Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Griffiths and Priti Patel

Monday 28th October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Griffiths (Burton) (Con)]

T9. In Staffordshire, we welcome the 90 new police officers we are getting as part of the Government’s investment, but we also recognise the danger that those officers put themselves in every day. Officers are asking for access to Tasers in order to keep them safe. Will the Home Secretary commit that any police officer who wants a Taser will get one, and when will they be getting hold of them?

[Priti Patel]

My hon. Friend will know that the deployment of Tasers is an operational matter for chief constables, and it is obviously for them to determine the number of Tasers for officers. However, we have introduced a £10 million Taser fund, and that funding will mean that over 10,000 more officers in England and Wales will have the opportunity to carry a Taser.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Griffiths and Priti Patel

Monday 9th May 2016 Commons Chamber

[Priti Patel]

I commend my hon. Friend for hosting that jobs and apprenticeships fair. She is absolutely right: such fairs provide a gateway for young people who are looking for work. I know that many Members on both sides of the House have been doing exactly the same, but I encourage all Members to bring employers together in their constituencies, and to give young people the opportunities that they are seeking.

[Andrew Griffiths (Burton) (Con)]

5. What recent progress his Department has made on reducing the number of workless households.

Beer Duty

Debate between Andrew Griffiths and Priti Patel

Thursday 5th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Priti Patel)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Andrew Griffiths) not only on securing this debate, but on the reward he received this week for his lobbying and campaigning on behalf of the beer industry. I pay tribute to him for campaigning solidly over this Parliament on behalf of his constituents in Burton, the home of British brewing. He is a champion of the jobs, the investment and the economic security that the industry has provided. I also commend the passion he has shown in his work as chair of the all-party group on beer. It is one of the most popular all-party groups, unsurprisingly, given the effective leadership he has displayed. It has been a delight to work with him on various issues, both before and since becoming a Minister.

This week UK beer sales have increased for the first time in 10 years. That is a testament to the hard work that my hon. Friend has put in over the years in standing up for the beer and pub industries. The great British pub and great British brewers are institutions that we in Government wholeheartedly support. As we heard in the compelling case eloquently made by my hon. Friend, there is a very strong argument that the brewing and pub sector is a major part of the UK economy. It adds £22 billion to the UK’s GDP. It directly employs over 600,000 people and supports almost 900,000 people in total, including, as he said, a significant proportion of young people. There is a very strong skills base in the industry, and young people are part of that. As he said, it also boosts British manufacturing, and its exports are worth over £630 million.

Perhaps as importantly, pubs have been at the heart of British culture for centuries. Fifteen million people visit them each week. They are the cornerstone of our communities, and of tourism. As Members of Parliament, we all recognise that they play a strong and pivotal role in our local communities, particularly rural ones.

[Andrew Griffiths]

The Minister mentions tourism. Is she aware that visiting a great British pub is one of the key things that visitors to this country want to do when they arrive on these shores? Does she agree that we should be doing more to promote the great British pub as part of our tourism offer?

[Priti Patel]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We have spoken about this at the APPG. The pub is absolutely pivotal to boosting Great Britain’s brand. Tourism and our rural economies are part of that. When we speak about pubs, it is about enjoyment—the fact that people enjoy them. As a policy maker and a Minister, I sometimes think that that is not sufficiently taken into account.

The case for supporting pubs and brewers as institutions is overwhelming. We see that across the country, beyond pubs, in the supply chain and the wider industry. Maltings and other factors in the supply chain are crucial and pivotal to our economy.