Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Neil Parish Excerpts
Thursday 21st March 2013

(11 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jo Swinson Portrait Jo Swinson
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The UK employment and labour market is flexible, which can be helpful. For some employees, zero-hours contracts can be helpful. Clearly, where there is abuse happening, it should be clamped down on. That is certainly what the Government will make sure is done.

Neil Parish Portrait Neil Parish (Tiverton and Honiton) (Con)
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Recently, Axminster Carpets, a great local company, went into administration. Its bankers were less than sympathetic. The Government have capital funds in place for banks to lend; can the Secretary of State do much more to make sure banks properly lend to business?

Vince Cable Portrait Vince Cable
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There are a great many initiatives taking place. Apart from the advanced manufacturing supply chain finance announced this morning, we will be talking tomorrow about a new raft of initiatives for non-bank lending. The hon. Gentleman will have seen this morning’s ministerial statement on the future role of the business bank. He is right that the closure of the carpet factory is a serious blow, but it relates more to the viability of the company than to the ability of getting credit from banks.