Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Liz Twist

Thursday 7th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Kemi Badenoch]

My hon. Friend is right. I signed the enhanced trade and investment partnership in Nigeria, alongside my counterpart, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, on Tuesday 13 February this year. It was the first of its kind in terms of the UK’s trade commitments across the region. The partnership aims to remove market access barriers and promote technical co-operation in areas such as financial and professional services. The UK and Nigeria have co-created a partnership that tackles issues that businesses face, and this is the first step in a significant relationship and an already strong trading partnership worth a total of £6.7 billion in the 12 months to September.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

T9. Last week, Carl Cresswell, director of business resilience in the Department for Business and Trade, told the Select Committee that he personally thinks that we will end up spending more money on Horizon compensation overall than that £1 billion currently allocated by the Treasury, but we did not hear anything about that in yesterday’s Budget. Does the Secretary of State share that view?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Liz Twist

Thursday 23rd March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Kemi Badenoch]

This Government value and support the Scotch whisky industry. Just last year, we helped to liberalise tariffs on Scotch whisky in the USA. My Department and I are in continual discussions with the Scotch Whisky Association and industry to see what we can do to support them.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

The retail sector is a hugely important part of our economy and a huge employer in my constituency. What are the Government doing to support it in difficult times?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Liz Twist

Wednesday 30th November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Kemi Badenoch]

It is quite clear that the hon. Lady did not hear any of the answers that I have given, because she has asked something that I have answered multiple times. I refer her to the answers I gave to all those hon. Members.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

5. Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health on a timetable for the publication of a health disparities White Paper.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Liz Twist

Monday 7th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Liz Twist]

The levelling-up White Paper made no mention of funding for local councils, despite the fact that it is local authorities that deliver the kind of change to local communities that the White Paper claims to be aiming for. Does the Minister think that after 12 years of extraordinary cuts to local authority funding, councils across the country are in a good position to deliver levelling up without any new funding?

[Kemi Badenoch]

I disagree with the hon. Lady. The levelling-up White Paper did make reference to council funding, and the financial settlement that I referred to earlier mentioned the cash increase. She will know that Gateshead receives 8.1% and that the Northumberland part of her constituency receives 8%. The fact is that we have given additional funding for levelling up. This includes £2.1 million from the community renewal fund and a £358,000 allocation from the welcome back fund. There is money going into her constituency and we are here to support as much as we can.