Tag: Lord Taylor of Warwick

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the OECD global trade outlook and its recommendation that governments should step up investment to support growth.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The latest OECD Economic Outlook forecasts the UK to be the joint fastest growing major advanced economy in 2015. The OECD have revised down the forecast for both world trade growth and global GDP growth in 2015 and 2016. This demonstrates the need to continue to fix the economy to ensure the UK can deal with risks from abroad.

The government remains committed to encouraging long-term investment and promoting a dynamic economy, and recently set out comprehensive reforms to support productivity growth in “Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation”.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to promote gender, orientation and ethnic diversity in the workplace, in particular in the architecture profession.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

This government is committed to promoting equality in all professions, including architecture. The Equality Act 2010 provides a strong legislative framework to prevent and tackle discrimination, harassment, and victimisation in the workplace. The government also funds the Equality and Advisory Support Service, which provides an accessible and inclusive source of advice for people who may have been discriminated against.

We have committed to closing the gender pay gap in a generation. We will soon require larger employers to publish the difference between the average pay and bonuses of their male and female employees. We are also tackling the root causes of gender pay gap with the introduction of Shared Parental Leave, the extension of flexible working and the offer of 30 hours free childcare.

The government is proud of its record to support LGB&T people and the UK continues to be recognised as a leader in this area. However, we know there is more to do which is why we have recently published guidance for employers on the recruitment and retention of trans employees in the workplace.

Finally, the Prime Minister has underlined the government’s commitment to increasing racial diversity in the workplace in his 2020 Vision, in which he made a commitment to increase BME employment by 20% by 2020.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is being done to support British pig farmers who are affected by Russia’s ban on European food imports and cheap imports into the UK.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

I recognise that many UK pig producers are struggling with a very tough period of low prices. The Government is providing support through our reforms to tax averaging. We also supported the activation of private storage aid on 4 January to remove pigmeat temporarily from the EU market.

We are working with the industry to open up new market opportunities at home and abroad. China offers huge potential for the future of the food and farming industry. Since 2010, British food and drink exports to China have more than doubled to £280 million, the fastest-growing of which are dairy products, pork, beer and tea. 2016 will be the Year of GREAT British Food, opening a long-term campaign of trade missions and events in the UK that showcase British products and help farm businesses to grow and thrive.

Defra secured a deal in principle for trade in trotters during the Secretary of State’s recent visit to China and the underpinning detailed arrangements are being finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-02-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the light of the number of cyber attacks against them in 2015.

Baroness Shields

The Government’s National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) aims to tackle cyber crime and make the UK the safest place in the world to do business in the world. This includes the Cyber Essentials Scheme to protect businesses against common cyber threats and the cyber streetwise campaign which offers simple cyber security advice to small businesses and consumers. In addition to the £860 million investment under the NCSP between 2011-2016, in November 2015 the Chancellor announced a new five year £1.9 billion investment in cyber security to make the UK one of the best protected countries in cyber space.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-04-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of comments by the head of the IMF regarding threats to the global economy, whether they are preparing any contingency plans.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

Since 2010 the UK has made significant progress in developing its economic security. The public finances have improved and the deficit as a share of GDP has now been cut by almost two-thirds from its post-war peak. The financial sector is more resilient, and household finances are more robust with interest payments as a proportion of income the lowest level on record in 2015.

However, the UK is not immune from global risks, which is why, as I set out in the debate on the Economy last week, it is vital we continue with our long-term economic plan focused on ensuring sound public finances, while delivering the supply-side reforms necessary to boost productivity and deliver long-term sustainable growth.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-07-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the British pound in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Lord O’Neill of Gatley

The UK does not have an exchange rate target. The UK’s monetary policy framework gives operational responsibility for monetary policy to the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The MPC has the primary objective of maintaining price stability, defined as an inflation target of 2 per cent as measured by the twelve month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. Under the Government’s macroeconomic framework, the exchange rate is allowed to adjust flexibly, and movements in sterling are determined by market forces.

Action by the government and the Bank of England over the last six years has substantially strengthened the resilience of the financial system. The contingency plans that the Treasury, Bank and Financial Conduct Authority put in place prior to the referendum have proved effective to date, and we will continue to monitor financial markets closely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2016-10-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support structure they have put in place for women who are returning to the workforce after they have had children.

Lord Freud

We are helping women to return to the workforce after they have had children through the support provided by Jobcentre Plus. Work Coaches provide personalised support, tailored to meet the needs and requirements of parents, helping them to find work that fits with their individual circumstances. The Flexible Support Fund allows Work Coaches to address barriers to employment and support parents into work. This can be used in a variety of ways including paying for travel and childcare to allow parents to undertake training, attend interviews or start work.

We are also putting in place a new package of government support that will make childcare more affordable and more accessible. This will build on the support already offered and will mean more parents have choice, security and peace of mind when it comes to being in work and supporting their family.

Parents on Universal Credit have been offered more generous support from 11 April 2016, where they are able to claim up to 85% of childcare costs, compared to 70% previously. This is up to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children, up to the age of 16.

The Government currently offers 15 hours of free childcare for all three and four year olds and some of the most disadvantaged two year olds in England. From September 2017, this free childcare offer will be doubled for working parents of three and four year olds in England from 15 to 30 hours per week.

We are also introducing Tax-Free Childcare, which will be available to around two million households to help pay for childcare costs from early 2017. For every £8 parents pay into an online account, the Government will pay £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year, for children aged up to 12. Parents of disabled children will receive extra support worth up to £4,000 per year per child, until their child is 17.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-10-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to support growing small businesses that require more facilities after they leave business hubs.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Growing small businesses can get assistance from a number of Government schemes. For example the Government set up Enterprise Zones across England to support new and expanding businesses by offering incentives such as tax relief on top of the doubling of Small Business Rates Relief which we have extended for a further year until April 2016.

There are also Catapult centres round the country – places where the very best of the UK’s businesses, scientists and engineers work together to transform ideas into products and services. They allow small businesses access to resources and equipment they may need.

Small businesses can find out more about these schemes and also obtain other advice that may help them by approaching their local Growth Hub. There are now 30 Growth Hubs across England that are bringing together local and national business support so that people can find the help they need quickly and easily.[i]

[i] http://www.lepnetwork.net/about-leps/the-network-of-leps/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-11-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they had with Facebook about their recent updates to make it easier for businesses to interact with customers on that platform.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Government regularly meets Facebook, who are part of our Strategic Relationship Management programme, to discuss a range of issues across a number of government departments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-12-07.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the recent World Bank survey, Women, Business and the Law 2016, that 155 out of 173 countries, including the UK, still have at least one law impeding women’s economic opportunities.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

This report provides an interesting assessment of women’s rights around the world, with a particular emphasis on how they are treated under the law. Unsurprisingly the UK is cited as providing a strong legal framework, and further progress that we have made is set out in many areas. We will continue to work with other countries to promote women’s rights.