Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [Lords]

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

2nd reading
Tuesday 1st April 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Jonathan Reynolds)]

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Will the Secretary of State give way? [Laughter.]

[Jonathan Reynolds]

Of course—why not?

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

When did weights and measures become metrology? Is this use of newspeak deliberate to cover an Orwellian attempt to cloak this huge grab for power, and to what end?

[Jonathan Reynolds]

I am grateful for that intervention very early on in proceedings. I cannot provide a definitive answer to the right hon. Gentleman on the naming of the Bill, but I promise that I will find out and put it to him in writing. But he will know that the Bill was, I believe, originally planned by the previous Government because of the need to repatriate powers to the United Kingdom as a result of our exit from the European Union. It is something we need in our toolkit, so, far from being Orwellian, it is a pragmatic, practical proposal. I look forward to now making the case for it in more detail.

The primary mission of this Government, and the driving force of my Department, is stronger economic growth: not just growth that looks good on paper, but growth that is seen and is felt on our high streets, in our towns and cities, and in the communities we serve; growth that reverses 15 years of stagnation, with all the negative consequences we all felt during that time. To do that, we need an economy in which shops and small businesses can compete on a more level playing field with online marketplaces and the big tech giants. We need an economy that promotes investment and innovation, but at the same time ensures consumers and businesses have real, modern protections. That is why the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill is a small but hugely important piece of legislation, one that will further cement the UK’s status as a world leader in product regulation and safety.

“Chapter 4A

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Tuesday 11th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Justin Madders]

The reason why we are putting so many amendments down is because we have been consulting and working with businesses, and that is why we have so much to say today. It was a Labour party commitment to launch an Employment Rights Bill within 100 days of taking office, and I am proud that we have delivered on that commitment and that we have this Bill here today.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

In that consultation, how many small businesses expressed their support for the Bill?

[Justin Madders]

I refer the right hon. Member to our departmental press release, where at least half a dozen business representatives and businesses have expressed support, and of course, there are many more businesses out there. Indeed, I visited one only recently that supported the Bill.

Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sarah Jones]

I thank my hon. Friend for bringing to the House the work that is going on for the Atom Valley development zone, which is incredibly important and exactly what we want to see. The Mayor of Greater Manchester is to be congratulated for his leadership in this space as well. I am very interested in the work my hon. Friend refers to, not least because of the critical minerals strategy we are developing and the graphene work that I know will be under way in the manufacturing centre hub, so I very much look forward to talking further to him about what is happening and how we can help.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Why is it that the Government’s energy policy is driving uncompetitive energy costs in absolutely the wrong direction? Sir Jim Ratcliffe has pointed out that the principal threat to any strategy is actually the uncompetitive costs for those enterprises that will have to populate it.

[Sarah Jones]

This Government inherited very high energy costs from the previous Government, who had taken no action to make our country more energy secure. We are powering through to have clean, green, home-grown energy that will bring costs down and make sure we are secure as a country and not reliant on the whims of global leaders and the price of oil and gas. We will bring those costs down and we will support our industry, which I am afraid the previous Government failed to do.

Competition and Markets Authority Chairman

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Wednesday 22nd January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Justin Madders]

My hon. Friend is right that we need to give the business community confidence that decisions will be made quickly to provide certainty, so that it can move forward with investments for the benefit of the whole economy.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

What will be the impact on growth of a record number of millionaires having left the UK since the Budget?

[Justin Madders]

That is a very interesting question. I am not sure that the CMA’s role is to monitor the number of millionaires leaving the country.