Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lord Sharma

Tuesday 16th June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

I thank my hon. Friend for doing his bit to support businesses in his constituency. In coming up with the workplace guidance, which has allowed businesses to open safely, we have worked closely with businesses, business representative organisations and trade unions. I have already outlined the support that we have provided for the sector, but what we all need to do is to get out there to support businesses that are now opening. We owe that to them and to the economy to get it going again.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

What is available for those fast-growing firms that rely on equity finance and for which loans and grants have not been a good fit?

[Alok Sharma]

What an intelligent question. On 20 April, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced a package of support worth £1.25 billion for fast-growing innovative companies and that, of course, included £750 million in grants and loans delivered through Innovate UK, and a £500 million future fund, through which the Government will invest up to £5 million per company, matched by the private sector.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lord Sharma

Monday 18th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

There is a freephone line. Last month, in February, 1.2 million calls were received on the universal credit full service line, and for those who are particularly vulnerable, home visits are also available.

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

How fast will the fast track be for cases of mental disability?

[Alok Sharma]

We are starting on this work; I made reference to the speech that the Secretary of State made earlier this month. However, if my right hon. Friend has a specific case to raise, we will be very happy to take it up.

Universal Credit: Managed Migration

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lord Sharma

Tuesday 8th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

As the hon. Lady will know, once universal credit is rolled out, there will be £2 billion more in the system than under the legacy welfare system. I know she cares deeply about these matters, but if she wants to support her constituents, she should have voted to support the measures we introduced to help people—I have talked about the extra money. Unfortunately, she has not been able to support them.

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

How does the generosity of the Minister’s arrangements compare internationally?

[Alok Sharma]

Different countries will have different welfare arrangements. It is important for us to have a welfare system that not only provides support but is sustainable and ultimately helps people into work. That the employment rate now is at a joint record high is testament to the work the Government have done, including on welfare reform.

Regulation of Property Agents

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lord Sharma

1st reading: House of Commons
Wednesday 18th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

We have already made £12 million available to local authorities for enforcement since 2012. As I said in the statement, local authorities are able to levy penalties of up to £30,000 on rogue landlords and that money can be used for further enforcement.

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

I have an interest in the register. No matter how welcome the proposals, the Minister will agree that his proposals for vastly increasing the supply will be a much more effective defender of tenants’ interests.

[Alok Sharma]

As ever, my right hon. Friend is absolutely right. The measures will of course help, but at the end of the day we need to fix the broken housing market by building more homes.

Human Rights: Burma

Debate between Desmond Swayne and Lord Sharma

Wednesday 18th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

On whether the Foreign Secretary will be speaking to the special rapporteur, I will make sure he is aware of the right hon. Lady’s request. On our ongoing dialogue, she will know that the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which is led by Kofi Annan, was put in place last year and is due to produce a report in August. I have had a number of conversations with Kofi Annan about the work that is ongoing, so I hope she will appreciate that that is a clear example of what the British Government are doing to engage with the international community and others in Burma.

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

Given the scale of abuse by the Tatmadaw and a particularly uncharacteristically militant form of Buddhism, does the Minister accept that the unwelcome radicalisation of the Rohingya is only a question of time, that that time is short and that this needs to be treated with the appropriate sense of urgency?

[Alok Sharma]

We of course bring a sense of urgency to all the work that we try to do, particularly on human rights, but this process has, sadly, been ongoing for some time. It is about continuing to work together with international partners, non-governmental organisations and others in Burma, and continuing to make those representations. As I said, the Foreign Secretary hopes to meet the chief of the army when he is in Burma, and I hope we will have an opportunity to make our points clearly to the Tatmadaw then.

--- Later in debate ---

[Alok Sharma]

Mr Speaker, may I, too, wish you a happy birthday for tomorrow? [Laughter.]

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

May you live forever!

[Alok Sharma]

I mean that most sincerely.

In response to the hon. Lady, I hope I have made it clear today that the UK is pursuing a huge number of avenues to get humanitarian aid in and make the case for minorities. We are making it clear that we care deeply about these matters, and we will keep doing that. Going back to the approach from a UN perspective, the UN is already engaged in several areas, and we will continue that work and to make the case, because we want to ensure that there is resolution in this very troubled area.