Contributions
741 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPost Office NetworkI am always happy to look at the details and where we can improve services if that is possible. I must point out that the post office network is long established and well loved.…25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkI understand the hon. Gentleman’s concern about the CWU and perhaps the conversations with WHSmith, but the union’s relationship with an independent retailer such as WHSmith is a…25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkI understand where the hon. Lady is coming from, but the reality is that 98% of the post office network is franchised. That is the fundamental business model within the Post…25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkI thank the hon. Gentleman for that, because that is exactly what I hope to do.25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkI give way to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Drew Hendry).25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkI thank the hon. Lady for her comment, but I highlight that WHSmith has been successfully running post office franchises since 2006. We are now in 2019, and the reality is that,…25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkIf the hon. Gentleman would allow me the courtesy of getting to the content of my speech, that would be really useful. I am still at the start. We made a commitment in our 2017…25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Davies. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael), and the hon. Members for Motherwell and…25 Apr 2019HANSARDWomen EntrepreneursI would be very happy to meet women who are using all manner of tools. I met eBay yesterday, and it talked about the work it is doing to encourage women to start their own…25 Apr 2019HANSARDWomen EntrepreneursI thank my right hon. Friend for highlighting that particular finding. It is our ambition to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2030. The new investing in…25 Apr 2019HANSARDWomen EntrepreneursSince 2012, 62,949 start-up loans worth £489.5 million have been made to business owners, and 39% of those loans went to female entrepreneurs. In response to the Rose review, an…25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkI respect the hon. Gentleman’s position, but I disagree that moving to a franchise equals a loss of services and standards. I do not believe that, and I have not seen that, so I…25 Apr 2019HANSARDPost Office NetworkAs the hon. Gentleman knows, the Government have been working to make business rates more equitable for small businesses, and we are looking at the impact of that. Post offices…25 Apr 2019HANSARDDraft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations 2019The Government made it clear in the intergovernmental agreements on the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 that state aid would be a reserved matter. The SI before us relates to…10 Apr 2019HANSARDDraft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations 2019I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I believe that the Secretary of State replied to that letter, but I will have to go back and look at what letters he has sent…10 Apr 2019HANSARDDraft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations 2019No, I am afraid I disagree. Currently, the devolved Administrations are responsible for aid givers, and they will potentially be aid givers. Under current EU regulations, the…10 Apr 2019HANSARDDraft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations 2019I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention requesting further clarity. We consulted the devolved Administrations before laying the draft regulations. It is true that there is…10 Apr 2019HANSARDDraft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations 2019The hon. Gentleman may be referring to the commitment, made by my noble Friend in the other place, to write to the Committee. He still plans to do so. The Government’s position is…10 Apr 2019HANSARDDraft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations 2019I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hanson. The draft…10 Apr 2019HANSARDDraft State Aid (EU Exit) Regulations 2019As I have already outlined to the hon. Gentleman, the Government are clear that we believe state aid to be a reserved matter. I have tried to outline that a number of times, and I…10 Apr 2019