Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Oliver Dowden

Wednesday 24th April 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I think the hon. Lady knows that she does not correctly represent the views of the candidate. I find it extraordinary that she has raised the issue of crime, because while Labour’s London Mayor has increased the precept by over 70%, recorded crime in London has increased by 20%. That is the record of the Labour London Mayor—no wonder people will be voting against him.

[Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

Q13. I note that I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on fisheries, and thank the Government for the recent pollack catch compensation. On 12 May, we will see the first ever national fishing remembrance day. I will be marking the occasion by laying a wreath at a service held at Looe quayside by the memorial plaque that has the name of my late husband and, unfortunately, others on it. Will the Deputy Prime Minister mark the occasion by remembering those who have died bringing this important food source to our tables, and will he ask the Prime Minister to do so?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I know how important this matter is to my hon. Friend—I am sure she will be remembering her late husband Neil on that day. It is important that we all recognise the sacrifices made by fishermen and women to bring food to our tables, and I know that my colleague the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Sir Mark Spencer), will be visiting Grimsby on that day.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Oliver Dowden

Thursday 8th December 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

11. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Campaign in encouraging investment in the UK.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Oliver Dowden)]

The GREAT campaign has been highly effective in promoting the United Kingdom around the world for the past 10 years. In the last year alone, it has attracted more than £60 million of foreign investment, and has helped to generate more than £400 million from international students and a potential further £600 million of export investment and tourism returns.

[Mrs Murray]

I recently campaigned for part of my constituency to be an investment zone, and I was pleased when the council put forward Torpoint and Liskeard. What are the Government’s current plans for the proposed investment zones, as a lot of work was put into these proposals?

[Oliver Dowden]

My hon. Friend raises an important point, and I pay tribute to her tireless work in promoting her constituency and the wider county of Cornwall. The Government are committed to supporting local growth and to levelling up areas across the country, including the south-west and Cornwall. As the Chancellor announced in his autumn statement, the Government intend to take forward a refocused investment zone programme. We will shortly announce further details.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Oliver Dowden

Thursday 27th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Oliver Dowden]

I understand and share the angst felt by those families at the time that this has taken. As the hon. Member will be aware, these are interim payments, and it is the start of a process. It would be wrong for me to prejudge the entire process, but I very much share and sympathise with his concerns, and I will ensure, as the responsible Minister, that those sentiments are represented.

[Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

8. What steps the Government are taking to strengthen domestic cyber-resilience against potential impacts from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

[The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Oliver Dowden)]

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal, barbaric and will not stand. My hon. Friend is right that we face a heightened security threat, and the Cabinet Office and the National Cyber Security Centre play a key role in meeting that. Building on the commitments in the national cyber strategy, we are running a campaign of public warnings and guidance, and we have undertaken significant outreach across critical national infrastructure to keep businesses and individuals safe.

[Mrs Murray]

At the beginning of this terrible and illegal attack on Ukraine by Russia, a cyber-attack saw many Ukrainian Government websites go down. Has a full analysis been completed of the tactics used, and are we confident that we could now defend against those tactics if they were used against us?

[Oliver Dowden]

My hon. Friend is entirely right to raise that. As she will appreciate, work is ongoing literally 24 hours a day by the Cabinet Office and relevant agencies. Before and since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the UK Government and our allies have attributed a number of cyber-attacks on Ukraine to the Russian Government. All that is of course based on expert technical analysis, and that work is tireless and ongoing.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Oliver Dowden

Thursday 10th December 2020 Commons Chamber

[Oliver Dowden]

The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the issue of digital exclusion across the board. My Department is working closely to address that, and of course I would be very happy for either me or one of my ministerial colleagues to meet him and that group to discuss those ideas further.

[Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con) [V]]

  My local newspaper, the Cornish Times, was concerned about planning changes, which could mean the loss in advertising revenue. What long-term Government revenue streams can local papers take advantage of so as to secure their future?

[Oliver Dowden]

We are very committed to ensuring that we have vibrant local newspapers. They are a cornerstone of our democracy. We have already extended business rates relief on local newspaper offices, fast-tracked zero-rating of VAT on e-publications and will continue to explore further options for support. My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise the important role of statutory notices and the role that they play in newspapers’ revenue and we are working closely to ensure that we protect that.