Contributions
1,122 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDClosure of High Street Services: Rural AreasWe certainly want the banking industry to do more to work with us as a Government to ensure that there is much better access to financial services, in particular for small…05 Feb 2025HANSARDClosure of High Street Services: Rural AreasI apologise to the hon. Gentleman, but he has only just rocked up to the debate, so if he will forgive me, on this occasion I will not give way. If there is a specific issue about…05 Feb 2025HANSARDClosure of High Street Services: Rural AreasHaving some Welsh blood, I am instinctively sympathetic to the hon. Gentleman’s constituents. I would not put it in quite the way that he did, but if he and his constituents have…05 Feb 2025HANSARDSupport for High Street BusinessesI recognise that there will be a lot of concern in the hon. Member’s constituency following that news yesterday. I agree that banking hubs can make a significant difference, which…30 Jan 2025HANSARDSupport for High Street BusinessesWe are continuing to work with colleagues across Government to develop a programme that will revitalise the nation’s high streets and support businesses. We will publish a small…30 Jan 2025HANSARDSupport for High Street BusinessesThe hon. Lady might want to check again with the business she refers to, because, in the most recent Budget, the employment allowance was raised to some £10,500, which will help…30 Jan 2025HANSARDBusiness Growth ServiceThe hon. Gentleman has always been a great champion of small businesses in his constituency and in Northern Ireland more generally. We want the business growth service to…30 Jan 2025HANSARDSupport for High Street BusinessesOne reason why the Conservatives lost the confidence of the British business community was that despite repeated promises to reform business rates, they took no steps to do so. We…30 Jan 2025HANSARDSupport for High Street BusinessesI referred to the establishment of the business growth service in answer to an earlier question. We are working with the Scottish Government to begin to think through how that…30 Jan 2025HANSARDSupport for High Street BusinessesIn her speech yesterday, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor set out a series of measures that the Government want to take to boost growth across the country and benefit every…30 Jan 2025HANSARDBusiness Growth ServiceI commend my hon. Friend on her support for the microbusinesses in her constituency. We want to get behind all those who are willing to take the risk to set up their own business.…30 Jan 2025HANSARDBusiness ConfidenceNo, I do not accept that, and I would gently remind the hon. Gentleman that the policy to which he has referred was introduced by his party. I recognise that there are many…30 Jan 2025HANSARDBusiness ConfidenceI pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her support for Rolls-Royce, which is one of our great British companies leading the way in many export markets across the world. Only…30 Jan 2025HANSARDBusiness ConfidenceThe hon. Gentleman seems to have forgotten the extra investment that Nissan has announced, and the extra investment that has been announced by a number of other car manufacturers.…30 Jan 2025HANSARDBusiness ConfidenceI think the right hon. Gentleman needs to check his sources for comments from business leaders. Only yesterday the British Chambers of Commerce, the CBI and the Federation of…30 Jan 2025HANSARDPost Office Closures: Impact on CommunitiesWe have supported the Post Office in taking measures to increase sub-postmaster pay, to make it a more attractive profession to come into, in order to deal with precisely the…30 Jan 2025HANSARDPost Office Closures: Impact on CommunitiesThe Post Office has the freedom to operate the branch network within the parameters set by the Government. We protect the network by setting minimum access criteria so that, in…30 Jan 2025HANSARDBusiness ConfidenceAs the Chancellor of the Exchequer said only yesterday, we are driving forward planning reforms, boosting capital investment by over £100 billion over the next five years, and…30 Jan 2025HANSARDBusiness Growth ServiceSmall businesses are critical to our economy and to the future of all our communities. We will bring forward our small business strategy later this year to improve the environment…30 Jan 2025HANSARDEncouraging EntrepreneurshipOne thing we need to continue to do is make it easier for entrepreneurs in the hon. Member’s constituency and across the UK to access the finance that they need to set up their…30 Jan 2025