Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Glen and Philip Hollobone

Tuesday 5th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[John Glen]

I thank the hon. Lady for her kind remarks about my constituency. I am familiar with the reports that appeared in The Guardian yesterday evening about the case to which she has referred. Following the response by the Financial Action Task Force to a two-year review of our standards in the United Kingdom, the Government recognise that we are world leaders in this regard, but there are some outstanding concerns about reports of suspicious activity in the banking sector. Work is ongoing, and I will take a close interest in it.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

Can the Minister quantify the amount of extra tax that the Government have collected since 2010 that would otherwise have been unpaid, as a result of the measures they have taken to tackle money laundering?

[John Glen]

I cannot give my hon. Friend the exact figure, but we are anxious to crack down on suspicious activity when reports give us reason to believe that further measures are necessary. We have taken action in improving cross-governmental co-ordination, and we are working closely with the Home Office on the suspicious activity reports.

EU Customs Union and Draft Withdrawal Agreement: Cost

Debate between John Glen and Philip Hollobone

Monday 22nd October 2018 Commons Chamber

[John Glen]

I was asked to respond, and I am happy to do my best to do so.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

The extension to the transition period is designed to replace the backstop to the backstop. Given that the Irish Government and Her Majesty’s Government have both said that they are not going to build the hard border, who is?

[John Glen]

We need to understand that the backstop is just that—it is not expected that it will need to come into force. We must secure an agreement and come to arrangements that work for both sides.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Glen and Philip Hollobone

Tuesday 11th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[John Glen]

I am happy to give my hon. Friend that assurance. I have deep conversations on this matter with the Financial Conduct Authority regularly. I also met representatives of Scotcash and the credit unions over the recess to see what alternative supplies of affordable credit are available.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

Under Labour, household debt rose in every year bar one, but the Office for National Statistics now shows that, since 2010, the number of children in workless households has fallen by a staggering 637,000. Does that not demonstrate the huge contrast between the economic achievements of this Government and the track record of the Labour party?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Glen and Philip Hollobone

Thursday 21st December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

Northamptonshire County Council is proposing to cut 28 of its 36 libraries. Will the Minister send in the Government’s libraries taskforce to see whether a county-wide libraries trust might be set up to save these vital public services?

[John Glen]

My hon. Friend makes a reasonable point. I will be visiting a number of libraries in the new year, following the seven I have already visited, with the new chair of the libraries taskforce, and I will be happy to engage with my hon. Friend and his local authority to see whether there are alternative ways forward.