Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Fiona Bruce and Anna Soubry

Wednesday 10th February 2016 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

8. What discussions he has had with business organisations on economic trends in Scotland.

[The Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise (Anna Soubry)]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has had a number of discussions with business organisations, including the Institute of Directors, the Scotch Whisky Association and Oil and Gas UK. It is because of this Government’s commitment to our long-term economic plan and economic prosperity that we have seen such growth in the Scottish economy. Thank goodness that the good people of Scotland voted to stay within a United Kingdom and reject independence.

[Fiona Bruce]

Research by the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers shows that Scottish shop workers could lose up to £1,300 annually as stores increasingly abandon their additional Sunday pay rates in the light of the proposed Sunday trading regulations. Will the Minister take up these concerns with the Business Secretary?

[Anna Soubry]

I did not hear all that my hon. Friend said, but I can tell her that we intend to devolve power down to local authorities, so that they make the decisions on what is in the best interests of people locally. That includes local people who may want to shop on a Sunday and the interests of businesses that may want to open more liberally on a Sunday to take full advantage. I think that is a good idea. I hope that my hon. Friend might consider supporting it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Fiona Bruce and Anna Soubry

Tuesday 2nd February 2016 Commons Chamber

[Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)]

3. What steps his Department is taking to support people who want to start their own business.

[The Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise (Anna Soubry)]

In particular, our start-up loans scheme has provided more than 35,000 loans, worth over £192 million, and we are now putting support into growth hubs. Those are just two of the many things we are doing to encourage small businesses and give them the support they need.

[Fiona Bruce]

I thank the Minister for that reply. What help can business people in my constituency expect from local growth hubs?

[Anna Soubry]

We all take the very firm view that the 39 growth hubs we have created are a really good way of making sure that small businesses get the support they need at the local level. We also take the view that the people who know best how to advise and assist businesses are business people themselves. We think that is done much better the more locally it is done, rather than doing it all from Whitehall.