Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jayne Kirkham and Chris Bryant

Thursday 29th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)]

5. What steps he is taking to encourage businesses to export.

[The Minister of State, Department for Business and Trade (Chris Bryant)]

The UK is the fourth largest exporter in the world and the second largest in services, but we want to do even better, which is why we are pushing forward our new trade deals to cut barriers for UK businesses, strengthening UK Export Finance, providing tailored market advice and targeting resources so that businesses can take advantage of those deals.

[Jayne Kirkham]

I am grateful to the Minister for last week meeting me and a representative of Watson-Marlow, a business in my constituency, to discuss barriers to export. Many businesses I have spoken to have been frustrated about the difficulty of moving people, goods and equipment to Europe post Brexit, and they face significant additional costs and admin. Fugro and Pendennis yachts have raised with me issues they have experienced with securing visas for their staff on short-term offshore projects. What steps can the Minister take with colleagues at the Home Office to ensure that some of those barriers are reduced?

[Chris Bryant]

First, it was great that my hon. Friend and other MPs brought individual constituency businesses along, because one of the things I want to do as Minister for Trade is try to persuade all 650 colleagues to come along with individual businesses so we can work out where there are barriers to export and try to encourage export growth. If we could release all the MPs, who probably know the businesses in their constituencies far better than the Department does, we would drive forward export growth. She is absolutely right that there are issues with visas and business mobility that we need to address. It is one of the things that the Home Office and the Department are discussing with our European allies. We need to do better on this, and we also need to get to a place where we have mutual recognition of professional qualifications so that people can simply transact their business more effectively.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)]

The Minister mentioned the music venue levy earlier. He knows that my constituency has amazing music venues, so when will the first payment from that levy be made to those smaller venues?

[Chris Bryant]

I am afraid that I have changed job since I was pushing that levy very hard. The intention was for those payments to be happening fairly soon. I will ensure that the Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts responds directly to my hon. Friend. The levy is a really important opportunity. Every time someone goes to a big arena gig, there should be a £1 levy on their ticket. I urge all promoters, artists and concert arrangers to ensure that that money gets to small music venues.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jayne Kirkham and Chris Bryant

Thursday 11th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris Bryant]

Yes.

[Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)]

T2. I welcome the Chancellor’s announcement of the £30 million Kernow industrial fund, and the fantastic critical minerals strategy. With the pipeline of floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic sea, it is vital that we invest in Cornish supply chains and infra- structure. In my constituency, we have brilliant supply businesses that are able to use the Crown Estate and GB Energy accelerator plans. However, training provider capacity, the need to upgrade infrastructure such as ports in advance of flow coming on line, and the delay in getting the floating offshore wind test and demo models in the Celtic sea up and running, is hampering progress. Will the Minister please outline—

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jayne Kirkham and Chris Bryant

Thursday 16th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)]

5. What steps her Department is taking to support small music venues.

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism (Chris Bryant)]

We have Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music fund, and in addition, we are pushing the live events industry to introduce a voluntary levy on arena and gig events to support small music venues.

[Jayne Kirkham]

I have a number of crucial small venues in my constituency, including the Cornish Bank, the Chintz Bar, the Old Bakery and the Princess Pavilion, to name just a few. They are vital for the cultural ecosystem of Cornwall; they foster new talent and bring bands from outside the county down to us. I am pleased to hear that the Minister is considering a scheme in which larger venues contribute part of their takings to smaller venues. He said it would be voluntary, but if that did not work, would he consider a mandatory scheme, and what would be the timeline? Can he confirm that the business rates scheme will be formulated to support small venues from 2026?