Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Scotland Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Mike Freer Excerpts
Wednesday 26th January 2011

(13 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Stevenson Portrait John Stevenson (Carlisle) (Con)
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7. What assessment he has made of recent trends in business confidence in Scotland.

Mike Freer Portrait Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green) (Con)
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9. What assessment he has made of trends in business confidence in Scotland.

Michael Moore Portrait The Secretary of State for Scotland (Michael Moore)
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Returning the UK to sustainable economic growth is the Government’s overriding priority. The Government are doing everything they can to create the conditions that enable all businesses to be successful and create more jobs.

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Michael Moore Portrait Michael Moore
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We certainly believe that the private sector has a central role to play in returning us to sustainable growth in this country, whether in Scotland or the rest of the United Kingdom. The Scottish Parliament debates the Scottish Government’s budget this afternoon and no doubt some of these points will be made in that debate.

Mike Freer Portrait Mike Freer
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Is the Secretary of State worried that the Scottish Government’s plans to introduce a business surcharge will damage business confidence?

Michael Moore Portrait Michael Moore
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The Scottish Government have received serious representations on their proposals, and I am confident that those will be debated extensively this afternoon.