Tuesday Volume 644 3 July 2018 No. 164 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 3 July 2018 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2018 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 145 3 JULY 2018 146 Mr Chris Leslie (Nottingham East) (Lab/Co-op): It is House of Commons getting completely ridiculous now. When either the Chancellor or the Chief Secretary to the Treasury is Tuesday 3 July 2018 finally allowed to have a look at this mythical third customs plan from No. 10, will they at least have the integrity and honesty if it does not deliver the exact The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock same benefits for Scotland—or, for that matter, England, Wales and Northern Ireland—to come to this House PRAYERS and actually say so? Elizabeth Truss: As I have said, we want to secure as [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] frictionless trade as possible with the EU as well as those opportunities with the rest of the world. It would BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS be helpful if the Labour party, rather than trying to reverse the result of the referendum, was instead more UNIVERSITY OF LONDON BILL [LORDS] positive about the opportunities in the future. Second Reading opposed and deferred until Tuesday 10 July (Standing Order. No. 20). Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con): Does my right hon. Friend welcome with me the news that foreign direct investment project numbers are up 7% in Scotland compared to last year and have broken Oral Answers to Questions records every year for the past three years, and all this despite a Scottish National party Government in Scotland who are constantly talking down the prospects of the TREASURY Scottish economy? The Chancellor of the Exchequer was asked— Elizabeth Truss: Those are fantastic figures for Scotland. We have seen good figures across the UK and the lowest Leaving the Customs Union: Scotland unemployment for 40 years. The Labour party wants to overthrow capitalism; we want great businesses that will 1. John Mc Nally (Falkirk) (SNP): What recent do well for our economy. assessment he has made of the financial implications for Scotland of the UK leaving the EU customs union. Owen Smith (Pontypridd) (Lab): Could the Chief [906189] Secretary to the Treasury reassure the House and the people of Scotland that they will not be paying more in The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss): fuel and alcohol duty after Brexit in order to fill the Scotland exports almost £30 billion of goods and services, post-Brexit hole in our public finances? including its iconic whisky, and we want to make sure we have as frictionless trade as possible with the EU as Elizabeth Truss: I am afraid to tell the House that the well as the ability to strike independent trade deals with people of Scotland are having to pay more income tax the rest of the world. thanks to the SNP Government. Everyone earning more than £26,000 is paying more tax under the SNP. John Mc Nally: Alexander Dennis is a strong, world- leading bus-building company employing 1,000 people Charlie Elphicke (Dover) (Ind): Would the Chief in my constituency, but its chief executive officer, Colin Secretary to the Treasury not agree that the people of Robertson, has expressed serious concerns about a hike Scotland and the United Kingdom will be better off if in costs within the supply chain should the UK leave the we leave the customs union and invest in state-of-the-art customs union. Given that the Chancellor has so far technology to ensure that we have frictionless trade and failed to stop the Prime Minister’s hard Brexit, what are pursue the trade opportunities that lie ahead of this we to expect from him at Friday’s Cabinet showdown nation around the globe? on Brexit—action or evasion? Elizabeth Truss: Of course we want trade with the Elizabeth Truss: I know that my hon. Friend has done EU to be as frictionless as possible, but I point out to a lot of work at the port of Dover making sure it is the hon. Gentleman that the UK market is worth ready for all eventualities. We want to have the best £46 billion to the Scottish economy, and his party wants possible trade with both the EU and the rest of the to leave that market. world. That is the opportunity we have got. Stephen Kerr (Stirling) (Con): Given that Scottish 22. [906212] Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) businesses export more to non-EU countries than to (SNP): The Financial Times is reporting that both Ministers EU countries, does my right hon. Friend agree that the and Bank of England officials fear a Brexit assault on opportunity for Scottish businesses from new trade the £8 trillion asset management industry, so the stakes deals is potentially that much greater? at this Friday’s Brexit Cabinet bunfight could not be higher. Will protection of Scottish financial passporting Elizabeth Truss: My hon. Friend is right. Outside the rights be a red line for the Chancellor? UK, the No. 1 destination for Scottish exports is the US, which accounts for 16% of exports, and of course Elizabeth Truss: The financial services industry is a part of the opportunity of leaving the EU is the ability very important industry for the whole UK and we want to negotiate new trade deals, such as with the US. it to do as well as possible, which is why we are working 147 Oral Answers 3 JULY 2018 Oral Answers 148 on getting the best possible deal. It is in the interests of welcome, there is a real problem of bogus self-employment, EU countries that rely heavily on UK financial services which is costing workers their rights and depriving the to get a deal that suits both sides. Treasury of tax revenue. Next week it will be a whole year since Matthew Taylor published his review “Good Jonathan Reynolds (Stalybridge and Hyde) (Lab/Co-op): work” for the Government. When will they finally According to EY’s recently released Brexit Tracker, a implement his recommendations and crack down on third of all financial services companies have confirmed bogus self-employment? that they will move staff or operations outside the United Kingdom. Most are going to Dublin, Frankfurt Mr Hammond: The hon. Lady is right on both counts. and Luxembourg, and they are going because this Self-employment is an important contributor to our Government cannot give them the basic assurances for economy and genuine self-employment is very much to which they, and we, have been asking for 18 months. be encouraged, but there is a problem of bogus self- After eight failed years of Conservative government, we employment. People who are essentially employed are simply cannot afford this. What are the Government not paying the proper taxes and operating according to going to do to stop it getting any worse? the proper rules for people who are employed, and in some cases employers are concealing the employment Elizabeth Truss: I am amazed that the hon. Gentleman of people for their own selfish reasons. We need to deal did not mention the fact that the City has yet again been with both those counts. rated the top financial centre in the world. Wehear nothing but doom and gloom from the Labour party about the future of our economy.If the hon. Gentleman thinks that 16. [906205] Sir David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) the solution to our problems is calling business the enemy (Con): Given that we are a Government and a party and overthrowing capitalism, he is seriously mistaken. that strongly supports business and entrepreneurs, what estimate has my right hon. Friend made of Unemployment Levels business investment in the UK during the last eight years? 2. Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con): What fiscal steps his Department is taking to reduce unemployment. Mr Hammond: Business investment in the UK over [906190] the last eight years has recovered significantly since the financial crisis, but right now, as my right hon. Friend The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Hammond): knows, there is a degree of uncertainty. We need to get As a result of tough decisions made by Conservative-led through this period of uncertainty in order to see a Governments, the UK’s fiscal position has improved continuing commitment by business to invest in the UK enormously since 2010. Contrary to the consistent economy,and that is what the Government are committed predictions of doom-mongers on the Opposition Benches, to doing. during that process UK employment has also grown consistently. It now stands at record levels, and the Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) unemployment rate is at its lowest in 40 years. However, (Lab): The Chancellor says that we need to deal with we are further supporting job growth through the lowest bogus self-employment, and I absolutely agree. One in corporation tax rate in the G20, and reduced employment 10 workers in the north-east are on zero-hours contracts, costs through the employment allowance. in temporary roles, or in low-paid and often bogus My right hon. Friend will know that our track record self-employment. What will the Chancellor do to ensure stands in stark contrast to that of Labour. No Labour that these new jobs are genuinely sustainable roles, and Government have ever left office with unemployment that people are not leading their lives in insecure work lower than when they entered it.