Extracts from Parliamentary proceedings - Jan 24
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Extract from Lords oral question on UK Exports Lord De Mauley
(Con): My Lords, services are particularly important to the United
Kingdom’s economy, but they by no means always play a prominent
part in trade agreements. Can my noble friend assure me that the
Government will make it a priority that our services will receive
prominence in all trade negotiations? Baroness Mobarik (Con): I
agree with my noble friend that services are an important part of
our economy....Request free trial
Extract from Lords oral
question on UK Exports
Lord De Mauley (Con): My Lords, services are particularly important to the United Kingdom’s economy, but they by no means always play a prominent part in trade agreements. Can my noble friend assure me that the Government will make it a priority that our services will receive prominence in all trade negotiations?
Baroness Mobarik (Con): I
agree with my noble friend that services are an important part of
our economy. However, we work in a whole range of different
sectors and we have market sector priorities; for example, every
year we consider which country sector combinations the Government
can add most value to. Services are of course a huge part of
that. We have to keep it in mind that the UK is the fifth-largest
economy in the world. We have leading universities, low tax, low
regulation, an economy fuelled by some of the most skilled
workers, and the World Bank continues to rank the UK as the
highest major economy for ease of doing business, which is one of
the reasons so many firms, such as Snapchat, Rolls-Royce, and
Nissan, are choosing to invest in the UK. Extract from Westminster Hall debate on the Midlands Engine Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab):...The assets of the midlands engine will be familiar to everyone, not only up and down the country but throughout the world—Range Rover, Rolls-Royce, JCB, Toyota and Boots are a few of the names that have made the midlands famous. What is great about all those assets is that their industrial evolution is constant as they reinvent themselves and their products to meet the demands of our ever-changing world... Amanda Solloway (Derby North) (Con):...What are the opportunities? The midlands engine must focus on elements that give us competitive advantage, central to which is our expertise in key sectors, especially advanced manufacturing. We have a high density of original equipment manufacturers. In and around my constituency alone, we have Toyota, Rolls-Royce and Bombardier, and well-established supply chains that serve them all. Greater competitiveness in those supply chains will boost jobs and attract inward investment, and that is a key area where the policy we set here can have a real impact... Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-on-Avon) (Con): As a west midlander, I completely agree with my hon. Friend that we should speak with one voice as one region. In that way we will do better. On skills, the Government’s agenda to deliver 3 million apprenticeships is to be commended. That is probably one of the biggest benefits for our region and manufacturing.
Amanda Solloway: Absolutely. I was
going to come to apprenticeships, which are significant in Derby
North. We really need to look at having training and skills that
match local employers’ needs. Our local enterprise partnerships
outlined that as a key theme when they were consulted by the
Government about plans for the engine. During my time as an MP, I
have regularly heard concerns that more needs to be done to
tailor skills to play to local strengths and boost our
productivity. Brilliant work is being done in Derby to try to
tackle that problem. For example, in response to the needs of
businesses such as Rolls-Royce and Bombardier, the university in
the city recently opened a new science, technology, engineering
and maths building. Apprenticeship providers such as 3aaa are
building initiatives to link employers, schools and
apprenticeship providers to tailor skills. More needs to be done
to support such initiatives if the midlands engine is to live up
to its full potential... Sir John Peace, chair of the midlands engine, said yesterday that “playing to our strengths and enabling new sectors…will deliver the high wage, high skill economy of the future.”
We know what our strengths are in the midlands. We now need to
ensure that they reach their full potential... |