Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Liz Twist and Kevin Hollinrake

Thursday 7th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

T9. Last week, Carl Cresswell, director of business resilience in the Department for Business and Trade, told the Select Committee that he personally thinks that we will end up spending more money on Horizon compensation overall than that £1 billion currently allocated by the Treasury, but we did not hear anything about that in yesterday’s Budget. Does the Secretary of State share that view?

[Kevin Hollinrake]

We have always been clear that the £1 billion is not a cap. Clearly, the amount of compensation that needs to be paid for redress is to get people back to where they were before the scandal took place. At the moment, we are not nearing that £1 billion, but I think that over time we will be. As I say, it is not a cap; if we need to raise the amount, we will.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Liz Twist and Kevin Hollinrake

Thursday 23rd March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

The retail sector is a hugely important part of our economy and a huge employer in my constituency. What are the Government doing to support it in difficult times?

[Kevin Hollinrake]

The retail sector is benefiting from the £13.6 billion of business rates support and the 75% discount up to £110,000 per premises. These are difficult times for many businesses, not least retail, but we are keen to ensure that we end up on a fair and level playing field. Also, businesses will benefit from the economic turnaround that we expect later this year.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Liz Twist and Kevin Hollinrake

Thursday 9th February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Hollinrake]

I agree with my hon. Friend and thank her for her incredible work on the Celtic sea initiative. I attended her reception in Parliament, which was very well attended indeed and very optimistic about the potential for the Celtic sea.

We know that the net zero transition will create new industries worth around $10 trillion to the global economy by 2050. We recognise that the international landscape is becoming increasingly competitive as a result, but we are not dragging our feet. Securing inward investment to the UK’s green economy is a top priority for the Government, and the Department will be working closely with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, UK Export Finance and the Office for Investment, using all the levers at our disposal to promote the UK offer overseas.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

18. What steps she is taking to support effective parliamentary scrutiny of new free trade agreements.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kevin Hollinrake)]

Excitement is also building in me ahead of my visit to Kettering. I am a proud champion of small businesses, which, as we all know, are the engine room of growth in our economy. That growth has been good over the past 12 years—the third fastest in the G7—but we want it to be faster. I am very keen to engage with my hon. Friend to see how we can help small and medium-sized enterprises to do that.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

T2.   Now that the Trade Remedies Authority has been in operation for almost two years and has produced its decision, can the Minister tell me what plans there are, if any, to review how it operates and the guidelines to which it works?

Suicide Risk Assessment Tools in the NHS

Debate between Liz Twist and Kevin Hollinrake

Wednesday 4th September 2019 Westminster Hall

[Kevin Hollinrake]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. That is one key component of three: training nurses; using a proper, validated tool; and taking into account the past behaviour of the individual and the context of the situation. None of those three things was in place for Andrew. As a consequence, 48 hours after being admitted to hospital in an ambulance, Andrew took his own life.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab)]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

[Kevin Hollinrake]

I am happy to give way to the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on suicide and self-harm prevention.

[Liz Twist]

The hon. Gentleman is raising a very serious issue. I am grateful to Samaritans for a briefing on it ahead of this debate. It is absolutely clear that these risk assessment tools are not in themselves complete. They must be supported by consideration of the context, including previous history, and by a professional assessment of what is happening. Does he agree that it is absolutely essential that all trusts ensure that that happens?

[Kevin Hollinrake]

I entirely agree with the hon. Lady. I know that the Bellerby family would very much like to meet the Minister here today—the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Bedfordshire (Ms Dorries)—to see what can be done to make sure these situations do not happen again, and I think they would be very pleased to meet the hon. Lady, too, because I know that she does tremendous work in the all-party parliamentary group.