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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 24 Jun 2019
Climate Change

"I am passionate about charging points. Does my hon. Friend agree that we perhaps ought to be looking at the planning system, particularly with regard to town centres?..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 30 Apr 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"I know—from chairing the all-party parliamentary group for small and micro-business, and from talking with west Oxfordshire businesses—that one of the major challenges that small organisations face is finding sufficient people of the right skills to grow their businesses. What are Ministers doing to provide a national strategy to ensure …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 23 Apr 2019
Climate Change Policy

"Will the Minister elaborate a little on the importance she attaches to growing the economy at the same time as tackling climate change? Is it not the case that we will need to be able to invest in the technology that we will require to cut emissions further?..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 28 Feb 2019
Net Zero Carbon Emissions: UK’s Progress

"I entirely agree with everything the Minister just said about the importance of this issue. Perhaps she would agree that, given that an opinion poll has found that 72% of the public are either very concerned or fairly concerned about climate change, if we spent more time talking about it …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 15 Jun 2018
Stage Lighting: Efficiency Regulations

"My hon. Friend is leading a fascinating debate, and I congratulate him on having secured it. He has talked about the impact of some of his local theatres. In my constituency, in west Oxfordshire, we have Chipping Norton theatre. It belies the description of a local theatre, because people come …..."
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Written Question
Business: Government Assistance
Wednesday 16th May 2018

Asked by: Robert Courts (Conservative - Witney)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support businesses and entrepreneurs.

Answered by Andrew Griffiths

We know how vital businesses are to the UK economy. So we will continue to work hard to support everyone who wants to start and grow their own business. Through our Industrial Strategy we aim to make Britain the best place to start and grow a business.

We want to ensure small business owners have access to the support they need to start, grow and export. The Business Support Helpline, GOV.UK and a network of 38 Growth Hubs across England provide access to information, advice and support business growth. We are developing an Export Strategy to support businesses to access international markets. For Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) looking to export, UK export finance will announce a new guarantee to banks designed to increase the flow of money in the supply chain.

We also want small businesses to have the access to finance they need to grow. So we are helping through the British Business Bank which supports over £4bn of finance to over 65,000 UK SMEs. This includes delivering 54,000 Start-Up Loans worth £400m since 2012. Going forward we plan to unlock over £20bn of investment in innovative and high potential businesses, including establishing a new £2.5bn investment fund within the Bank.

Tackling late payments and ensuring small businesses have access to government contracts are also important issues we are working to address. The Small Business Commissioner will help with payment issues, dispute resolution and sourcing advice across the UK. And we are opening up public procurement to SMEs, with a commitment to one pound in every three of central government spend going to SMEs by 2022.

We have launched a review into what actions could be most effective in improving productivity and growth of SMEs in what has been called the ‘long tail’ of lower productivity firms.

We will carry on focusing on the needs of businesses through the delivery of our Industrial Strategy and as we work to secure the best and most ambitious Brexit deal for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 11 May 2018
Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill

"It is a great pleasure to speak in the debate. I have been greatly moved by what has been said by Members in all parts of the House. Others may agree that the House is shown at its best when it works on a cross-party basis—when it listens to Members …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 11 May 2018
Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill

"As so often, my hon. Friend makes the point that I was seeking to make, but more succinctly and eloquently. He is right: it is parenting, not being a biological parent, that I am seeking to stress, and I am sure we all agree on that.

Amendments 3, 5, 22 …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 11 May 2018
Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill

"My hon. Friend powerfully makes the very point I want to make. For any human being, burying a child is profoundly distressing, as it goes against our very nature as humans. We therefore should not even countenance saying that people should not be able to avail themselves of assistance just …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 11 May 2018
Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill

"My hon. Friend rightly draws my attention to amendment 17, and the fact that I have not referred to it directly is perhaps a drawback of dealing with the amendments in groups in the way that I have done. The amendment says:

“Employers must accept notice given in writing, face …..."
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