Oral Answers to Questions

David Nuttall Excerpts

Thursday 23rd March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Caroline Nokes]

As the right hon. Lady will have heard me say, the policy was available for scrutiny during the passage of the Bill. Since 2010, we have worked hard to make sure that families who are reliant on benefits make the same decisions as families in work. Our reforms are about encouraging more people into work.

[Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)]

For the very reason that my hon. Friend has just given—those on welfare benefits should have to make the same choice as those in work—will she reassure me that there will be no U-turn on this policy?

[Caroline Nokes]

As I have said, the reforms are aimed at helping working parents and they are removing barriers to work for ordinary men and women across the country. Ordinary working families rely on the Government to provide economic stability and we are starting from a position of strength. I assure my hon. Friend that we have looked at the regulations carefully, and we have taken this decision to restore fairness in the benefits systems.

Oral Answers to Questions

David Nuttall Excerpts

Thursday 9th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Karen Bradley]

Unlike the BBC charter review, this is not a formal process and there is no end date at which the charter expires, as there is with the BBC, but we do need to make sure that we get this right. I want to see Channel 4 survive, flourish and prosper in what is an ever-changing broadcasting world, as the hon. Gentleman rightly says, and that means that we are working with Channel 4 to get the right deal for viewers and the whole country.

[Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)]

What does my right hon. Friend think the view of the Competition and Markets Authority would be if a company that already owned one broadcaster the size of the BBC wanted to own another the size of Channel 4? If she agrees that that simply would not be allowed, will she please immediately begin the process to sell off Channel 4?

[Karen Bradley]

I know that my hon. Friend has strong views on this subject. I assure him that we are looking at all options, and we will report to the House in due course.

--- Later in debate ---

[Greg Hands]

I totally agree. I think my hon. Friend and I were in Taiwan at roughly the same time back in September. I applaud the work he does for the all-party group. Taiwan has been a longstanding open market for UK goods and services, and we need to ensure that we work hard to remove the few remaining barriers. That was the purpose of the Joint Economic Trade Committee—or JETCO—talks in September. The message from this House should go out loud and clear to British businesses that Taiwan is a very good place for them to do their business.

[Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)]

Given that the UK currently receives two thirds of all investment into Europe from Taiwan, does my right hon. Friend see any reason why that will not continue after we leave the EU?

[Greg Hands]

No.

Oral Answers to Questions

David Nuttall Excerpts

Thursday 15th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

We will set out our plans for the future of Channel 4 in due course.

[Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)]

What possible justification is there for the Government owning both the BBC and Channel 4?

[Matt Hancock]

Channel 4 is not paid for but is owned by the Government. It was set up under Government ownership, but it pays for itself through its advertising, and delivers brilliantly—I think—within its remit.

Oral Answers to Questions

David Nuttall Excerpts

Thursday 3rd November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Karen Bradley]

I will look carefully at what the hon. Lady said, but I assure her that this is a cross-Government piece of work; we need to work together to tackle this and I fully recognise that nuisance calls can have a devastating effect on people.

[Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)]

Nuisance telephone calls are a modern menace, especially for the elderly. I am pleased to hear that the Government are taking more action. What will my right hon. Friend be doing to monitor whether the new action is actually being successful?

[Karen Bradley]

I will look carefully at whether the action we have taken so far has the desired effect, and if it does not I do not rule out taking further steps.

Oral Answers to Questions

David Nuttall Excerpts

Thursday 8th September 2016 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

While we remain in the EU, we will continue to push all free trade agreements possible, because we believe in global trade liberalisation; that includes the Government’s position of support for TTIP. It remains the United States’ clear priority to get this agreement, but I think the hon. Gentleman will accept that given the comments that have come from both France and Germany in recent weeks, and the fact that we have elections next year in both countries, the future of TTIP, at least in the immediate future, looks less than utterly secure.

[Mr David Nuttall (Bury North) (Con)]

10. Given that the Commonwealth has a larger population and is enjoying faster economic growth than the EU, as indeed is the US, does my right hon. Friend agree that it provides a much better prospect for trading opportunities than the EU?

[Dr Fox]

There are indeed enormous opportunities with Commonwealth countries, and we will be wanting to explore with a number of those exactly how we might take forward trade working groups along the lines that we have already announced with Australia and with India. However, I point out that although we have political links with Commonwealth countries, they are not, in terms of economics and trading, homogenous. Therefore, there will be a great difference between the biggest markets and some of the smaller markets, although we will want to take a look at those that may be developing markets in the future.