituents on their stunning victory last night. The | :05:30. | :05:34. | |
whole nation celebrates that and I suggest he makes the most of it | :05:35. | :05:44. | |
while he can. Amanda Maling. Regional growth is reliant on | :05:45. | :05:51. | |
businesses investing and exporting. I visited the business on Friday | :05:52. | :05:54. | |
looking to grow their business but facing difficulties in terms of | :05:55. | :06:00. | |
access to finance from their bank. This resulted in them switching | :06:01. | :06:04. | |
bank. Can he outlined what measures are being taken by the Government to | :06:05. | :06:09. | |
improve access to finance for small and medium businesses? She raises a | :06:10. | :06:19. | |
unimportant issue and I will highlight two things. First there is | :06:20. | :06:26. | |
the local growth fund which is already allocated ?8 billion and the | :06:27. | :06:29. | |
Chancellor spoke of a further 4 billion by the end of Parliament. | :06:30. | :06:34. | |
Also the launch of the Midlands engineering investment fund, | :06:35. | :06:38. | |
hundreds of millions allocated to small businesses including those in | :06:39. | :06:48. | |
Cannock Chase. We are going to get visitors across the sand West | :06:49. | :06:54. | |
midlands and get the engine moving, will he talk about infrastructure | :06:55. | :06:57. | |
investment more generally because in the East Midlands we are losing out, | :06:58. | :07:04. | |
only ?37 per head of rail investment compared to over 200 in London. He | :07:05. | :07:10. | |
raises an important issue and that is because we have a strong economy | :07:11. | :07:15. | |
under this government that we have a programme of ?300 billion of | :07:16. | :07:18. | |
investment over the next few years. That includes the Midlands including | :07:19. | :07:23. | |
the mainline, investment in HS2, but there is always more we can do and I | :07:24. | :07:29. | |
am happy to hear new ideas. Will the Secretary of State to take this | :07:30. | :07:33. | |
opportunity to praise the work of promoting the economy of West | :07:34. | :07:42. | |
Midlands, particularly Greater Birmingham Solihull. Could you | :07:43. | :07:54. | |
clarify what will be the role of the LEPs in helping to promote regional | :07:55. | :08:04. | |
economy? I join them in commending the work. Especially the Birmingham | :08:05. | :08:13. | |
and Solihull LEP and I have seen the work they have achieved and that is | :08:14. | :08:17. | |
commendable. They will work throughout the Midlands with | :08:18. | :08:26. | |
cooperation on things like infrastructure and trade and skills. | :08:27. | :08:32. | |
A couple of weeks ago I asked the Prime Minister about the possible | :08:33. | :08:36. | |
closure of British Gas Albury with the loss of 700 jobs. His reply, he | :08:37. | :08:43. | |
should meet, we will make sure a ministerial task force can talk to | :08:44. | :08:51. | |
the company and the community. Imagine my disappointment to be told | :08:52. | :08:57. | |
that there is no ministerial tax force -- task force. I don't think | :08:58. | :09:04. | |
it matches up to the assurance from the Prime Minister that there needs | :09:05. | :09:09. | |
to be real drive to keep and replace these jobs. Job losses are | :09:10. | :09:23. | |
regrettable in all cases and we must do everything we can. Soon after the | :09:24. | :09:28. | |
Prime Minister said that there was a meeting by the Business Minister and | :09:29. | :09:33. | |
the employment minister with fellow managing director from British Gas. | :09:34. | :09:37. | |
I understand the redundancies are not yet final but there's a | :09:38. | :09:41. | |
consultation period so let us hope they are not as bad as soon. We will | :09:42. | :09:47. | |
continue to do whatever we can including contacting the company. | :09:48. | :09:54. | |
Question number four. We are protecting adult education budget in | :09:55. | :09:59. | |
cash terms, subsidised loans to advance learners and having it an | :10:00. | :10:06. | |
apprenticeship levy so this will be higher in cash terms by 2020. We are | :10:07. | :10:11. | |
told that old skills budget will be devolved to regions securing a | :10:12. | :10:17. | |
devolution deal but can he secured me these budgets will be ring fenced | :10:18. | :10:21. | |
and not subjected to cuts? We will ensure these budgets are spent on | :10:22. | :10:26. | |
skills training but the whole point of evolving the budget is -- default | :10:27. | :10:42. | |
link -- evolution of the budget... Area reviews are an important way to | :10:43. | :10:49. | |
understand the need for adult education so will the Minister be | :10:50. | :10:54. | |
encouraging reviews on the needs of women to return to work after caring | :10:55. | :10:57. | |
responsibilities? My honourable friend is absolutely | :10:58. | :11:06. | |
right and one of the great opportunities in the apprenticeship | :11:07. | :11:08. | |
programme is that apprenticeships are all age and four women who have | :11:09. | :11:14. | |
perhaps taking a career break just want to change their profession, and | :11:15. | :11:17. | |
apprenticeship is an opportunity to gain new skills will also earning an | :11:18. | :11:22. | |
income so that they can forge a great career. When will the | :11:23. | :11:27. | |
Government be publishing guidelines on how skills budgets may be | :11:28. | :11:30. | |
devolved in those areas where devolution is being looked at? It | :11:31. | :11:37. | |
depends on when the devolution deal is done and as he will be in our own | :11:38. | :11:42. | |
county greater Lincolnshire, that you'll is reasonably well advanced. | :11:43. | :11:46. | |
Another part of the country it is less well advanced but fundamentally | :11:47. | :11:50. | |
it is pretty simple, we want them to be commissioning from their local | :11:51. | :11:53. | |
colleges the adult skills provision they believe their area can benefit | :11:54. | :12:01. | |
from. Given the budget is a finite amount, it is important it is | :12:02. | :12:04. | |
targeted with it is green to have them most effect. Does the Minister | :12:05. | :12:09. | |
agree that young adults who are low skilled and those actively seeking | :12:10. | :12:12. | |
work at the best places to target those funds? I do agree those will | :12:13. | :12:17. | |
often be the best targets but what I think is even more important is that | :12:18. | :12:22. | |
his local authority and other combined authorities are best placed | :12:23. | :12:29. | |
to identify particular groups where it is best placed and respond | :12:30. | :12:36. | |
accordingly. Further education colleges in Scotland are the largest | :12:37. | :12:40. | |
providers of apprenticeship education. We'll be therefore be | :12:41. | :12:46. | |
exempt from the apprenticeship levy? Mr Speaker, the apprenticeship levy | :12:47. | :12:52. | |
will apply to all employers through the United Kingdom with a payroll | :12:53. | :12:56. | |
bill of more than ?3 million but of course there is absolutely nothing | :12:57. | :12:59. | |
to stop any employer in Scotland who is paying the levy from putting | :13:00. | :13:04. | |
pressure on whoever is in Government in Scotland after this Thursday to | :13:05. | :13:10. | |
make sure they are increasing the investment in apprenticeships as we | :13:11. | :13:15. | |
are doing in England. Mr Speaker, tucked away in the odd statement was | :13:16. | :13:18. | |
the Government's admission they will be cutting efficiencies. ?360 | :13:19. | :13:25. | |
million of adult non-apprenticeship funding between now and 2022 dozen | :13:26. | :13:30. | |
the ministers see a paradox of the Government going hell for leather on | :13:31. | :13:36. | |
young people's apprenticeships while failing to ring fence funding for | :13:37. | :13:39. | |
basic skills when England has 9 billion people with low literacy and | :13:40. | :13:45. | |
we are ranked bottom in literacy and next to bottom in illicit among 23 | :13:46. | :13:55. | |
developed nations? -- 9 million. The Government cut grants by 18%. Why is | :13:56. | :14:01. | |
the Government's G White paper to address technical skills shortages | :14:02. | :14:06. | |
being delayed? Is it a strategy or a wing and a prayer? There was a lot | :14:07. | :14:12. | |
of detail in the honourable gentleman's question but not a lot | :14:13. | :14:16. | |
of clarity. The clarity is that we are increasing total funding | :14:17. | :14:20. | |
available for total education by 40% in cash terms to do this Parliament | :14:21. | :14:26. | |
so he talks about last year because he doesn't like this year because | :14:27. | :14:31. | |
this year tells the story of the Government investing in skills for | :14:32. | :14:38. | |
the future. Question five. Mr Speaker, we have removed employers' | :14:39. | :14:43. | |
national insurance from apprentices under the age of 25 and introducing | :14:44. | :14:51. | |
a levy for larger employers which would use the training fund to ?2.5 | :14:52. | :14:56. | |
billion by 2020. To mark National apprenticeship week I visited Silent | :14:57. | :15:05. | |
night whose apprenticeship scheme has created 44 full-time jobs. Does | :15:06. | :15:09. | |
the Minister degree that trips like this who are seeing you on year | :15:10. | :15:13. | |
sales growth at the moment are a great inspiration to employers | :15:14. | :15:23. | |
across the UK? I welcome that example of Silent Night because what | :15:24. | :15:27. | |
is important is that apprentices and value to their employers, they're | :15:28. | :15:31. | |
not just receiving training, they are adding value and consistently | :15:32. | :15:37. | |
find employers saying they bring enthusiasm into their businesses. It | :15:38. | :15:44. | |
is becoming increasingly clear that the systems and processes needed to | :15:45. | :15:48. | |
implement the apprenticeship where they are far from ready. Many see | :15:49. | :15:55. | |
this as an attack on jobs and the CBI have called for a radical | :15:56. | :15:59. | |
rethink. I was grateful for the minister meeting myself and members | :16:00. | :16:02. | |
of the oil and gas secretary and he knows the issues that still are | :16:03. | :16:06. | |
around around double charging. Other minister CDs calls and Olivia | :16:07. | :16:12. | |
fermentation of the apprenticeship levy until business has been fully | :16:13. | :16:22. | |
engaged -- delay. We would be doing that because the Government has | :16:23. | :16:25. | |
adequately gripped the problem in this country which is that | :16:26. | :16:28. | |
businesses invest too little in skills development and that is what | :16:29. | :16:31. | |
holds our productivity back. Since the CBI's survey and other surveys | :16:32. | :16:37. | |
of the same kind, we have published a detailed technical guide on how | :16:38. | :16:45. | |
the apprenticeship levy will work. I encourage her and her constituents | :16:46. | :16:50. | |
to look at it. The levy will be coming in in April 2017 and we will | :16:51. | :16:57. | |
be fixing Britain's skills problem. On Friday, I attended an event to | :16:58. | :17:01. | |
mark the first anniversary of the extremely successful care Academy | :17:02. | :17:11. | |
which is a unique collaboration in my constituency. In effect, it | :17:12. | :17:20. | |
the excellent students who have been through the care Academy in the | :17:21. | :17:24. | |
first year and a CD with me this is an extremely worthwhile programme | :17:25. | :17:30. | |
for the future? -- does he agree with me? This kind of Academy is | :17:31. | :17:37. | |
exactly what we need to see more so I am delighted that his constituency | :17:38. | :17:44. | |
are setting an example. The Minister will know that the number of staff | :17:45. | :17:48. | |
working on the apprenticeship programme is due to fall massively | :17:49. | :17:53. | |
by 2020. What assessment has he made of the capacity of his department to | :17:54. | :17:59. | |
deliver the apprenticeship target? The number of staff will be working | :18:00. | :18:02. | |
on the apprentice programme will fall but only because we are setting | :18:03. | :18:07. | |
up a new system apprenticeships that'll take up jobs currently taken | :18:08. | :18:22. | |
by this staff. Several businesses in Bath have taken hundreds of new | :18:23. | :18:28. | |
apprentices since the scheme started and it has enabled young people to | :18:29. | :18:33. | |
get the qualifications for a great career. Whether Government is doing | :18:34. | :18:38. | |
a lot to encourage older people into apprenticeships, the cultural shift | :18:39. | :18:41. | |
is required to inspire even more into it? I think he is right because | :18:42. | :18:47. | |
I think there is a common misconception that apprenticeships | :18:48. | :18:50. | |
are only appropriate for school leavers whereas the reality is that | :18:51. | :18:53. | |
they offer opportunities to people at all stages of their lives and | :18:54. | :19:00. | |
careers so it doesn't just for new recruits going into an employer, it | :19:01. | :19:03. | |
can be for somebody who has been working for several years but has | :19:04. | :19:05. | |
discovered in themselves potential to develop. Through our one nation | :19:06. | :19:17. | |
reforms we are committed to a labour market that allows everybody to | :19:18. | :19:21. | |
fulfil their obligations and their opportunities whenever and whoever | :19:22. | :19:24. | |
they are including those with autism. That's why the Prime | :19:25. | :19:28. | |
Minister wants the disability confidence campaign and we have | :19:29. | :19:32. | |
spent ?100 million a year on the access to work scheme, helping over | :19:33. | :19:36. | |
36,000 people were difficulties into and we have published gains for | :19:37. | :19:38. | |
employers with people with autism and Mike honourable friend the | :19:39. | :19:42. | |
minister for business and small skills have met with Autism UK. The | :19:43. | :19:52. | |
autism employment gap is much larger than the disability employment gap | :19:53. | :19:56. | |
with only 15% in full-term employment and 26% of graduates | :19:57. | :20:02. | |
remaining employed. We are losing the potential of people with autism | :20:03. | :20:08. | |
to our economy. What specific support will be provided to | :20:09. | :20:12. | |
employers and job-seekers to close the startling gap and all the | :20:13. | :20:14. | |
Government produced aggregated data to evidence progress? The honourable | :20:15. | :20:21. | |
lady makes an important point and I pay tribute to her work. We're | :20:22. | :20:26. | |
investing substantially on it and through the disability confidence | :20:27. | :20:28. | |
campaign we are actively engaging with employers of different sizes | :20:29. | :20:32. | |
and sectors to promote access for work with people who have autism and | :20:33. | :20:38. | |
on autism Day on the 2nd of April we launched the latest part of that | :20:39. | :20:40. | |
campaign. We don't think waters as the right way to work. We want to | :20:41. | :20:58. | |
encourage -- quarters. In -- quotas. Coding is an ideal job for people | :20:59. | :21:01. | |
with autism because of the rigid nature of the work. I would be | :21:02. | :21:10. | |
delighted to work with him and other ministers. It is an excellent system | :21:11. | :21:16. | |
and I commend him for his leadership on it. When will the front bench | :21:17. | :21:22. | |
take the example of Leicester City football club and try to get into | :21:23. | :21:26. | |
the premiership on this question? There are so many talented people on | :21:27. | :21:30. | |
the autism spectrum desperate for a job, waiting for a job. Many of them | :21:31. | :21:36. | |
in regions like Yorkshire. What we are faced with is uncertainty for | :21:37. | :21:41. | |
everyone, apprentices, people but autism, under this great cloud that | :21:42. | :21:47. | |
we might lead the GP in union. No one is investing, no one is hiring. | :21:48. | :21:51. | |
Even for me it would be a stretch to delve into the European Union on | :21:52. | :21:56. | |
this question but the Government is doing, I think you'd agree ?100 | :21:57. | :22:01. | |
million a year the access to work scheme helping people with | :22:02. | :22:05. | |
disabilities into work, we are committed to this and we are serious | :22:06. | :22:11. | |
about giving them opportunities. April is Autism Awareness Month and | :22:12. | :22:20. | |
the Economist led with an article about how the skills of people with | :22:21. | :22:24. | |
autism are being wasted and if the Government had more friendly | :22:25. | :22:27. | |
approaches to developing skills we could have many more people in the | :22:28. | :22:30. | |
workplace. We had a fascinating and moving debate last week on autism | :22:31. | :22:34. | |
and many membership moving experiences of their own children, | :22:35. | :22:40. | |
including my honourable friend for Angus. Will he meet with me and a | :22:41. | :22:43. | |
cross-party delegation to discuss how we can get businesses to | :22:44. | :22:49. | |
properly marked the number of people on the autism spectrum and how we | :22:50. | :22:57. | |
can work across this House? I was free to invite the honourable lady | :22:58. | :23:01. | |
to seek an adjournment debate until you realise she now had it! | :23:02. | :23:10. | |
I would simply say, yes, the right meeting would be with the Secretary | :23:11. | :23:15. | |
of State for DWP who really done this and my friends are ministers | :23:16. | :23:20. | |
for skills and small business. We are actively in gauging with all | :23:21. | :23:23. | |
relevant charities on this issue. The lady is content with that issue | :23:24. | :23:27. | |
but whether she is or isn't, she's had it! With your permission, I'd | :23:28. | :23:35. | |
like to take question seven with number 14. We think leaving the | :23:36. | :23:45. | |
European Union would be an absolute disaster for Britain's digital | :23:46. | :23:51. | |
industries. If you were here, but he isn't, so it isn't, is the short | :23:52. | :23:56. | |
answer, but we will recede unabashed by the absence of the honourable | :23:57. | :23:58. | |
gentleman because we have got the honourable member, Mr Nicholas | :23:59. | :24:07. | |
Brown. I thank the minister for his answer. The secretary is very | :24:08. | :24:11. | |
important to the North East of England as the member for Sunderland | :24:12. | :24:19. | |
Central made clear. There are 25,000 jobs now directly involved in the | :24:20. | :24:24. | |
sector. What the assurance can the Minister give the host that there | :24:25. | :24:28. | |
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 | :24:35. | :24:37. | |
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 | :24:43. | :24:51. | |
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 | :24:55. | :24:58. | |
opportunities and that is why we must stay. This morning, I was at a | :24:59. | :25:06. | |
breakfast meeting with digital companies from Vancouver and British | :25:07. | :25:10. | |
Columbia who were looking at investing in the UK. Does the | :25:11. | :25:13. | |
Minister agree that this dangerous and damaging Remain campaign which | :25:14. | :25:19. | |
is wholly based on a fear of leaving the European Union which is not | :25:20. | :25:25. | |
justified will do a great damage? Is that any assessment of how much | :25:26. | :25:28. | |
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. | :25:35. | :25:39. | |
I hear what he has to say and I do wish the Leave campaign would stop | :25:40. | :25:48. | |
running this terrible campaign of fear. I am pleased to hear that our | :25:49. | :25:56. | |
Canadian trade envoy, which I gather my honourable friend acts as, shows | :25:57. | :26:01. | |
that even as members of the EU we can still negotiate and engage | :26:02. | :26:04. | |
globally with many other countries to stop being a member of the EU | :26:05. | :26:08. | |
doesn't prevent us working outside the EU and the Leave campaign of | :26:09. | :26:20. | |
fear is to stop saying that it does. On Sunday, the EU slashed roaming | :26:21. | :26:27. | |
charges by 75%. And they will be abolished altogether next year. That | :26:28. | :26:34. | |
is a huge boost to British businesses with European ambitions, | :26:35. | :26:41. | |
as well as to Leicester City fans now with Champions League travel to | :26:42. | :26:49. | |
plan. The UK is Europe's biggest digital economy. We buy and sell | :26:50. | :26:53. | |
more online than any other country. Would the minister like to estimate | :26:54. | :26:59. | |
how long it would take him, even with his fabled charm, to | :27:00. | :27:03. | |
renegotiate all our international digital agreements in the event of a | :27:04. | :27:12. | |
Brexit and what are ?180 million digital economy would do in the | :27:13. | :27:17. | |
meantime? I think it would take ages, years to renegotiate. I | :27:18. | :27:22. | |
recently returned from a G-7 meeting in Japan, again proving that the | :27:23. | :27:30. | |
Leave campaign of fear is wrong. I was able to spend some time with the | :27:31. | :27:35. | |
European vice president speaking of the great opportunities the digital | :27:36. | :27:39. | |
single market presents. We want to be part of that market, growing for | :27:40. | :27:47. | |
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 | :27:57. | :28:00. | |
help UK steel companies by delivering lower vouchers to prices, | :28:01. | :28:07. | |
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 | :28:13. | :28:20. | |
that time is allocated to ensure a better buyer came forward as opposed | :28:21. | :28:26. | |
to the original potential one. What conversations has he had with Tata | :28:27. | :28:38. | |
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 | :28:49. | :28:51. | |
time in terms of securing a viable long-term future for the Tata | :28:52. | :28:59. | |
business. I have spoken to officials and they have been straightforward | :29:00. | :29:02. | |
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. |