Oral Answers to Questions

David Mackintosh Excerpts

Tuesday 18th April 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

There can be a link between productivity and recent trends in the level of employment, so if the hon. Member for Northampton South (David Mackintosh) wishes to come in on Question 17, he is welcome so to do.

[David Mackintosh (Northampton South) (Con)]

18. Thank you, Mr Speaker. What assessment has the Minister made of current employment in Northampton?

[Mr Gauke]

At 84.4%, the employment rate in Northampton South is the 17th highest of all 632 constituencies across Great Britain. There were 3,000 more people in work in Northampton South over the past year alone, and 4,000 more than in 2010.

Beer Duty

David Mackintosh Excerpts

Tuesday 7th March 2017 Westminster Hall

[Steve Double]

I will happily agree. The support given to microbreweries to develop right across the country—they are now producing very high-quality, excellent craft beer—is a success that should be noted.

[David Mackintosh (Northampton South) (Con)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that larger breweries, such as Carlsberg in my constituency, also play an important role in providing beer for people, but the beer duty also has an impact on them?

[Steve Double]

I wholeheartedly agree that the beer duty affects the whole industry. That is why I believe it needs to be addressed.

One interesting statistic I read was that communities that have a well loved pub are happier. Pubs have that very positive effect on local communities. I was dismayed when a local Liberal Democrat councillor in St Austell recently suggested tightening up the local licensing regulations and limiting the number of pubs to curb incidents of antisocial behaviour. That misses the point entirely, because well run pubs promote responsible drinking, and in my experience they have a positive impact by reducing crime and antisocial behaviour, rather than being the cause of the problem.

Oral Answers to Questions

David Mackintosh Excerpts

Tuesday 17th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We do need to speed up, so short, sharp questions and comparably pithy replies are the order of the day.

[David Mackintosh (Northampton South) (Con)]

6. What steps he is taking to develop the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke)]

At the autumn statement, the Government backed recommendations made by the National Infrastructure Commission to invest £140 million in the Cambridge/Milton Keynes/Oxford corridor. That includes development funding for the expressway road scheme and £100 million to accelerate construction of the east-west rail line. The Government support the commission’s ongoing work, looking at a range of delivery models for housing and transport in the corridor.

[David Mackintosh]

How does my right hon. Friend envisage that benefiting the economy in Northamptonshire?

[Mr Gauke]

It is worth pointing out that in the terms of reference for the National Infrastructure Commission’s report the Government noted that the area contained four of the UK’s fastest growing and most productive places—Oxford, Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Northampton. We agree with the commission that transport investment is key to maximising growth potential in the area. We will invest in the east-west rail line and the expressway, which will better connect parts of the region with one another and with the rest of the country, supporting growth and jobs. The commission will issue its final report later this year, including work on delivery options for housing and transport, and we will carefully consider those recommendations.