Tuesday Volume 697 22 June 2021 No. 21 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 22 June 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 735 22 JUNE 2021 736 service has processed something like, I think, 700,000 House of Commons consignments, 59,000 traders have been registered, there is the Brexit support fund and there is the new movement Tuesday 22 June 2021 assistance scheme, as he will know,for food and agriculture trade. We retain a focus on making those systems, rules The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock and support work as effectively and as widely as possible.1 PRAYERS Apprentices [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mark Eastwood (Dewsbury) (Con): What steps his Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, Department is taking to encourage employers to take 4 June and 30 December 2020). on more apprentices. [901591] [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] Chris Clarkson (Heywood and Middleton) (Con): What steps his Department is taking to encourage Oral Answers to Questions employers to take on more apprentices. [901595] Lucy Allan (Telford) (Con): What steps his Department TREASURY is taking to encourage employers to take on more apprentices. [901596] The Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked— Edward Timpson (Eddisbury) (Con): What steps his Northern Ireland Protocol Department is taking to encourage employers to take on more apprentices. [901598] Ian Paisley (North Antrim) (DUP): What estimate he has made of the costs incurred by businesses trading Laura Farris (Newbury) (Con): What steps his between Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a result Department is taking to encourage small and medium-sized of the Northern Ireland Protocol. [901590] businesses to take on more apprentices. [901605] The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Jesse Norman): Top of the morning to you, Mr Speaker. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Rishi Sunak): We are encouraging employers of all sizes to take on new The protocol is explicit in its respect for the UK’s apprentices through our hiring incentive. Employers territorial integrity, and the Government are committed who hire a new apprentice of any age until the end of to delivering it with as little impact on businesses and September will receive £3,000 per apprentice. We are day-to-day lives as possible. The Government have set also continuing to improve the apprenticeship system up the free-to-use trader support service to support for employers by introducing more flexible trading options, businesses trading between Great Britain and Northern making the transfer of unspent levy funds to small Ireland at a cost of £270 million and have made full use businesses easier, and supporting apprenticeships in of provisions within the protocol to ensure that no industries with flexible working patterns through the tariffs are charged on internal UK trade. launch of portable apprenticeships. Ian Paisley: I refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Mark Eastwood: The Government’s £3,000 initiative incentive for businesses to employ apprentices is welcome, Does the Minister accept that the protocol actually with several companies in my constituency looking to discriminates against British businesses trading between apply, including Shackletons in Dewsbury, and John GB and Northern Ireland and between Northern Ireland Cotton and Alexander’s Bar in Mirfield. There is no and GB? It undermines trade, damages consumer doubt that this initiative has been a great success in opportunities and rights, and increases costs to both enabling young people to get on to the employment consumers and businesses on both sides of the channel. ladder. Therefore, will my right hon. Friend consider What action will the Government take, and indeed an extension in funding for the scheme beyond the encourage others to take, to save British businesses and 30 September deadline? the economy from this economic discrimination? How long will businesses have to wait for a solution and what compensation has the Treasury calculated to cover the Rishi Sunak: I pay tribute to, I think it was Shackletons loss in trade, which, at present, is running at hundreds and John Cotton in my hon. Friend’s constituency for of millions of pounds? the example that they are setting, which I hope is emulated by employers across our country. The scheme, Jesse Norman: I thank the hon. Member for his as he says, has been a success. More than 50,000 incentive question. Of course, this follows a wide concern that he payments were claimed by employers, 80% of which has put in front of the House on many previous occasions. were for young apprentices between 18 and 24. We will I do not accept the characterisation that he has given of of course keep this very successful scheme under review. the situation in Northern Ireland, but I absolutely agree with him that the Government need to continue to press Chris Clarkson: Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for the Northern Ireland protocol to be implemented in for people to learn, earn and realise their potential, so a proportionate and pragmatic way.That is an important much so that I have just advertised this week for one to goal of the Government. He talks about the schemes in join my team via Hopwood Hall College in my Heywood place. Let me remind him that, so far, the trader support and Middleton constituency. Does my right hon. Friend 1.[Official Report, 28 June 2021, Vol. 698, c. 2MC.] 737 Oral Answers 22 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 738 agree that businesses big and small can play their part in Newbury College, our principal training provider, says turbocharging our post-covid recovery by offering these that it is still the large employers that take the bulk of fantastic opportunities? young apprentices, when it is small and medium-sized enterprises that form the backbone of our local economy. Rishi Sunak: I am delighted to hear that my hon. Does my right hon. Friend think there is an opportunity Friend is working with Hopwood Hall College in his to reallocate some of the surplus from the apprenticeship constituency to hire an apprentice. Hopefully, I will get levy to encourage take-up among SMEs? an opportunity to meet them in the future. He is right about the ability of this scheme to support all types of Rishi Sunak: My hon. Friend makes an excellent employers. Small businesses in particular should know point. I am proud that she is working with Newbury that the £3,000 equates to about a 35% wage subsidy for College in her constituency. She is right that SMEs are young apprentices and the Government pay 95% of all the backbone of west Berkshire and other local communities training costs, so there has never been a better time for across our economy. On her particular point, I am employers to do as he says to help turbocharge our pleased to tell her that, from August of this year, recovery and to hire an apprentice. employers who pay the levy but have unspent levy funds will be able to use a new bulk transfer service to send Lucy Allan: As with every economic crisis, it is Telford’s that money to SMEs, combined with a new SME match young people who have been hit hardest by the pandemic. function so that they can find the SMEs that are most Telford College is playing a vital role in working with appropriate to their business, supply chain or local area. employers across the region and securing 1,000 quality I hope that is helpful to her and Newbury College. The apprenticeships this year, helping young people to build plan is for the Department for Education to have that their future. Will the Chancellor congratulate Telford up and running in August. College on its inspirational work, and will he commit to putting skills and opportunities for young people front Personal Credit: Self-employed People and centre in his economic recovery plan? Mr Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) (Lab): What assessment Rishi Sunak: I am delighted to hear that news from he has made of recent trends in personal credit availability my hon. Friend. I am happy to congratulate Telford for self-employed people. [901592] College on a fantastic performance in creating new apprenticeships and working with its local employers to The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (John Glen): provide those opportunities. She is absolutely right: The Government have put together an unprecedented young people have borne the brunt economically of this package of support for the self-employed, including the crisis. They comprise the majority of the job losses, so it self-employed income support scheme, the temporary is right that they are front and centre of our minds as we £20 per week increase in the universal credit standard think about the recovery. That is why, whether it is the allowance, and temporarily suspending the minimum kickstart scheme, tripling the number of traineeships or income floor. The self-employed are also able to access the new lifetime skills guarantee, we are focused on the restart grant, the recovery loan scheme and business providing them with the opportunities and support that rates relief. they need. Mr Perkins: I am grateful to the Minister for that Edward Timpson: It is clear that the pandemic has hit answer. However, my experience with some self-employed the youngest the hardest. Alongside apprenticeships, people in my constituency is that, having been self-employed many businesses in my Eddisbury constituency, including for several years and accepted support from the self- Safety Shield in Winsford, have used the kickstart scheme employed scheme, if they then try to get credit, they are in order to bring more good jobs to young people as told that because they were on that scheme they are no part of our economic recovery.