Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Tuesday 24th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

Given that more people are in employment, there is more opportunity for people to take advantage of employee share ownership saving schemes. Unfortunately, the maximum amount of time someone can pause one of those schemes is six months, which means that many women on maternity leave for up to a year have to cash in their schemes and cannot take advantage of them to maximum effect. I am sure that is an out-of-date anomaly, so in the Budget will the Chancellor extend the period of time that an employee share ownership saving scheme can be paused to up to 12 months? In that way, women on maternity leave can enjoy the same benefits of those schemes as everybody else.

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman used the words “employment” and “employee” and just about got his question in order.

[Mr Hammond]

I am sure he did, Mr Speaker. My hon. Friend raises an interesting but technical point that has been raised with me by others, including the TUC. I will take what he said as a Budget representation and look into it carefully.

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[Stephen Kerr (Stirling) (Con)]

Does the Minister agree that the Labour party’s plans to raise corporation tax would harm small and medium-sized businesses—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Just for the benefit of the hon. Gentleman, may I say that the Opposition’s plans for taxes are not a responsibility of the Government? This is a lesson we all have to learn; in my case I learned it early in my first Parliament, and the hon. Gentleman has learned that lesson today.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Across the whole United Kingdom, and not just in the east midlands, small and medium-sized businesses have created not hundreds but thousands of jobs. Small and medium-sized businesses in my constituency tell me that they are over-regulated and that bureaucracy restricts their ability to employ more people. What is the Minister doing to address that?

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[Elizabeth Truss]

There is not a pay premium. Public and private sector pay are roughly comparable, but in the public sector there is an average of 10% additional remuneration in terms of pension contributions.

[Mr Speaker]

I hope that the whole House will join me in congratulating very warmly the right hon. Member for Tatton (Ms McVey) on her significant birthday today.

[Ms Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

I am older and, I hope, wiser. Like all the ladies who are at my age, I am just hitting my stride and coming of age.

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

Order. As a very distinguished chartered surveyor, the hon. Member for The Cotswolds (Geoffrey Clifton-Brown) will know that the Cotswold is a very significant distance from the north or the north-west, but we will look forward with eager anticipation to hearing the hon. Gentleman at some later point.

[James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con)]

10. What recent progress has been made on reducing the deficit.

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[Mel Stride]

International co-operation with other countries is an area where we have an exemplary record. We have co-operated with the OECD on the base erosion and profit shifting project—many of the recommendations are actually going through the House at this precise moment, in the latest Finance Bill—and, of course, we have common country reporting; we were leading that move in around 2012.

[Mr Speaker]

Finally, Royston Smith.

[Royston Smith (Southampton, Itchen) (Con)]

13. What assessment he has made of the effect of recent increases in income tax thresholds on household income.

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[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

This really is finally. I call Mr Nigel Huddleston.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

16. I am very proud of the fact that this Government have taken 3 million of the lowest paid out of paying income tax altogether. These are people who cannot afford to pay more tax. Some Opposition Members—and, indeed, others—often say that they would not mind paying more tax. Can we find a mechanism for them to do so?

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[Andrew Jones]

We discussed this issue when I was a Transport Minister. All the topography and construction implications as the route is finalised will be taken into consideration as part of the business case.

[Mr Speaker]

We all remember when the hon. Gentleman was a Transport Minister and he enjoyed telling us how he travelled to work by bus; I remember thinking that the fellow passengers on the bus must have been absolutely exhilarated to know that they were accompanied at the time by the Under-Secretary of State for buses.

[Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)]

The Chancellor acknowledged earlier that the fall in the exchange rate following the Brexit vote has pushed up inflation. What is the Treasury’s estimate of the impact of that on people’s standard of living?

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Mr Speaker]

We are out of time, but the temptation to hear remaining colleagues is, frankly, just too powerful.

[Anna Soubry (Broxtowe) (Con)]

The Chancellor, in his efforts to secure a good Brexit deal and a transition period, has the confidence and support not only of Members on the Government Benches, but from across the whole of British business, including in Broxtowe—unlike the Labour party, which inspires complete fear with the Marxist mayhem it would put into policy if elected into government. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that it is in the best interests of British business to secure a transition period as a matter of some urgency, and will he do all he can to get that transition period?

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[Scott Mann (North Cornwall) (Con)]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

Can either remaining Member ask a question consisting of 10 words or fewer?