Andrew Stephenson
Main Page: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)Department Debates - View all Andrew Stephenson's debates with the Department for Education
(10 years, 1 month ago)
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Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.
The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Vince Cable)
My Department plays a key role in supporting the rebalancing of the economy through business to deliver growth while increasing skills and learning.
Andrew Stephenson
The town of Barnoldswick in my constituency won a great British high street award in November, and the town of Colne, where shop vacancies have more than halved in the past two years, has been branded “the capital of cool” by Tourism Lancashire. What recent support has my right hon. Friend’s Department provided to small business to help them to continue to grow and thrive?
Vince Cable
I congratulate my hon. Friend on the active role he plays in supporting his local commercial community. As the Minister for Business and Enterprise, my right hon. Friend the Member for West Suffolk (Matthew Hancock), described a few moments ago, we are actively involved in supporting small business through the start-up loan scheme, through credit flows to the business bank and by creating a deregulatory and favourable tax environment.