Results 1-20 of 4,973 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Ian Pearson

Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: International Development (3 Nov 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings on a wide variety of issues, including this topic, with a wide variety of public and private sector organisations. The Government remain committed to meeting the target of allocating 0.7 per cent. of gross national income to overseas development assistance by 2013, and we will set this target in legislation.

Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: International Development (3 Nov 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend is absolutely right, in the sense that one of the key things that many of the poorest countries in the world face today is not just the challenge of getting out of poverty, but having to adapt to climate change, which will hit some of them the hardest. That is why it is vital that we do agree on climate change financing in the run-up to Copenhagen. This will be discussed...

Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: International Development (3 Nov 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: We will not take any lectures from the Conservatives on overseas aid, given that they slashed the budgets year on year. We have seen sustained improvement in the amount of money going to help some of the poorest countries as a result of the 12 years of this Labour Government; indeed, it is one of the things I am most proud of. We have said that we will meet our interim target of 0.56 per...

Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Banking Sector Reform (3 Nov 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England meet regularly to discuss a range of issues.

Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Banking Sector Reform (3 Nov 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: As the hon. Gentleman rightly points out, the collapse of Lehman Brothers was of systemic importance to not only the US economy, but the world economy, and he will be very aware of the actions that followed it. The issue has had extensive scrutiny, and he will also be aware of the administration position at the moment. Those lessons have and are being learned, which is one of the reasons why...

Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Banking Sector Reform (3 Nov 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has pointed out on a number of occasions, we cannot return to business as usual. Reforms have been implemented already and more action needs to be taken. I am sure that my hon. Friend will want to support the Government's future legislative programme, which will have an important piece of legislation—the financial services and business...

Oral Answers to Questions — Treasury: Topical Questions (3 Nov 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, despite the fact that we have historically low interest rates, rates in the market are in some cases significantly in excess of that. He will also be aware, particularly with regard to pensioners, of the changes that we announced to the ISA regime, which mean that people aged 50 and over can get tax-free savings on their investments. I hope he would...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: With the leave of the House, I should like briefly to respond to the debate. We have heard the usual contributions from the two Opposition Front Benchers, as well as speeches by the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) and the hon. Members for Banbury (Tony Baldry) and for South-West Norfolk (Christopher Fraser). I did not hear any specific references to his constituency in the hon....

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: I just wish that, rather than engaging in juvenile debating points, the Opposition would engage with the real issues. They cannot deny the fact that they called it wrong when it came to bailing out the banks and to the fiscal stimulus, or that, at the moment, they are calling it wrong when it comes to the recovery. People need to understand that the Tories' policies, as they are at the...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: Let me respond first to the point about small business rate relief, which was the subject of quite a lot of debate some months ago. There is now a greater understanding among small business organisations about what is in place at the moment. Steps have been taken to make it easier for small businesses to claim rate relief. The systems in Wales and Scotland are not necessarily automated in the...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: Some of us feel almost violently sick when we hear people talking about—

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: I accept what the hon. Member for Banbury said—that we now live in different times—so if the Conservative party has really changed its spots when it comes to wanting to support manufacturing and apprenticeships, I, for one, welcome that. The more we can reach a consensus around the key long-term decisions that need to be taken in the strategic interest of the UK, the better it...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: I remind the House that we had to rescue apprenticeships; the Conservatives said little or nothing about manufacturing throughout all the period they were in power. People might criticise us for not doing enough to support manufacturing, but we have done a darn sight more than any previous Government.

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: My hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out that this country needs skilled engineers. There are continuing issues about skills at all levels of the skill range. One of the few points made by the right hon. Member for Wokingham with which I agree was that we need to address skills issues. I agree that we need the right skills and that access to capital is a fundamental issue, as are...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: If the hon. Gentleman will allow me, I would like to respond in the two minutes remaining to some of the other points that he and others raised in the debate. Let me update the House on the deferral of business taxes, which, as I said in my opening remarks, is benefiting 150,000 businesses. The latest figures say that £3.8 billion in business taxes has been deferred. To provide...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: I beg to move, That this House has considered the matter of securing economic recovery. The world economy is forecast to shrink by 1¼ per cent. in 2009—the first time it has contracted in 60 years. To fight the global downturn, we, with countries around the world, have stepped in to support our economy. In the 1930s, Governments failed to act, with disastrous consequences. Unlike...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that more than 150,000 businesses have already benefited from the flexibilities operated through the business payment support system. That system, which covers payroll taxes and deferment of VAT payments, has been widely welcomed by industry and is a major success. In the terms of today's debate on securing the recovery, the fact that the downturn is global...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would like to justify his party's position, which has been completely wrong.

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: The right hon. Gentleman cannot get away from the fact that his party would have allowed Northern Rock to fail, because that was its stated view at the time; that it opposed the 2008 Act, which gave us the measures that were required to intervene in the case of Bradford & Bingley; and that, as he knows, just before the financial crisis his party made statements about the need for the...

Economic Recovery (22 Oct 2009) has video

Ian Pearson: I shall happily give way again to the right hon. Gentleman, because I know that he does not agree with much of what his party says, but he is always an interesting person to listen to.