Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Angus Brendan MacNeil and Mike Freer

Thursday 20th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Angus Brendan MacNeil (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)]

This Government, as we know, have blundered many times, and now a lobster or a leg of chicken cannot be sold to any country in the world without five, eight or 10 bits of paperwork. I am trying to prevent another blunder.

The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys supports the accession to CPTPP, but cautions that

“we believe that if the UK were to sign up the CPTPP IP chapter as currently drafted, this could have unintended consequences”

for our reputation as an international patent leader, for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, for UK GDP and for the UK patent profession. It asks that

“the UK…should take a very firm position and insist on carve outs for the UK from these provisions of CPTPP.”

Will the Department take up that ask and insist that it happens?

[Mike Freer]

The hon. Gentleman raises a good point. It is in my diary to meet him in the next few weeks; I suggest that he brings that paper with him and we can have a more fruitful discussion.

Public Service Pensions Bill

Debate between Angus Brendan MacNeil and Mike Freer

Tuesday 4th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr MacNeil]

In respect of this Bill and the commitment to public sector pensions, what change in GDP are we likely to see?

[Mike Freer]

I am not qualified to judge that. I am not an economist, so I do not have information about the impact on GDP. It might be appropriate to ask the Economic Secretary that question, however.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mike Freer]

My hon. Friend makes a good point. The pensions time bomb is not only to do with the fact that people are making insufficient provision; it is also about there being insufficient taxpayers to make up the gap between the contributions made by employer and employee and that gap having to be made up from general taxation. There are two parts of the time bomb, therefore. Unless accurate information is provided on pensions, people will not be able to make the appropriate decisions.

[Mr MacNeil]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way again?

[Mike Freer]

As long as the intervention is not a question about GDP.

[Mr MacNeil]

In terms of the provisions in the Bill, the House of Commons Library informs us that this time bomb will be cut from 1.6% of GDP to 1.5% of GDP.

[Mike Freer]

I am not sure what point the hon. Gentleman is making. After our debate, I may have to check whether I have said something that I cannot remember saying, and I apologise that I cannot respond to that point at present.

The House spends a huge amount of time regulating. The Food Labelling (Nutrition Information) (England) Regulations 2009 spell out in considerable detail the information that must be on food labels. The labels specify for consumers the fibre content, edible carbohydrate polymers, synthetic carbohydrates, salt content, kilojoules and calories, sugar content, fatty acids of trans fatty acids, yet when we ask people to make choices about their pensions, which is one of the biggest decisions of their life, we give them no information at all. I urge the Economic Secretary to go further by ensuring accurate information is included in our pension statements.