David Rutley

The New Enterprise Allowance and Start Up Loan Schemes are making it easier for people to move into self-employment. Help is available from local growth hubs and the Business Support Helpline. Julie Deane has conducted an independent review into what more can be done to support the self-employed. Her report was published in February and we will respond in due course.

The Office for National Statistics has estimated that tourism was worth £59.6 billion Gross Value Added to the UK economy in 2014. Taking account of indirect benefits, Deloitte forecast that tourism would be worth an estimated £133.6 billion last year, supporting 3.16 million jobs.

DFID is deeply concerned about the man-made tragedy in South Sudan. The UN estimates 1.1 million people are displaced within the country and almost 370,000 are refugees. Food security is deteriorating with the risk of famine. Four million people are in need of assistance.

The Department has placed Avanti West Coast on a short-term contract and challenged it to deliver the urgent improvement in services required.

I have discussed Syria with Foreign Minister Lavrov at meetings of the International Syria Support Group, most recently on 18 December in New York. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), discussed Syria with President Putin at the G20 Summit in Antalya, and in a telephone conversation on 9 December following Parliament’s vote to support military action against Daesh in Syria.

The Government has established the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) to deliver additional spending in the areas that are key to boosting productivity and encouraging investment.

The Government has also taken steps to ensure that Britain has a competitive tax system that encourages innovation and business investment. These include reducing corporation tax to 17%, the lowest rate in the G20, by 2020 and setting the Annual Investment Allowance at £200,000, its highest ever permanent level.

The Immigration Act 2014 and related changes have expedited the removal of over 2,000 foreign national offenders from this country and stopped illegal migrants having access to services such as bank accounts, driving licences and rented accommodation.

The Immigration Bill will go further, enabling the seizure of earnings from illegal workers, further penalising rogue employers, and extending the deport first, appeal later principle to more cases.

Successive UK Governments have concluded that for as long as nuclear weapons exist, a nuclear deterrent, based on a continuous at sea deterrence, has a vital role to play in our security and that of our NATO allies. It provides the ultimate guarantee of our national security and way of life.

We are making good progress, with the Glasgow and Clyde Valley, Aberdeen City Region and Inverness deals all now being implemented. There are a number of other cities and regions considering proposals, including Edinburgh and South East Scotland as announced by the Chancellor in the budget.