Trade and Investment for Growth White Paper

Catherine McKinnell Excerpts

Wednesday 9th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

It is right to say that inward investment is enormously important. We start from a position of strength, as a major host country for inward investment. One of the specific actions that we are taking is giving the Trade Minister, Lord Green, personal responsibility for developing close relations with our major inward investors, in order to build up the flow of capital into this country.

[Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) (Lab)]

One way to make our businesses, both large and small, more internationally competitive is to ensure that we have the skilled work force that we need for growth. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that a vital tool in that is using public procurement, at both local authority and Government level, to increase the number of apprenticeships available? That tool was widely used by the Labour Government, and is successfully used by our European counterparts. Given that my Bill—the Apprenticeships and Skills (Public Procurement Contracts) Bill, which is due to receive its Second Reading this Friday—is supported by the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Chambers of Commerce, will the Secretary of State now lend his support to it?

[Vince Cable]

As it happens, I launched apprenticeship week on Monday, and visited several parts of the country to promote apprenticeships and raise their status. Indeed, Government support has increased, as the hon. Lady knows, with 75,000 new apprenticeships this year. There are good elements in her Bill, and I know that she is talking to the Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), who is sitting beside me now, about how we can take those positive elements forward.