Clive Jones

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I congratulate the hon. Member for East Grinstead and Uckfield (Mims Davies) on securing the debate. I am proud of my constituency of Wokingham, of Berkshire and of the Thames valley for being one of the UK’s centres for growth. The area is home to international investment that brings well-paying jobs and prosperity into our area, building an economy fit for the future. In our small and medium-sized companies, we find innovation and sustainable local growth. The hope is that one day, those businesses will go on to rival the giants that dominate the scene today. The past has been prosperous, but the present is beginning to show some concerning cracks. In Wokingham, between 2014 and 2022, the number of new business births per 10,000 people fell by 31%. The number of people of working age in Wokingham has decreased. In December 2022, the figure was 83%, but by December 2023 it had fallen to 78.6%. The regulatory burden on businesses to export is growing, with Santander UK’s trade barometer showing that only 22% of businesses say that it is easier to trade internationally than it was five years ago. Covid-19 will have had an effect on these figures, but businesses in my constituency tell me that the chaos and instability of the Conservative Government impacted their business just as much. I will ask the Minister a few questions, to try to ensure that Wokingham, Berkshire and the Thames valley continue to have a prosperous future. First, will he back small businesses and empower them to create new local jobs, including by abolishing business rates and replacing them with a commercial landowner levy to help our high streets? Secondly, will he bring down trade barriers and enhance our relationship with our closest trading partners, including fixing our broken relationship with Europe? Thirdly, will he speak to Network Rail and the Secretary of State for Transport and convince them of the need for a western railway link to Heathrow airport? Finally, will the Minister for Investment meet me and the Thames valley chamber of commerce to understand what businesses need to attract further inward investment?