Oral Answers to Questions

Desmond Swayne Excerpts

Thursday 29th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

I am keen to ensure that that market is fully exploited. If the hon. Lady wants the representatives to speak directly to one of our Ministers, we would be happy to speak to them to see whether there are any technical impediments that can be swept away.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

What has been the impact of the Food is GREAT campaign?

[Dr Fox]

To get more people around the world to understand that high-quality British produce is a world beater.

--- Later in debate ---

[Kit Malthouse]

The hon. Gentleman is mistaken in seeing welfare reform work in isolation from all the other assistance that has been offered to the low-paid, and in particular to women. Other measures, such as shared parental leave, the right to request flexible working, the 30 hours of free childcare and indeed the 85% of childcare funded through universal credit—or 600 hours of free childcare in Scotland—alongside the national living wage, which has given the lowest-paid their highest pay rise for 20 years, and the fact that we are taking millions out of tax by raising the personal allowance, offering training and assistance, and reducing the gender pay gap all point towards and have created the highest employment levels for women, at 70.9%, that this great and glorious country has ever seen.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Is there evidence that the existence of in-work benefits disproportionately depresses female wages?

[Kit Malthouse]

My right hon. Friend often emerges from the forest to ask difficult and challenging questions, as he has now done to me for the second time this week. I am not aware that there is such evidence, but I am happy to go away and research it, and I will write to him if there is any.