Points of Order

Debate between Jesse Norman and John Bercow

Monday 27th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman. The short answer is that I have not received any indication that the Secretary of State is minded to come here. From the record of dealing with this Secretary of State—this particular right hon. Gentleman—I can say that he has always been fastidious in wanting to come to the House, often telephoning me and trying to make contact. Indeed, I am advised that he has sought to make contact with me by telephone. I have, however, received no written communication from him at all and no indication of an early statement. I think that one would have been forthcoming anyway, and in the light of my exchange with the hon. Gentleman I feel even more confident that it will be.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Jesse Norman)]

Further to the point of order raised by the hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blackford), Mr Speaker. I am afraid that I did not have notice of it, and I was not clear from what he said whether it was me to whom he referred. If it was, I would of course be delighted to meet him to discuss the issue he raised.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jesse Norman and John Bercow

Tuesday 14th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Jesse Norman]

I am sure that my hon. Friend will understand that I will not comment on that specific economic issue. However, I admire his awareness of the oil spot price. The Government have managed to engineer a significant fall in oil and gas supply costs on the continental shelf—[Interruption.]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. A cerebral Minister is at the box responding to a pertinent inquiry, and the hon. Member for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill (Philip Boswell) is behaving in a mildly boorish fashion—very uncharacteristically. I am sure that this is an exceptional case.

[Jesse Norman]

I am not sure that anyone can recover from the attribution of being “cerebral.”

The way in which the Oil and Gas Authority has lowered costs on the UKCS is testimony to how competitive our economy can be in oil and gas, even when oil prices are falling.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jesse Norman]

Of course, the impact of rates differs from company to company as regards their solar panels. Three quarters of businesses are projected to have rates that fall next year and there is of course transitional rates relief, but the Department has long recognised the problem in some cases to which she refers, and we are in active discussion with other Departments about it.

[Mr Speaker]

I call Sir Desmond Swayne.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jesse Norman and John Bercow

Tuesday 31st January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

But purely in relation to tidal lagoons; we are not talking about apprenticeships more widely or seeking to shoehorn a personal interest into a question to which it does not ordinarily apply. But the Minister is a philosopher and dextrous to a fault, so I am sure he will cope.

[Jesse Norman]

Heaven forfend, Mr Speaker, that I should entertain so unworthy a suspicion as to think the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman) might have smuggled some entirely unrelated question into a question on tidal lagoons. May I simply reassure him that skills remain at the centre of the Government’s concerns, and that is why they feature so prominently in the industrial strategy?

[Mr Speaker]

Marvellous.

[Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)]

The Minister is quite right to say that he will analyse this in the round, because while I think many of us will recognise the economic advantages, particularly over a long period such as 100 to 150 years, the environmental impact will be considerable. Can he perhaps amplify what sort of things he will be looking at, including how tidal lagoons affect fish life, marine life and bird life?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jesse Norman and John Bercow

Tuesday 13th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Jesse Norman]

That is a formidably technically sophisticated question, for which I thank my hon. Friend. I think that it probably lies to be answered between ourselves and the Department for International Trade. We will certainly consider it carefully.

[Mr Speaker]

There are some very clever people in Wycombe, you know.

[Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)]

Food production and food processing is an important part of the north-west economy that is not necessarily susceptible to export beyond the European Union because of different consumer tastes and preferences in the rest of the world. What negotiations are the Government considering or already undertaking to protect this important industry? Can the Minister confirm that specialist negotiators who understand the industry are in place to carry out those negotiations?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jesse Norman and John Bercow

Wednesday 12th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. There is far too much noise in the Chamber. The Minister is a debutante at the Box. He ought to be heard.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Jesse Norman)]

Not quite a debutante, Mr Speaker—we can only hope.

The steel industry in Scotland remains a vital part of the UK steel industry as a whole. The Government continue to engage with steel companies, devolved Governments and trade unions to ensure a sustainable and prosperous steel industry for the UK.