Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jack Brereton and Robert Jenrick

Tuesday 11th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Con)]

15. What steps he is taking to support businesses and entrepreneurs.

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Robert Jenrick)]

This Government are determined to make the UK the best place in the world to start a business. We are keeping taxes low and helping businesses and entrepreneurs to access the support that they need. We have cut corporation tax to the lowest rate in the G20 and made changes to business rates that will be worth over £13 billion by 2023.

[Jack Brereton]

I thank the Minister for that response. Walker’s Nonsuch, a family business in my constituency since 1894 and England’s finest toffee producer, enthusiastically welcomed the increased annual investment allowance. Does he agree that it is essential to continue to reduce tax on companies so that they invest in new equipment, increase productivity and create more jobs?

[Robert Jenrick]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. While the Labour party wants to increase taxes on business, including on small businesses, we are cutting them, and the increased annual investment allowance will enable businesses such as the one in his constituency to invest in plant, machinery and new technology to drive it to future success.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jack Brereton and Robert Jenrick

Tuesday 17th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Jack Brereton (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Con)]

5. What steps he is taking to invest in the infrastructure of small and medium-sized cities.

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Robert Jenrick)]

In this Parliament, investment, including in infrastructure, will be at its highest sustained level since the 1970s, and our cities large and small are an important part of that strategy. We recently launched the £1.7 billion Transforming Cities fund to upgrade infrastructure, in addition to £345 million of funding for local road projects in England.

[Jack Brereton]

I thank the Minister for his response and for meeting me recently. Does he agree that cities such as Stoke-on-Trent are perfectly placed to benefit from investment through the Transforming Cities fund?

[Robert Jenrick]

I quite agree: Stoke-on-Trent is exactly the kind of city that we designed the Transforming Cities fund to benefit. From the meeting we had, I know that my hon. Friend sees opportunity in Stoke—in Stoke station, at junction 15 on the M6 and in the proposal for a ceramics park. With the dynamic Conservative leadership in Stoke at the moment, we look forward to receiving that application.