Prosperity and fairness

Mike Wood: Will the Minister work with banks and utilities to ensure that charges for paper billing are restricted to the actual cost of providing that service and are not allowed to become a cumulative fee for those who need or choose paper bills?

 

Sam Gyimah Minister of State (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Higher Education), Minister of State (Education)

Yes, I am happy to work with them.

Mike Wood: I declare an interest as my wife volunteers at a refuge. Will my hon. Friend assure the House that Ministers have met organisations such as Women’s Aid to ensure that their views on the new funding model are properly listened to and considered?

 

Victoria Atkins (The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department)

Over the past two and a half years I have met many constituents who have been directly affected by the various changes to the state pension age. Listening to them, it is impossible not to feel every sympathy, given the circumstances in which many find themselves. If I suddenly found out that I would not be able to retire at the age I had expected, I am not sure that I could say how I felt—actually, I probably could, but I fear my language would not be parliamentary.

Mike Wood: The Secretary of State referred to the welcome increase in the number of girls doing STEM subjects at A-level. What measures will the Government take to increase the number of girls choosing careers that require STEM subjects?

 

Justine Greening (Minister for Women and Equalities, The Secretary of State for Education)

Mike Wood: The fact that some women are still discriminated against during pregnancy or maternity leave is both unacceptable and unlawful. Will the Minister assure the House that the Government not only take the problem extremely seriously but are looking at how laws can be better enforced to give the protection she promises?

 

Claire Perry (The Minister of State, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Minister of State (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) (Energy and Clean Growth)

Mike Wood: Some media outlets have suggested that Grenfell survivors have been forced to move to cities in the north of England. Can the Secretary of State reassure the House that nobody who chooses to not move out of London will be deemed intentionally homeless?

 

Sajid Javid The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Mike Wood: While I welcome proposals to make it easier to switch away from poor deals, does my right hon. Friend agree that Ofgem needs to go much further than it suggested in its letter to him this morning to protect consumers from exploitation?

 

Greg Clark The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Mike Wood: Will my right hon. Friend ensure that legislation such as measures providing for the next phase of the high-speed rail project and other infrastructure investment mean that we can rebalance the economy to make sure that the whole country benefits from the economic progress to which she referred?

 

Theresa May The Prime Minister, Leader of the Conservative Party

Mike Wood: What steps are the Government taking to ensure that banks meet the 2019 deadline for separating retail banking from riskier investment banking activity?

 

Simon Kirby The Economic Secretary to the Treasury

That is well under way and we are keeping a close eye on it.

Mike Wood: What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

 

Jeremy Wright The Attorney-General

Mike Wood: Does the Minister recognise that the basic test of fairness for the families is that they all need access to representation and that that representation needs to be at the same level as that of other parties in the inquest?

 

Oliver Heald The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice

Yes, and it is important

Mike Wood: When the Chancellor cut corporation tax in the Budget, he reduced the losses that banks could offset against corporation tax liabilities. Will he consider extending that to ensure that while we have the lowest possible rates, everyone pays their fair share of corporation tax?

 

George Osborne (Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Secretary of State)

Mike Wood:  I am proud to be a governor at Halesbury School, which has become a specialist autism school where more than a third of pupils have autism, many undiagnosed when they join the school. I am grateful to the deputy head, Amanda Appleby-Payne, for the insight she offered ahead of this debate.

Let me start with amendments 5 and 6, tabled by
the right hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy), which would either remove or raise the compensation cap. Although I fully understand his reasons for asking that the level of the cap be considered, I am unable to support either amendment. As I have stated at earlier stages in the legislative process, we simply cannot continue to have a situation in which the public purse is subject to unlimited liability.

Mike Wood: Companies such as Simworx in my constituency are extremely successful at selling products around the world that are based on their intellectual property developed in the UK. Does the shadow Chancellor think the profits from that intellectual property should be taxed in the country where those products are sold, or here in Britain?

 

John Martin McDonnell Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

Mike Wood: Dudley Council is banning dogs from the parts of Himley Park that are most easily accessible to people with visual and other disabilities. May we have a debate on facilities to allow guide dog owners and puppy-walkers to exercise their dogs properly?

 

Chris Grayling Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

Mike Wood: What steps the Government is taking to give parents a greater say in access to holiday and wrap-around care.

 

Sam Gyimah The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education

Mike Wood: The latest Office for National Statistics figures show that disposable household income was rising more quickly in the West Midlands than anywhere else in the country. Will the Chancellor consider creating further local enterprise zones such as Waterfront Business Park in Dudley South to help create further local growth, opportunities and prosperity for my constituents?

 

George Osborne Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Secretary of State

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