Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
Main Page: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness McIntosh of Pickering's debates with the Department for Education
(11 years, 1 month ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Michael Fallon
I am not sure what that has to do with the red tape challenge, but Barclays is one of the banks that we are pressing hard to do more to lend more to small businesses, and we expect it to steadily increase the take-up of the various Government schemes on offer.
Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)
Will my right hon. Friend look at removing gold-plated provisions on items such as jam, which has to be marketed as a preserve unless it has the right amount of sugar or fruit in it?
Michael Fallon
It was the previous Government who transposed the European directive but who failed to transcribe the flexibility that France and Germany have to lower the minimum sugar content in jam. We will consult on that shortly. Under this Government, not only is there more flexibility towards the European Union, but there will be more jam tomorrow.
Vince Cable
The OBR was quite clear about the reason for its downward revision of growth: it was explained in terms of net trade. That was the overwhelming factor, but if the hon. Gentleman wants evidence of projects that are now going through, he should look at some of the increases in capital investment approved in the autumn statement—and happening in my Department with my colleague the Minister for Universities and Science—big R and D projects going ahead in partnership with the private sector and many others now going ahead under the regional growth fund, creating jobs across the country.
Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con)
T6. I believe it is Lord Heseltine’s birthday today. I wish him congratulations. Large rafts of money are going to city regions such as Leeds and Sheffield for transport infrastructure and other projects. We feel that we will be left in the lurch, so may I ask the team what support will be given to rural areas of North Yorkshire to improve the roads and other infrastructure?
The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Michael Fallon)
That is a perfectly fair point, but let me reassure my hon. Friend that the single pot funding from 2015 will be allocated not simply to the cities, but through local enterprise partnerships. It is her local enterprise partnership that will be able to make a bid to the Government.