Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Fell Excerpts

Wednesday 17th March 2021 Commons Chamber

The Prime Minister was asked—

[Simon Fell (Barrow and Furness) (Con)]

If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 17 March.

[The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson)]

I am sure colleagues across the House will want to join me in wishing everyone a very happy St Patrick’s day. I was delighted to visit Northern Ireland last week, where I was able to thank military and emergency response teams for their brilliant work throughout the covid-19 pandemic.

This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.

[Simon Fell]

A decade ago, GlaxoSmithKline announced a £350 million investment in my constituency, which would have led to 1,000 jobs. In 2017, it reneged on that, and a few weeks ago it announced that it is closing its business altogether. We have gone from the very real prospect of having 1,000 high-paying, high-skilled pharma jobs in my constituency to the risk of having none by 2025. Will my right hon. Friend agree to meet me and throw the weight of the Government behind efforts to ensure that GSK does the right thing by my constituents and delivers for some very worried people?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend very much, and I express my deepest sympathy to all those in Ulverston affected by these job losses. I will certainly meet him. I believe that bioscience is one of the great growth areas for this country in the future, and I am determined that Barrow and Furness should take part in that boom along with everywhere else, as well as other high technologies.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Fell Excerpts

Wednesday 8th July 2020 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady raises a very important issue. The aviation industry has been very hard hit. We are supporting the sector in all kinds of ways, not just by supporting employees, but through the time-to-pay scheme and loans from the Bank of England and the Government to aviation. Of course, we are supporting local councils as well with billions of pounds—£3.2 billion. The most important thing is to get a medium and long-term solution that enables airlines to start flying again, so that Luton council can get the revenue it needs. I perfectly understand and support the points she makes.

[Simon Fell (Barrow and Furness) (Con)]

It has been said, I hope not uncharitably, that my right hon. Friend has never met a bridge that he did not want to build. Off the Cumbrian coast, we have an opportunity to steal a march with a tidal barrage that would supply 5% of the UK’s energy needs in a green, sustainable way. It would leave a legacy of jobs in Copeland, Barrow-in-Furness and Workington—7,000 jobs. It would allow us to connect communities that have a terrible transport network at the moment with a shiny new bridge and it would allow us to build, build, build our way into a green revolution. Will the Prime Minister agree to meet me and my Cumbrian colleagues to explore this deal further?

[The Prime Minister]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for bringing that attractive idea to my attention. I know that several projects are being considered along the Cumbrian coast. I would advise him, first, to get in touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to see what he can do to take it forward, and I will give what support I can.