BHS

Debate between Oliver Colvile and Anna Soubry

Monday 25th April 2016 Commons Chamber

[Anna Soubry]

There will be a robust investigation, and I have full confidence in the regulator.

[Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)]

Will the Government’s reforms of business rates help the BHS property in Cornwall street in my Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport constituency and in the city centre?

[Anna Soubry]

I suspect I am going to disappoint my right hon. Friend—I mean my hon. Friend, I nearly gave him a bump up there, which I am sure he deserves—because the changes in business rates are more likely to affect small businesses. Multi-chain businesses, even those with just three or four shops in a particular area, will not get the great benefit that we have undoubtedly given to small businesses, whereby very few of them pay any rates at all and many will have had a big reduction in their bills. That would not have benefited BHS, however.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Oliver Colvile and Anna Soubry

Monday 24th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Anna Soubry]

Yes, we need to make good progress and we need to make it quickly.

[Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)]

What are the base-porting arrangements for the remaining Trafalgar class submarines?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Oliver Colvile and Anna Soubry

Monday 17th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Anna Soubry]

Absolutely. I completely agree with my right hon. Friend in his assessment of the benefits of this new system. As he says, Dr Susan Atkins has welcomed this greatly, and may I use this opportunity to pay tribute to the great work she has done? I notice that the Royal British Legion also welcomed these changes. The new system will do exactly as he says: it will help to speed things up, and where there has been maladministration the service complaints ombudsman will not shirk from making recommendations to the Defence Council, and we will see huge improvements.

[Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)]

12. What progress his Department has made on its procurement of three new offshore patrol vessels from BAE Systems.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Oliver Colvile and Anna Soubry

Monday 3rd February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Anna Soubry]

We had a lengthy debate in, I think, Westminster Hall on this very issue. I am aware of the argument that is being advanced by the survivors, but there is no evidence to support their claims, and I do not think that it would be right to set up a £25 million benevolent fund when no proper basis for it has been provided. I am always available to listen to arguments, but so far I have heard no good argument to support that case.

[Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con)]

Will my hon. Friend ensure that the nuclear veterans data are shared with other parts of the national health service, so that it can deal with some of the issues that may arise?

[Anna Soubry]

I cannot see any difficulty with that. As long as people have given permission for their data to be shared, it seems to me to be eminently sensible.