Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Thursday 12th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

I have indeed discussed that directly with the chief executive of Barclays, in response to my hon. Friend’s very persistent campaigning and that of her Liberal Democrat opponent, who has been equally assiduous. We recognise the need in St Agnes for a bespoke solution, since the post office is not the ideal vehicle, and I think we are working towards a satisfactory outcome.

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

As the hon. Member for Cleethorpes (Martin Vickers) pointed out, there is an announcement today about restructuring by Total of its facility at Lindsey oil refinery. In addition there is uncertainty about the future of Tata Steel Long Products in Scunthorpe. Will the Government ensure that the necessary support is given to manufacturing industry in north Lincolnshire, so that it has a strong and prosperous future?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Thursday 10th April 2014 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

Indeed, it is a major industry. My figures suggest that we have some 600,000 jobs directly or indirectly affected. It is a massive industry. We believe in it, and it is important that it is able to compete on a level playing field. That was the purpose of the changes announced in the Budget and we are now actively pursuing state aid clearance to make sure that these compensation mechanisms go through.

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

Does the Secretary of State now recognise that the Government’s ill-thought-through carbon floor tax was a mistake?

[Vince Cable]

Absolutely not. The only concern from the industrial point of view is that energy-intensive industries should have those costs offset. Under the mechanism the Chancellor has proposed, which we are now pursuing through the European Commission, they will be offset.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Thursday 6th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

My hon. Friend is right that if we are to sustain real increases in wages whether at the minimum level or above, there have to be productivity increases and many of the problems in the low-paid sectors like catering and care are to do with the fact that productivity levels are very low. I gather, for example, that in some of the lowest paid sectors the minimum wage is already 90% of the median. That reflects the low productivity in those industries.

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

21. With families £1,600 a year worse off, has the Secretary of State got any plans to follow Labour’s lead and incentivise employers to pay the living wage?

[Vince Cable]

We have already made it clear that we would encourage companies to pay the living wage if they could afford it, but we need to be very clear that this is not a mandated system. Indeed, the Low Pay Commission has expressed considerable care in its recommendations to be sure that in promoting a higher level of wages at the bottom, which we want to see, we do not force large numbers of workers out of work.

Industrial Strategy

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Monday 10th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

The hon. Gentleman took me to that factory, which was one of the first successful projects launched by the regional growth fund. It is a great advertisement for British industry, and I know that he has been personally very supportive of it. There are many examples of that kind which offset some of the negativity we have heard from Opposition Members.

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

Given that manufacturing badly needs demand, why are infrastructure projects being announced but not started? For example, none of the road schemes announced in the autumn statement has yet started. Will the Secretary of State make sure that things begin to happen?

Sunday Trading (London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) Bill [Lords]

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Monday 30th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

I know that the right hon. Gentleman is, like me, a strong supporter of the Commonwealth, but I am sure he agrees that the Commonwealth games did not constitute an event on anything remotely like the same scale as the Olympics. However, it is possible that an opportunity was missed in Liverpool: perhaps we should have taken the same action then.

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

The Secretary of State is being very generous in allowing Members to make their points. The headquarters of Nisa Today’s, a major supplier to convenience stores, is in my constituency. Research conducted by the Association of Convenience Stores shows that each convenience store will lose £1,500 a week as a result of the Bill. What has the Secretary of State to say to those small businesses, which are the backbone of the country?

[Vince Cable]

I am familiar with the research carried out by the Association of Convenience Stores, which has done a significant amount of work. I am sure the hon. Gentleman agrees that it is fair to say that its calculations were based on the most pessimistic assumptions. In other words, the ACS assumed that the bigger stores would take the maximum possible advantage of the opportunity, and that there would be the maximum possible switching of shopping from its stores to the supermarkets. I think we agree that, in the real world, we are probably not dealing with the extremes.

Office for Fair Access

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Monday 20th February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to stress that the origins of the access problem and the lack of fair access are frequently found in the schools—I think that that was the point of the original question—not just in university admissions. It is important to pay tribute to the reforms that my colleague the Secretary of State for Education is making, in terms of improving standards and the introduction of the pupil premium, for which my hon. Friend and I have campaigned. It will undoubtedly raise standards in schools.

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

I congratulate the Secretary of State on sticking to his guns, but what message does he think this political football chaos and this confusion about this appointment sends to prospective students and their families?

[Vince Cable]

I think it sends a very positive message that public appointments are open to scrutiny and that the best person gets the job.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Thursday 2nd February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

What is the Secretary of State doing to stimulate growth in manufacturing industries, particularly the steel industry, which is so important to UK plc and my constituents?

[Vince Cable]

As the hon. Gentleman will know, because I have visited his constituency and discussed these issues with him, the steel industry is going through an extremely difficult time not just in the UK, and steel makers have made losses. We are helping them through energy-intensive support, and there are other forms of help such as the regional growth fund and enterprise zones. We are doing what we can to help steel areas that are affected by the current contraction.

Local Growth White Paper

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Thursday 28th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

The answer is yes. We have to respect devolved powers in Wales, but the simple answer is yes: there will be an obligation to co-operate.

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

How will areas such as the Humber, which has not been awarded an LEP, gain access to regional growth funds and other funds, such as the European regional development fund?

[Vince Cable]

They will gain access if they are able to bring forward quickly a proposal that meets the key requirements. There was a strong division of opinion, of which the hon. Gentleman will be well aware, about whether the activity should centre on Hull or on the wider Humber region. There were arguments for both, but the relevant bodies really do have to come to a decision quickly if they are to participate in this bidding round.

Higher Education and Student Finance

Debate between Nicholas Dakin and Vince Cable

Tuesday 12th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

Nobody is suggesting—I have never suggested this—a free market in this area. The same points were made several years ago when we debated the fee-based system introduced by the previous Government, who accepted that on the balance of argument—the case was made initially by the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett), who was ahead of his time on this issue, and later by the new shadow Chancellor—the system had to move in that direction. It is a highly constrained market and not a free market environment at all.

[Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)]

As a college principal over the past few years, I was proud to witness the growth in aspiration and widening participation of students from all backgrounds in Scunthorpe. One analysis out today suggests that implementing the Browne proposals as they stand will result in 17,500 fewer students going on to university. Does the Secretary of State want fewer university students and fewer universities?

[Vince Cable]

As I explained earlier, when the previous Government put in place a substantial increase, numbers initially fell before subsequently recovering. As I said in response to earlier questions, it is not the job of the Government to be prescriptive about numbers. I return to the point that I made at the outset: there is a danger of looking at universities in isolation. There are many further education options for people post-18, including apprenticeships and vocational training. We have to treat all those on their merits and give them equal status. The number of people going to university is not, in itself, a useful measure of anything.