Contributions
1,122 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsI have a high regard for Tina McKenzie and the Federation of Small Businesses more generally, and we have been working extremely closely with them on thinking through what…17 Jul 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI sympathise with the hon. Member’s constituents on the difficulties that they face. On the challenges that he says they face with HMRC, he may want to get in contact with my…17 Jul 2025HANSARDHigh Street BusinessesThe Chancellor announced last year that from the next financial year, 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail hospitality and leisure properties. A…17 Jul 2025HANSARDCapital and Export Finance: SMEsOn 26 June, the Department published our trade strategy, announcing the expansion of UK Export Finance’s capacity to £80 billion. We also announced measures to give smaller firms,…17 Jul 2025HANSARDSupport for Cycle ManufacturersI am grateful to the hon. Lady for her suspicion that I have considerable influence with the Treasury. We are always in discussions with Treasury colleagues, and indeed colleagues…17 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeWith permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the Green Paper that we are publishing today on the future of the Post Office. Post offices have stood as a…14 Jul 2025HANSARDFuture of the Post Office: Green PaperThe Post Office is a vital part of the UK’s social and economic fabric. It supports communities, high streets, and small businesses across the UK. This Government inherited a Post…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeAs I hope I made clear in my opening statement, and as the Green Paper certainly makes clear, our preference remains keeping the current size of the network and maintaining the…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeI am grateful to the hon. Lady for encouraging sub-postmasters and anyone who is interested in the future of the Post Office to contribute their views to the Green Paper. As the…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeI thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that specific matter. I will happily draw the attention of the Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade, my hon. Friend the Member…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeI am grateful to the hon. Lady for her welcome for the Green Paper. She rightly underlines the significance of the Post Office, particularly to the digitally excluded, to the…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeI agree with my hon. Friend about the even greater role that banks could play on our high streets by working with the Post Office. It is one area that Post Office senior…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeThe hon. Lady is absolutely right that the reputation of the Post Office has taken a huge hit as a result of the Post Office scandal, and it will take a long time for trust to…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeAs I have said, in our view we should retain the current size of the network and the current access criteria, which are key to ensuring that every community, whether rural or…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeIn principle, I am very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss the issues with post offices in his constituency. He gives me the opportunity to put on the record my…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeThe hon. Gentleman is right that we need to make the task of running a post office more attractive. That is why improving both the culture, so that postmasters feel listened to,…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeI completely accept the significance of the Post Office in rural communities in particular, but it is equally essential that we have access to Post Office services in urban areas.…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeMy hon. Friend has long been a proud member of the Co-operative party and is interested in mutualisation, and I look forward to discussing these issues with her in due course.…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeThe most important thing that we can do to help Post Office branches in rural areas in Scotland, and indeed across the UK, is to prioritise improving the commercial future of the…14 Jul 2025HANSARD Future of the Post OfficeI commend my hon. Friend for championing the post office in Cumbernauld and the communities around her constituency that depend on it and on the Post Office more generally. The…14 Jul 2025