Oral Answers to Questions

Richard Quigley Excerpts

Thursday 12th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jonathan Reynolds]

I appreciate the hon. Member’s kind words. He will know that ensuring that everything my Department does works for Northern Ireland is a personal priority for me and for the ministerial team. In relation to exports, I can assure him that Northern Ireland will benefit from the advantageous position that the whole United Kingdom is in. We do have issues in making sure the more complex regulatory position from the protocol in Northern Ireland is working in the best possible way. There are very strong reasons for making that work better, if we can do so, and he has my commitment that we will seek to do that.

[Mr Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West) (Lab)]

3. What steps his Department is taking to support entrepreneurs.

[John Slinger (Rugby) (Lab)]

18. What support his Department plans to provide to entrepreneurship incubators in towns.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas)]

The Government continue to support entrepreneurs through start-up loans via the British Business Bank and through programmes such as growth hubs in England and “Help to Grow: Management” training across the UK. Later this year we will publish our small and medium-sized enterprise strategy, one key element of which will be to signal our determination to do even more to champion our entrepreneurs, including through a new vision for business support, built around the coming business growth service.

[Mr Quigley]

You will be pleased to know that I do not have a book coming out, Mr Speaker. I am reading the one that my hon. Friend the Member for Central Ayrshire (Alan Gemmell) has written, and it is excellent, but I should probably say on his behalf that any likeness to characters in this place is entirely coincidental.

I thank the Minister for his response. I have seen at first hand his commitment to supporting Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit, but I worry that on the Isle of Wight unreliable cross-Solent transport is holding back entrepreneurs. Local businesses do not lack ambition; they lack a dependable link to their supply chains. Some are even considering leaving the island. Will the Minister meet me to discuss a long-term solution to cross-Solent travel that supports, rather than punishes, island businesses?