Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Prisk and Jake Berry

Monday 4th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford and Stortford) (Con)]

One of the main findings of the recent Select Committee inquiry into town centres was that strong local civic leadership is crucial. Given that, may I ask the Minister to ensure that, when judging future bids to the fund, strong local leadership is a key criterion?

[Jake Berry]

My hon. Friend, an expert in this area, rightly points to the excellent Select Committee report on high streets. He will be aware of the recommendation of Sir John Timpson, one of Britain’s best loved and best known retailers, that local leadership should be key to driving forward the future of the high street, and we will certainly be looking at that as part of these fund applications.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Prisk and Jake Berry

Thursday 27th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Prisk]

The Labour party thought those organisations were wrong when it was in office. The party needs to realise that it cannot do one thing in government and say another in opposition. [Interruption.] That is its record.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Prisk and Jake Berry

Thursday 14th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Prisk]

My Department and, of course, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will want to look at this together. I am aware of the proposal, as the hon. Gentleman knows, and I will look at it on that basis.

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

On Tuesday, LVMH, which produces perhaps some of the Minister’s favourite luxury brands of Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy, signed the “woman on the board pledge for Europe”. Will the Minister update us on what steps he will take to encourage British business to sign this pledge, and does he agree that increasing the representation of women on British boards is a matter of necessity, not luxury?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Prisk and Jake Berry

Thursday 13th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)]

Will the Minister update the House on what steps his Department is taking to encourage investment in industrial small and medium-sized enterprises in east Lancashire, which are so vital to job growth in my Rossendale and Darwen constituency?

[Mr Prisk]

I am pleased to say that we are not only going to extend the manufacturing and advisory service for all businesses, including the excellent ones in my hon. Friend’s constituency, but improve it so that we can help the productivity and competitiveness of small businesses in Lancashire and, indeed, across the country.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Prisk and Jake Berry

Thursday 14th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Jake Berry]

Small businesses in my constituency, which includes some of this country’s leading manufacturers, are reliant on credit insurance. What steps are being taken to ensure that such insurance remains available to them?

[Mr Prisk]

My hon. Friend is right to raise that issue, which he has discussed with me in the past. This is a particularly acute problem for those in the construction sector. We have sought assurances from the principal insurers in this area that they have now put in place for the coming year a sufficient risk capability, and they have given us those assurances. As with the banks, we will be closely scrutinising this to ensure that what they have said they have done is implemented in the coming months.