Contributions
877 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBusiness and TradeThe shadow Secretary of State knows that the private sector has created 386,000 jobs under this Government.13 May 2026HANSARDBusiness and TradeI enjoy these exchanges with the shadow Secretary of State. I note that Reform’s self-styled shadow Secretary of State—or, as I call him, the shadowy Secretary of State—is not in…13 May 2026HANSARDBusiness and TradeThe hon. Member’s question is incredibly important. He will know that my ministerial team and I have been very active on this issue. Just a couple of weeks ago in Brussels I…13 May 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI thank the hon. Gentleman, who is a friend, for his kind words. We have designed a scheme that is for Great Britain, but we have not forgotten Northern Ireland—I do not think he…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeMy hon. Friend gives voice to the hospitality sector, and she is absolutely right: the hospitality sector is important for so many reasons. For many people, it is the most…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI am extremely grateful for my hon. Friend’s representations and reflections. I can assure her that the BIC scheme is being calculated on the electricity intensity threshold. It…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI am grateful to the shadowy Business Minister for his greatest hits performance for the House today. He says that supporting 10,000 businesses is nothing. I can tell him that it…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeMy hon. Friend speaks eloquently about the challenges that industry has faced in the de-industrialising period of a previous Conservative Government but also the opportunities…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeMy hon. Friend mentioned palaces—is he living in a palace, I wonder? Given the success he has outlined in his career in manufacturing, who knows? I can assure him that…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI was down in the south-west just last week at Agratas, one of the largest battery production plants for electric vehicles in the whole of Europe. The sheer scale of manufacturing…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI am thankful for the right hon. Member’s acknowledgment of the work we are doing to invest in Wales—not only the small modular reactor, which we are already starting to construct…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI am grateful to my hon. Friend for getting the Lea Valley Growers on the record, and I am keen to meet him to hear more about it.16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI remember that visit well, and I will reflect on my hon. Friend’s words, as I always do. The eligibility checker will go live in the summer, and the businesses she refers to will…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI have done more in six months than his Government did in 14 years. If I am not bold, what the heck was his Government?16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeWith permission, I would like to make a statement on industrial energy costs. When I became Business Secretary, I said that we needed to be bolder, to go further and to move…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI know that my hon. Friend has had meetings with several of my Ministers, and of course I am always available for him too.16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his passionate intervention. I came into Parliament 10 years ago, and he came here just a short time afterwards. He has been raising these…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI thank the hon. Gentleman for his support for the scheme. I know it is qualified support, but where that qualified support exists, I am grateful for it. Let us be very clear…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeI could have listened to the hon. Lady for much longer, because she is listing important areas across the sector. I am very aware of the challenges and opportunities in an economy…16 Apr 2026HANSARD British Industrial Competitiveness SchemeThe scheme we have designed is aimed at manufacturing. The figure the hon. Member quotes is for all businesses in the UK, whereas this is one scheme aimed at competitiveness…16 Apr 2026