Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Thursday 12th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

The Prime Minister and I discuss this frequently, and we agree that there needs to be significant reforms and improvements in the European single market, particularly moving on to a digital single market. The hon. Lady is quite right to say that our exit would be massively disruptive, and a lot of actual and potential foreign investors in this country are making it absolutely clear that they are alarmed by that possibility, should there be a change of Government.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

Can the Secretary of State tell us: how much this country has handed over in membership fees alone to the European Union since it became a member of the Common Market; what our cumulative trade deficit has been since we joined the Common Market; what our trade deficit was last year with the European Union; in how many years we have had a trade surplus with the EU since we joined the Common Market; what proportion of the world economy the EU made up when we joined the Common Market; and what proportion of the world economy the EU is today?

[Mr Speaker]

That sounds like a request for an essay. It needs to be an extremely pithy one.

--- Later in debate ---

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

When the Secretary of State’s Department was called the Department of Trade and Industry, he called for it to be abolished, saying:

“The DTI should be wound up because it doesn’t perform a function. It has no real role anymore”.

Interestingly, his solution was not to reform the Department and rename it BIS; his solution was to split the duties of the Department between existing Government Departments —he cited the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education and Skills. Which of his duties does he think should be handled by other Government Departments, or what has changed his mind? Was it a ministerial salary, perhaps?

[Vince Cable]

I am delighted to have yet another contribution from the leader of my parliamentary fan club. He has failed to observe that since I made my comments on the DTI a decade ago, we have acquired responsibility for universities, skills, science and much else.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Thursday 8th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

Given our huge trade deficit with the EU, will the Secretary of State tell us why he is so certain that were we to leave the EU, it would stop free trade with us? Or is it that kind of woolly thinking that has led to his removal as his party’s economic spokesman at the general election?

[Vince Cable]

I actually remain as our economics spokesman, but that is a minor internal matter.

I think that most Conservative Members fully support British membership of the EU; they might wish to see it reformed, as I think we all do, but membership is fundamental. It is difficult to imagine that Britain could independently negotiate trade agreements with the US, India and other countries with the same authority as the EU.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Thursday 20th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

10. What his policy is on representation of people from ethnic minorities in boardrooms.

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

We believe that it is in the best interests of business to tap into the widest talent pool, resulting in a diverse and representative business leadership. I have therefore asked Trevor Phillips to start a new private sector-led campaign that will seek to address the lack of ethnic diversity in boardrooms. The purpose of the campaign will be to achieve success similar to our work on addressing gender diversity in boardrooms.

[Philip Davies]

Some people, like me, believe that all appointments should be made on merit. Some believe in political correctness, and think that merit is unimportant and that boardrooms should represent the population at large. The Secretary of State seems to be in a league of his own as a politically correct champion who believes neither in merit nor in representation; instead, he believes that ethnic minorities should be over-represented in the boardroom. Will he explain why that is the case and why he, as a Government Minister, will not give out the message that jobs should be given on merit alone, irrespective of people’s race, religion or any other factor?

[Vince Cable]

I am delighted to see the hon. Gentleman in his place. I thought he might have been in Rochester today, waiting to defect. On his question, I certainly do believe in merit; I do not believe in quotas. I know that he has written 19 letters to Mr Trevor Phillips on the subject of race and political correctness, which leads me to believe that he might have a problem with the concept of racial equality.

--- Later in debate ---

[Vince Cable]

A meeting took place with the Prime Minister, me and several steel MPs yesterday. That shows that the Prime Minister, other members of the Government and I are happy to keep Members up to date on this issue. We will establish a link with the community unions so that they can be kept fully informed too.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

The Secretary of State said this morning that appointments should be made on merit, yet to an earlier audience he said that boardrooms should have 20% of people from ethnic minorities, which led Lord Bilimoria to say, “I think for Vince Cable to say 20% is the right target when the ethnic minority population is 14% is going too far.”

I know that the Secretary of State is a Liberal Democrat and therefore used to holding two different opinions at the same time, but may I try to pin him down to one? Does he believe in quotas in boardrooms or appointment on merit?

[Vince Cable]

I do not believe in quotas for ethnic minorities, women or any other group. I have never ever said anything about 20%. If he reads the correspondence from Trevor Phillips, he will acknowledge that I never endorsed that view. However, there is a problem, which I hope the hon. Gentleman acknowledges, that more than half of the boardrooms in the UK have no non-white representation whatever. Only one in 16 senior managers comes from our very talented ethnic minority groups, and they should be better represented.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Thursday 24th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

I agree that there should not be any doubt about our continued membership, but evidence suggests that so far that has not done any harm. Britain remains very much the No. 1 country in Europe for inward investment, which last year rose by 22%, despite falling globally by 18%.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

Is it true that what businesses want in relation to the EU is free trade? Given that we have a £45 billion a year trade deficit with the EU, is it not perfectly obvious that whether we remain in or out, we will keep free trade? Does the Secretary of State seriously believe that BMW, Mercedes and such companies will say, “Well, it’s the principle that’s important. We don’t want to export to the UK anymore”?

[Vince Cable]

The car companies the hon. Gentleman has cited, and indeed others, particularly the Japanese, have made it clear that they expect Britain to remain in the single market, and they attach enormous importance to being able to frame its rules.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Thursday 13th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

The Confederation of Indian Industry was in the Department at the beginning of this week to make the case for the deepening of the relationship, and that is proceeding well. Unfortunately, we are starting from a low base, as Britain’s share in the Indian market is not as great as it could be. The one really big success story is Indian investment in the UK, which is growing rapidly. That includes our largest manufacturing company, Tata, which is highly successful and a very valuable corporate citizen. We are doing all we can to develop that relationship.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

Further to the question from the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr Leech), and given the importance that this Government have placed on science, is it the Department’s intention to play an important role, in conjunction with Ministers from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in securing the future of the three northern museums in the Science Museum Group, particularly the National Media museum in Bradford, which is crucial to the local economy in the Bradford district?

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

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Monday 30th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

We are reducing the period to two months, in order to give everybody the opportunity to opt out before the games period begins, and we are talking to employers about how to ensure that they communicate to their work force the fact that that opportunity is available to them.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

I very much support the Government with this Bill. However, if the Secretary of State believes it is right for shoppers and workers to have the right to shop and work any time they wish on a Sunday during the Olympic games, can he explain why he does not think the same people should have exactly the same rights to shop and work when they choose outside the time scale of the Olympic games? I do not understand why there is this great distinction.

[Vince Cable]

All the interventions so far have made a clear distinction between a temporary exception and a permanent change. I know that the hon. Gentleman feels strongly about the need for a permanent liberalisation, and there may be others in the House who do so too, but they will have to make that case separately, should an opportunity arise. This Bill does not reflect on the argument for a permanent change.

Office for Fair Access

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Monday 20th February 2012 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

I have already answered that question. I have explained very clearly that the decision was made jointly by me and my coalition colleague, the Universities Minister. No pressure was brought to bear on us; we made a decision on the merits of the case.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

It comes as no surprise that the Secretary of State wants to appoint someone who is moving the agenda of social engineering forward and the agenda of merit backward, but just so that we can sort out the wheat from the chaff on the Back Benches, will he be specific about which Ministers in his Department were in favour of the appointment and which were against it, and about how many Ministers in the Government contacted him privately to express their concerns about it?

[Vince Cable]

I have just answered that question. The Universities Minister and I were involved in the decision, and it was made by us and by no one else. As for the general political drift of the hon. Gentleman’s question, I think it fair to point out—as some of the national newspapers did not—that among the institutions that Professor Ebdon has advised on higher education policy is the Conservative party.

Executive Pay

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Monday 23rd January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

I do not expect them to be terrified, but I do expect them to think a little more carefully about their wider responsibilities.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

I have heard some drivel in my time, but I do not think that in all my years in opposition did hear as much drivel from the Treasury Bench as I heard from the Secretary of State today. Businesses look to his Department for support and help. May I suggest that he gets off their backs and lets them create some wealth, and that he spends his time in his Department trying to sort out the massive problems of their own that the Government face without interfering in every business across the country?

[Vince Cable]

May I just gently suggest that my hon. Friend reads through the responses to the consultation, which are predominantly from businesses and investors advocating measures such the ones we are implementing? He might particularly want to examine the contribution of the CBI.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Vince Cable and Philip Davies

Thursday 3rd June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

Yes, I am aware of that report. There was a happy coincidence of thinking between my colleague’s party and my own on the future of RDAs. She is quite right to say that there was a lot of administrative waste, some of which we are now removing as a result of the changes that have been made in the last week. There will be parts of the country—including, I think, the part that she represents—where we will have a substantial cutback in RDAs. However, they will be refocused and made more effective.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

I thank the Secretary of State for last week coming to visit Pace International, an excellent company in my constituency. Following on from the excellent question from my hon. Friend the Member for Stourbridge (Margot James), I have been concerned that the Secretary of State has indicated that Yorkshire Forward may be given a reprieve. May I tell him that it is just as unacceptable for the unelected and unaccountable Yorkshire Forward to spend £300 million a year of public money as it is for similar organisations in the south of England?

[Vince Cable]

The language of “reprieve” is not quite right. All the RDAs will change their nature; they will become local partnerships.