Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Paul Blomfield

Tuesday 12th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

You can’t have one! I hate to say it to you, but how long have you been here?

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

21. What assessment he has made of the impact of the rise in energy prices on (a) households and (b) businesses.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Paul Blomfield

Monday 24th January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

And Gigg Lane has the finest playing surface. We now go to topicals, with Paul Blomfield.

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

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

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Paul Blomfield

Thursday 25th February 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Let us head to Yorkshire with shadow Minister Paul Blomfield.

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab) [V]]

I am no longer shadow Minister, but happy to be contributing to this debate, Mr Speaker.

Moon Climbing, a specialist rock climbing supplier in my constituency, tells me how, since January, new barriers have damaged its trade with Europe. In line with the advice of DIT officials, it set up a base in the Netherlands to avoid the barriers and it anticipates that that will

“be our main base from which we service both the EU and the rest of the world”.

I heard the Minister and the Secretary of State say earlier that it is nothing to do with them, but, frankly, companies expect the Department for International Trade to take some responsibility for trade, so what are they doing to prevent more UK businesses moving abroad as a result of the damaging Brexit deal—losing UK jobs, GDP and tax revenue?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Paul Blomfield

Thursday 3rd September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Thank you for taking this point of order, because it relates to the questions that we have just heard. In answer to my question on rolling over the deals that we currently enjoy through membership of the European Union, the Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, the hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart), said, and I quote, that

“the vast majority of the trade covered by those deals has already been secured,”

and that was repeated by one of his colleagues. It is, however, contradicted by the Department’s own website, which says that 19 deals have been secured worth £84.07 billion last year, but there are 18 deals outstanding worth £84.5 billion—and that does not even include Japan. Will the Minister take this opportunity to correct the record and confirm that the vast majority of trade is not covered by these deals, and in fact they cover slightly less than half?

[Mr Speaker]

That is not a point of order; it is a clarification. I am happy to leave it there unless the Secretary of State wishes to respond.

Tax Avoidance and Evasion

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Paul Blomfield

Tuesday 25th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

Each year I organise an annual community consultation, and each year there has been growing anger among my constituents about the sense that they are paying their fair share from very ordinary incomes while the level of corporate tax avoidance has been growing out of control as successive Conservative Governments have failed to step up to the mark in tackling it. We are apparently losing over £1 billion of tax due on UK earnings from just five of the biggest US tech firms; that is money that could pay for more than 42,000 rooms in care homes for people who desperately need them. So does my right hon. Friend agree that there is enormous public support for tough action on corporate tax avoidance?

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I can put the hon. Gentleman’s name down if he wishes to make a speech, but we must have shorter interventions.