Alison Seabeck
Main Page: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)(11 years, 8 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
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Vince Cable
That is an extremely good suggestion and I am very happy to talk to the hon. Gentleman in more detail about how he sees this happening. Of course, we have the local enterprise partnerships—perhaps they have a key role in making that happen. However, his premise is correct: it is entrepreneurs in the private sector who will drive recovery, and they are fundamental to the industrial strategy.
Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View) (Lab)
There was no mention in the Secretary of State’s statement of the defence sector, yet we have had some notable losses of export opportunities, a lot of rhetoric and very little action in the last two and a half years. Will he set out what lessons he thinks he can learn from the United States and France in the way they work with, protect and promote their defence industries?
Vince Cable
Of course, the defence sector does have an important role to play in the approach I am developing, particularly in procurement and in research and development. We want that approach to be fully cross-government, and it will include defence. We work closely with the French, as the hon. Lady knows, in the aerospace sector and we learn from their experiences, not all of which are successful, one has to say.