Contributions
1,122 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNational Insurance Contributions: SMEsI am always happy to work with the Scottish Government and other devolved Governments on how we can improve the business environment. I am sure the right hon. Member will join me…13 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is a great champion of the social enterprise sector. She will know that we are committed to doubling the size of the co-op and mutuals sector. We recently met the…13 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe have had one or two questions on this topic, and the hon. Member will therefore not be surprised by my answer. I gently point out that the difficult decisions we took on…13 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsOne of the big issues that small businesses wanting to scale up face is access to finance. We are actively working across Government on what else we can do to support businesses…13 Mar 2025HANSARDHorizon RedressThis Government are fully committed to providing full and fair redress to victims of the Horizon scandal and making sure all of those responsible face justice and contribute to…10 Mar 2025HANSARDPost Office Horizon: RedressThe delivery of redress for victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal is a key manifesto commitment for this Government. As part of our commitment, I have been actively…03 Mar 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesI was pleased to see my hon. Friend and those from the business organisation he brought in to see us, and I hope to have the opportunity to come to his constituency to see very…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesI do agree with my hon. Friend. As he rightly alludes to, in the Budget we had to take tough decisions to fix the foundations of our economy, to restore stability and to begin to…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesWe know that there are just over 5 million family businesses in the UK, the vast majority of them small businesses. We are determined that, for the first time for a decade and…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesI thank Members on both sides of the House for their contributions to what has been an interesting debate. We heard, in particular, excellent speeches from my hon. Friends the…26 Feb 2025HANSARDFamily BusinessesI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for mentioning those reliefs, and I will come to them in due course. The Budget also set out practical support for small businesses, especially…26 Feb 2025HANSARDGrowth Guarantee SchemeI wish to make Members aware of the details of a proposed variant of the existing growth guarantee scheme that is designed to increase uptake by businesses of green assets that…11 Feb 2025HANSARD High Street RetailersIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. In the usual way, I congratulate the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell) on securing today’s important…05 Feb 2025HANSARD High Street RetailersForgive me, but I have only 2.5 minutes. If I missed something and the hon. Gentleman wants to write to me, I will be happy to reply. I have touched on business rates reform. We…05 Feb 2025HANSARD High Street RetailersI thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer opened the 100th banking hub very recently, and I know from figures that…05 Feb 2025HANSARDClosure of High Street Services: Rural AreasThe hon. Gentleman will know that the Government had a very difficult fiscal inheritance and had to make some very tough choices in the Budget back in October. We continue to…05 Feb 2025HANSARD High Street RetailersI am grateful to my hon. Friend. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Budget in October the intention to permanently lower the level of business rates for retail,…05 Feb 2025HANSARD High Street RetailersThat is generous of him. I will take that question away and look at it. I know that that is an issue particular to Northern Ireland. He will understand that it is not immediately…05 Feb 2025HANSARDClosure of High Street Services: Rural AreasIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Furniss. In the usual way, let me, too, congratulate the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone)…05 Feb 2025HANSARD High Street RetailersThe hon. Member may want me to go straight from this debate to the Treasury to get an immediate concession.05 Feb 2025