Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Thursday 26th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

Will my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming the record number of business start-ups in sunny Brighton and Hove?

[Vince Cable]

There has been a record number of start-ups across the country, but Brighton is a particular growth centre. The creative industries are very much at the heart of that, and I am sure the hon. Gentleman would like me to congratulate him on his own contribution to that.

PISA Results

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

We have more highly qualified teachers in our schools than ever before, particularly in mathematics.

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

Does my right hon. Friend remember visiting Falmer high school in my constituency, which has now been replaced by the excellent Brighton Aldridge community academy, which is driving up standards and improving chances for young people who really need it?

[Michael Gove]

I do remember visiting that school and applaud my hon. Friend’s commitment to advancing educational achievement for all students. Let me take this opportunity to thank Rod Aldridge and all the sponsors behind the academies programme, who have done so much to tackle underperformance in our weaker schools. They are heroes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Monday 29th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

I do not think that any of us should seek, for any moment and in any way, to relativise the seriousness of the charges that the hon. Lady raises. The BBC certainly has some issues to investigate, and two inquiries are being undertaken there. Separately, the Deputy Children’s Commissioner has been conducting her own inquiry into the exploitation of young people by groups and gangs. I want to make sure that we can consider each of those reports, but I rule nothing out.

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

T2. Does my right hon. Friend agree that parental engagement in children’s education is vital in raising standards? Will he continue to develop the close ties that exist between schools, parents and pupils?

[Michael Gove]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Ensuring parental involvement in children’s education is critical, and one way that that can be improved is through regular reporting of pupils’ progress. That is why I deprecate the action that has been taken by the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, which works against parental involvement by inflicting a work to rule on members.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Thursday 6th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con)]

6. What assessment he has made of the level of satisfaction of participants and businesses with the apprenticeship system.

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

10. What assessment he has made of the level of satisfaction of participants and businesses with the apprenticeship system.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Vince Cable)]

The Department recently completed the biggest ever survey of apprentices and their employers, which revealed the best ever satisfaction rates. Overall, almost 90% of apprentices were satisfied with their training. Employer satisfaction is also high: 88% are satisfied with the relevance of their training, and 80% remain committed to offering places.

--- Later in debate ---

[Vince Cable]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say that we need to maintain quality standards. I have asked Doug Richard, an entrepreneur with a background in this area, to give careful consideration to the quality issues and how we can shape the apprenticeship programme around genuine skills training, particularly at skill level 3 and above.

A great deal is happening in the hospitality sector. For instance, Hilton recently offered 100 new apprenticeship places. The Department will shortly hold a round-table discussion about the sector, and apprenticeships will be an important element of that.

[Simon Kirby]

The number of apprenticeship starts in Brighton and Hove was up by 83% last year, with many digital media businesses taking that important first step. Does the Secretary of State agree that that the digital media sector is an important part of the apprenticeship scheme?

[Vince Cable]

Yes. Apprenticeships increasingly cover the service sector as well as the traditional manufacturing and construction sectors, and the digital sector is an important part of that. It depends on high technology and high skill levels, and as a result is absolutely crucial.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Monday 16th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hayes]

The hon. Lady will know that I know Nottingham very well, having been a county councillor there for 13 years, and I am well aware of the economic profile of that city. I am also sure she will be aware that, together with the Minister for cities, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), I launched a new initiative in Nottingham—city apprenticeship hubs, which combine the work of local authorities with the work of the private sector and the work of government to boost apprenticeships in just the way she describes.

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

Does the Minister agree that when it comes to apprenticeships, it is not only the quantity that is important, but also the quality?

[Mr Hayes]

Absolutely, and that is why this Government have placed unprecedented emphasis on quality. I repeat—for the sake of clarity, Mr Speaker; no more than that—that we have said that all apprenticeships should be on an employed basis. The last Government did not do that. They believed in programme-led apprenticeships —faux apprenticeships from a faux Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Thursday 2nd February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

There is no question of renegotiation. The Indians have had a pre-selection process, from which the French bid has gone ahead on the basis of price. There is a lot of experience of contracts being reconsidered at the final stage, and at that stage BAE Systems has a very good case to make as part of its consortium. We will support it thoroughly.

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

Although I understand that the Minister does not want to be unfair to other cities, does he agree that Brighton would make a fantastic choice of location for the green investment bank?

[Mr Prisk]

My only worry is that I did not have the opportunity to travel to all 32 locations and be wined and dined, but I note Brighton’s application and we shall have to see.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Thursday 27th October 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Prisk]

We are doing a lot of things to help small businesses. I notice that, although the Labour party is now saying that such things should be done, in 13 years in government it did not do it. Why not?

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

I congratulate the Minister on all the help he is giving entrepreneurs. Could he find time in his busy schedule to visit the many entrepreneurs in Brighton and Hove?

[Mr Prisk]

I will be delighted—my diary secretary may not be—to respond positively to my hon. Friend’s request.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Thursday 9th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hayes]

I will be more than happy to look into that matter on behalf of the Secretary of State. It is absolutely right that that where there are barriers of the kind that I mentioned a moment ago, we identify and overcome them. I would be happy to talk to the hon. Lady on that basis.

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

3. How many jobs in low-carbon industries he expects to be created by the actions of the green investment bank.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Vince Cable)]

The green investment bank will be a key element in financing investment in the green economy. It is not possible to estimate the number of green jobs it will help to create, but this sector in the UK is already substantial and employed around 910,000 people in 2008-09. A total of £3 billion of funding has been made available to the green investment bank from 2012 and could mobilise an additional £15 billion in private sector investment.

[Simon Kirby]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer. Will he consider locating the green investment bank in the most excellent city of Brighton and Hove?

[Vince Cable]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I know from other interventions of his deep and genuine interest in environmental issues. We already have quite a long bidding list for cities that wish to attract the green investment bank, and I am very happy to add Brighton to it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Monday 23rd May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

Yes—a very good prompt from behind me. There are just around 100 civil servants working on the programme and I am delighted that they are, because I am convinced that helping idealistic figures, such as Peter Hyman and Sajid Hussain, a state school teacher who is setting up a school for disadvantaged students in Bradford, is a good thing. We are bringing schools to the areas of deprivation let down by the hon. Gentleman and his party. Instead of civil servants having their time diverted to the sort of politically correct projects that preoccupied the Labour party, at last they are concentrating on driving up standards for the poorest, and I am proud that it is the coalition Government who are doing it.

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

Will the Secretary of State join me in welcoming a number of potential free schools in my constituency, which he knows well, including one that plans to offer a bilingual education and one that plans to help very deprived young people in different areas?

[Michael Gove]

I am delighted not only that there are free school applications from Brighton, Kemptown, but that Brighton college is playing a part in helping to establish a new free school in the east end of London which is setting out specifically to target talented children from poorer backgrounds. When that is combined with the innovation being shown by the Durand school in Brixton, for example, which plans to establish a state boarding school for disadvantaged children from that area, I have to say that the coalition Government are unleashing a wave of radicalism the like of which will not have been seen since 1944.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Kirby Excerpts

Thursday 17th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davey]

As the hon. Gentleman knows, we recently published the consultation, “Resolving workplace disputes”. I urge him to ask businesses in his constituency to respond to that consultation because we want to ensure that the current system, which I believe is bad for employers and employees, is reformed.

[Simon Kirby (Brighton, Kemptown) (Con)]

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

[The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Vince Cable)]

My Department has a key role in supporting business to deliver growth, rebalancing the economy, bringing enterprise, manufacturing, training, learning and research closer together, and in the process creating a stronger, fairer British economy.

[Simon Kirby]

Given its proximity to London and its highly skilled work force, does the Secretary of State agree that Brighton is a great place to do business? Will he consider relocating some of his staff and office use to this most excellent city?

[The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Mr Mark Prisk)]

My hon. Friend is right. Brighton has tremendous economic advantages. We will, of course, as a Government and as a Department, consider those for our own purposes.