Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Ministers were answering
questions in the Commons. Subjects covered included...
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Business Productivity: Birmingham
(Birmingham, Edgbaston)
(Lab/Co-op)
1. What recent steps she has taken to increase business
productivity in Birmingham. [900273]
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy ()
Birmingham’s productivity increased at twice the national rate
last year, and I am meeting our great West Midlands Mayor,
, next month to talk about how
we can achieve even more. We have one of the country’s most
successful enterprise zones in Birmingham, where we are investing
£433 million in local growth funds and increasing skills levels,
employment opportunities and connectivity.
Transport for West Midlands and the Open Data Institute found
that between 2008 and 2018 congestion had led to 216,000 fewer
people being within a 45-minute bus journey of the centre of
Birmingham. Will the Secretary of State commit to properly
resourcing new public transport infrastructure in Birmingham to
enhance productivity and help the city’s almost 2 million people
to realise their potential rather than wasting their time sitting
in traffic?
The hon. Lady raises a really important point, and she will know
that the Department for Transport is looking closely at what more
it can do to improve connectivity. I hope that she will be
delighted, as I am, that the city centre and Curzon extension is
creating 76,000 new jobs and contributing £4 billion to the
economy each year, and that since 2010, according to the local
enterprise partnership, there are 134,000 private sector jobs
being created in the Greater Birmingham area.
(Lichfield) (Con)
When my right hon. Friend meets my friend the Mayor of the West
Midlands, , will she discuss the
possibility of opening a giga factory in Birmingham or the
immediate area for the production of electric vehicles?
My hon. Friend is well aware of the Government’s ambitions to
have a giga factory in the UK. It is vital for the success of our
economy that we are able to find these new areas of technological
growth that can support the uptake of ultra-low and zero-emission
vehicles.
Leaving the EU: Businesses in Scotland
(Midlothian) (SNP)
2. What support she is providing to businesses in Scotland to
prepare for the UK leaving the EU. [900274]
(North Ayrshire and
Arran) (SNP)
6. What support she is providing to businesses in Scotland to
prepare for the UK leaving the EU. [900279]
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy ()
The Scottish Government received almost £100 million to help to
prepare for Brexit in the run-up to 31 October last year. I am
delighted that we now have a good deal with the European Union,
so we will be leaving the EU at the end of January, but the
implementation period will mean that nothing changes for
businesses until the end of 2020. We are working hard on our
future trading relationship with our EU friends and neighbours.
With the final destination of Brexit still vague, it is a
disgrace that the UK Government are still failing to give
businesses the information they need to navigate Brexit, with
firms needing more than the Chancellor telling them simply to
“adjust”. Will the Secretary of State finally accept the policy
of the Scottish National party and the Institute of Directors of
providing a £750 million one-stop shop for UK firms?
I am not surprised to hear that the hon. Gentleman is still
determined to resist Brexit, but he will appreciate that this
Government are getting on with it and ensuring that there is a
great deal for businesses. On his point about Scottish
businesses’ preparedness, my Department’s business readiness fund
enabled various trade bodies, including the Scottish Chamber of
Commerce and the Scottish fishing trade bodies, to receive
hundreds of thousands in taxpayers’ money precisely to enable
businesses to be Brexit-ready.
The Chancellor has been clear that some companies will benefit
from Brexit and some will not, but the Fraser of Allander
Institute has been clear that it estimates that as many as
100,000 jobs in Scotland will be lost as a result of Brexit. Can
the Minister explain why she thinks it fair that Scotland will be
hit so hard by a Brexit for which it did not vote?
I am sure that the hon. Lady will be delighted to see today’s
employment numbers—yet again, the highest numbers on record—and
she will no doubt also be delighted to know that there has been a
12.7% increase in employment in North Ayrshire and Arran since
2010. Jobs are being created, supported by a UK Government who
are determined to give people right across the United Kingdom the
chance of future growth and prosperity in their area.
(Arundel and South Downs) (Con)
Will the Secretary of State talk about the support that her
Department is giving to quantum computing in the UK? This
technology is growing at an exponential speed and opening up new
opportunities in new sectors for the United Kingdom.
Mr Speaker
Just to help the new Member, his question should really be
associated with the current question, so I presume that he is
talking about Scotland as well.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question. He may be aware
that the Government are investing about £1 billion in a new
quantum technologies fund, which will be of benefit right across
the United Kingdom as we take advantage of these extraordinary
opportunities, so many of which are coming out of the United
Kingdom.
(Newcastle upon Tyne
Central) (Lab)
I would like to offer the shadow Secretary of State’s apologies,
because she cannot be with us today. But it is the Secretary of
State who has been AWOL from business—missing in action during
the general election and now again, as we prepare for Brexit,
shelving the weekly meetings with business leaders. Meanwhile,
the Prime Minister promised the workers of Nissan that he would
“make sure we have complete equivalence when it comes to our
standards, our industrial requirements and the rest of it”,
but the Chancellor rules out continuing alignment with the
European Union. Will the Secretary of State ensure that the
necessary alignment for frictionless trade with the European
Union continues after Brexit?
I welcome the hon. Lady, who is standing in for the shadow
Secretary of State. It is very unfortunate that she decided to
play the man and not the ball, because she is absolutely
incorrect to suggest that it is my policy to reduce meetings with
businesses. In fact, my Department’s priority is to make the UK
the best place to work and to grow a business, and I will be
increasing the level of engagement and the range of engagement
right across the business sector as we leave the European Union
and get the best possible deal for businesses and for people.
The Secretary of State did not even say the words “frictionless
trade”, and her reassurances will not give businesses very much
hope, but given that we know the Prime Minister’s views on
business—I think it would be disorderly to quote them in
detail—we cannot expect meaningful reassurances. However, Nissan
was given private reassurances back in July 2017. We were told at
the time that they were too commercially sensitive to publish,
but now we have only 10 days to go and Ministers are answering
questions on them, so will she publish the reassurances given to
Nissan, and if not, why not?
Businesses right across the United Kingdom will benefit from the
new potential free trading deals around the world that we will be
negotiating as we leave the European Union, but at the same time
this Government are committed to getting the best possible free
trading arrangements with our EU friends and neighbours for all
companies—for Nissan and for all companies that currently trade
with the EU.
(Inverness,
Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey) (SNP)
The 10 days till Brexit will be followed by 10 years of trade
chaos, negative growth, lower employment and investment
paralysis. Given that the EU has already stated that the
trumped-up Tory timetable will not allow for a comprehensive
trade deal, will the Secretary of State finally establish a small
and medium-sized enterprise support service to allow Scottish
firms to navigate this mess?
It is a bit like a stuck record, if I can use 1970s terminology.
SNP Members said that we would not get any kind of a deal. They
said that the Prime Minister would not be able to reopen the
withdrawal agreement. They said that we would never get out of
the EU. The fact is that this Prime Minister has been able to
negotiate a good deal with the European Union that works for
businesses and people right across the UK, and we are opening up
new opportunities. Just for once, be a little optimistic!
It is clear from that answer that our Government have no plans to
save Scottish firms from the sinking ship that is Brexit Britain,
but we do have the lifeboat of independence. On Scotland’s right
to choose, does the Secretary of State still believe that it is
wrong to utterly rule it out and disrespectful to do so and is it
still “never say never”, or are those laudable democratic
principles to be sunk with the Brexit ship?
I would just draw the attention of the hon. Gentleman and those
on his Benches to the very recent Deloitte CFO confidence survey,
which demonstrates the biggest ever jump in business confidence,
as a result of the certainty that we now have about the way
ahead. Business certainty is absolutely key, and if he wants to
do something for businesses, he should stop trying to hammer
their confidence and start looking to work with the Government on
the opportunities that lie ahead.
Climate Change
(Redcar) (Con)
3. What progress her Department has made on tackling climate
change. [900276]
(West Worcestershire)
(Con)
12. What progress her Department has made on tackling climate
change. [900286]
The Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth ()
I welcome and congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Redcar
()
on winning his seat—a great result. We have reduced carbon
emissions by more than 40% since 1990, while growing our economy
by more than two thirds. We are currently decarbonising our
economy faster than any other G20 country, and more than half our
electricity now comes from low-carbon sources. We have the
largest offshore wind capacity in the world.
Net Zero Teesside is potentially a world-leading carbon capture,
utilisation and storage project in my constituency. Not only will
it reduce emissions, but it will cut energy costs and help to
secure our long-term industrial future. Will the Minister back
Redcar’s industry and fully support that project?
Absolutely—I would be delighted to back Redcar’s big
opportunities in CCUS. I was there last week when I had an
instructive meeting with various stakeholders and industry
professionals, and there is a huge economic opportunity.
Businesses such as Frank Matthews tree nursery in my constituency
play a vital role in growing the trees that we will need to
combat climate change. How will the Department ensure that the
trees we plant are native, sustainable species?
As my hon. Friend knows, the Government are absolutely behind
such initiatives. We have a well-developed forest nursery sector,
and we encourage the planting of UK-grown trees, as proven by our
£640 million Nature4Climate fund. That builds on our support for
preserving areas of great natural beauty, such as the Malvern
hills in my hon. Friend’s constituency, and we hope to plant an
additional 75,000 acres of trees a year by the end of the next
Parliament.
(Islwyn) (Lab/Co-op)
Small things make a big difference when it comes to climate
change. Waunfawr primary school in my constituency has an
eco-community, and it decided to switch from plastic bottles to
glass bottles to provide its milk. It had lots of problems
finding a dairy that would provide glass bottles, but eventually
it did. How will the Department ensure that fewer single-use
plastics are used by businesses, and by those in local government
and the public sector?
I do not know the detail of what is happening in the hon.
Gentleman’s constituency, but I would like to hear more about it.
We have made strong efforts in this area, and we must trumpet the
fact that we are world leaders in combating climate change. As he
knows, we will be hosting COP26, and I would be happy to take him
offline, as it were, and pursue this conversation further.
(Cheltenham)
(Con)
16. Decarbonising transport will be crucial if we are to meet our
net-zero targets, but the cost of electric vehicles remains high.
What more can be done to ensure that that cost comes down and is
within reach for the majority of people in our country? [900290]
Plenty has been done, and I commend my hon. Friend and welcome
him back to his seat after a hard-fought campaign. He will know
that through the Treasury and the £400 million fund, we are
extending the provision of charging facilities for electric
vehicles—that issue is the single reason that prevents people
from buying EVs. Manufacturers are clear about our intentions and
our 2040 target for the full roll-out of EVs. We are looking to
bring that target forward, and the cost curve is coming down.
(Brent
North) (Lab)
I am genuinely sorry that the Minister did not attend the
International Renewable Energy Agency assembly earlier this
month. Had he done so, he would have learned that solar auctions
are now achieving 1.7 cents per kilowatt hour, which is less than
£14 per megawatt hour. Is it time to consider making a global
green grid alliance an objective of COP26, and seeing whether a
feed-in tariff from the UK could incentivise the development of
an interconnection with Morocco to deliver such low priced
electric power in the UK?
Obviously, I am delighted to see the hon. Gentleman back in his
place. I was more troubled to see that his leadership campaign
was perhaps not launched with the sufficient energy and
enthusiasm he shows so often at the Dispatch Box. On building
alliances, the Government’s position is that we are always open
to building alliances internationally. We are taking leadership
with the COP26 conference. On the climate change agenda, we are
taking coal off the grid. We are always open to building
alliances internationally.
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
22. Will my right hon. Friend agree with the residents of
Woodsetts and Harthill in Rother Valley that the best way his
Department can tackle climate change is to make the moratorium on
fracking permanent? [900296]
Absolutely. I welcome my hon. Friend to his place—another very
successful campaign. On fracking, the moratorium is what it says:
we are stopping it. The only way it can be resumed is by
compelling evidence, which so far is not forthcoming. So the
moratorium stays and fracking, for the time being, is over.
Support for Small Businesses
(Ealing Central and Acton)
(Lab)
4. What steps the Government are taking to support small
businesses. [900277]
(Gedling) (Con)
15. What recent steps her Department has taken to support small
businesses. [900289]
(South Ribble) (Con)
21. What recent steps her Department has taken to support small
businesses. [900295]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy ()
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and the British
Business Bank is supporting over £7 billion of finance to over
91,000 small and medium-size enterprises. Through our business
productivity review, published in November, we set out the steps
we are taking to boost small business productivity, including:
funding a small business leadership programme, strengthening
local networks and expanding the knowledge transfer partnership
programme.
Dr Huq
I thank the Minister for her response. I was at a local business
breakfast last week. Alongside the predictable issues of late
payment, Brexit-readiness and parking, which I would have
expected, I was surprised to hear naturally Conservative people
lambasting the Government for refocusing priorities northward
post-election, which they see as quite shameless and political.
How can the Minister ensure that the good idea of regional
rebalancing does not end up clobbering small firms and sole
traders in Ealing, Acton and Chiswick? The streets are not paved
with gold there and they already feel under the cosh.
I can reassure the hon. Lady that the Government completely back
business, whether in the north or the south. We want businesses
to grow wherever they are in the UK. That is highlighted by the
fact that in her constituency alone there have been 193 start-up
loans, representing £1.6 million. It is clear that the Government
are willing to support entrepreneurs and all business owners who
want to grow, wherever they are.
On Saturday, I was out on Mapperley Top in my constituency
speaking to small business owners and shopkeepers. One of the
issues they raised was access to finance. What support is being
given to help small businesses like those in Mapperley get access
to finance?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and welcome him to his
place. I am really pleased that, so quickly into being an MP, he
is out talking to as many businesses as he can. Clearly, access
to finance is a key priority for many businesses. I have already
outlined the applications to start-up loans. One interesting
element is that applicants for start-up loans are able to have a
mentor. He will also know that we have taken action by offering
small retailers a third off business rates for two years,
starting in April. We are committed to increasing that to 50%.
Leyland has an above-average five-year success rate for small
businesses, and a diverse and growing business base. What is the
Minister doing to help and support smaller businesses to start to
trade with the world and to identify export opportunities?
I thank my hon. Friend for her question and welcome her to her
place. I know she has a particular interest in this area, with
her experience before coming to the House. The Government are
committed to helping small businesses become exporters. Over
580,000 trade internationally already. The Department for
International Trade supports that via a range of projects. We
want all SMEs who are able to, to take that plunge. My Department
will continue to work across Government and with SMEs to identify
barriers to ensure we can address them and make it easier for all
SMEs to trade internationally.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale)
(LD)
Small businesses are the backbone of the Cumbria tourism economy.
They are appalled, as am I, by the Government’s plan to make sure
that there is a £30,000 salary floor for any overseas worker
coming to work in the tourism economies of the Lake district or
the Yorkshire dales. Does the Minister understand how much damage
that will do to an economy in which 20,000 non-UK staff are
working now? Will she meet me and people from the hospitality
industry to make sure that we have a salary floor that does not
cripple Cumbria’s tourism economy?
The hon. Gentleman knows that the tourism economy is particularly
important for the UK. While I am happy to meet him, we hear
representations from the sector regularly. Despite the earlier
comment to the Secretary of State about a reduction in our
engagement with businesses, we are actually stepping that up. He
will know that we will bring forward plans on immigration and the
floor that he mentioned, but I am more than happy to hear his
particular point.
(South
Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)
One thing that all businesses—large and small—depend on is having
a skilled workforce. What is the Department doing to improve
skills overall, and particularly engineering skills, on which
more and more companies are now dependent?
I welcome my hon. Friend back to the Chamber and thank him for
his interest in this area. He knows that, as we leave the
European Union, we want to ensure that we have a good
distribution of engineering skills—not just in the south-east,
but across the country—and help people to increase their skills.
I am a great lover of apprenticeships, of what some small
businesses are doing with apprenticeships, and especially of our
degree-led apprenticeships involving organisations such as BAE
Systems—which, I should say, operates in my constituency.
Photonics SMEs
(Glasgow
North West) (SNP)
5. What steps she is taking to support the development of
photonics SMEs. [900278]
The Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation
()
We are working with the Photonics Leadership Group to support the
success of the UK photonics industry. The Government have
invested £81 million in the establishment of a new national
extreme photonics application centre. The Fraunhofer Centre for
Applied Photonics is involved in 17 Innovate UK-funded products.
In addition, UK Research and Innovation has invested £7.2 million
in partnerships with St Andrews and Strathclyde Universities,
working on fundamental biophotonics research programmes.
The Minister has rightly detailed some of the great expertise
that exists in photonics and quantum across the UK, and
particularly across the central belt of Scotland. When these SMEs
are looking to expand, they often attract foreign investment from
countries such as China, so what oversight is there of the
potential technological transfer, in terms of both our expertise
and threats to our security? What work are the Government doing
with the Treasury to ensure that the expansion of such SMEs can
be funded from UK sources?
I thank the hon. Lady for her work as the chair of the all-party
group on photonics. She is absolutely right: the central belt
across Scotland—centred on Glasgow, in particular, and the new
Clyde waterfront innovation district—is absolutely critical for
our national success in photonics. As part of our national
quantum technologies programme, which the Secretary of State
alluded to, some £50 million will be invested in a hub for
quantum imaging at Glasgow University by 2024. On business
involvement, I am determined, as the Science and Innovation
Minister, that we not only look at how we protect future
intellectual property in this area and attract foreign investment
through our international research and innovation strategy but,
at the same time, look at new forms of protection through our
innovation and regulation White Paper.
Small-scale Modular Nuclear Reactors
(Harrow East)
(Con)
7. What steps the Government are taking to support the provision
of small-scale modular nuclear reactors. [900280]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy ()
It is delightful to see you in your place, Mr Speaker; this is
the first opportunity I have had to congratulate you.
Small modular reactors have significant potential to reduce our
carbon emissions, and help to achieve net zero by using advanced
manufacturing techniques to unlock what is referred to as “fleet
economics” and drive down costs in nuclear.
It is clearly very good news that Rolls-Royce, a world-renowned
company, has taken up the challenge of developing small modular
nuclear reactors for clean energy not only for the UK, but for
export across the world. What assessment has my hon. Friend made
of the opportunity for new jobs in the UK and for exports across
the world?
The Rolls-Royce consortium has proposed a significant
public-private joint innovation programme worth more than £500
million to design a first-of-its-kind SMR. The consortium expects
a working model to be up and running in the early 2030s, that the
SMR programme would create high-value export opportunities and,
at its peak, 40,000 jobs, and that each SMR would be capable of
producing enough clean electricity to power 750,000 homes.
(West Dunbartonshire) (SNP)
In the last Parliament, the Defence Committee and Science and
Technology Committee received evidence clearly indicating that
there are threats from unmanned aerial vehicles in relation to
nuclear reactors. If the Minister supports these small-scale
nuclear reactors, will he advise the House on what discussions
his Department is having with the Ministry of Defence about their
impact on the security of national infrastructure?
I am grateful for the hon. Member’s pertinent question. He is
absolutely right; we do have discussions with the Ministry of
Defence. The Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth and I
are visiting Hinkley Point tomorrow, but the hon. Member raises
an important issue that the nuclear constabulary is taking very
seriously.
Clean Growth: New Jobs
(Rugby) (Con)
8. What steps she is taking to help deliver new jobs in clean
growth. [900282]
The Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth ()
My hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that we are determined to
seize the economic opportunities of the net zero transition. We
hope to create 2 million green jobs across the UK by 2030. He
will also know that just last week the Office for National
Statistics announced that, under this Government, 466,000 people
in this country are employed in low-carbon businesses and their
supply chains.
The electrification of vehicles is an important area of clean
growth, and the London Electric Vehicle Company, which is based
in my constituency, is manufacturing the new electric taxi. It
has created 500 new jobs, with 3,000 taxis now on London roads.
The Prime Minister visited very recently and managed to drive one
of the taxis without knocking down a wall. Does the Minister
agree that if we are to make the switch to electric affordable
for taxi drivers, thereby making a major contribution to reducing
CO2 emissions and improving air quality, the current plug-in taxi
grant is a vital incentive?
I agree with my hon. Friend. I am delighted to hear that my right
hon. Friend the Prime Minister drove the car without any incident
or untoward events happening. The fact that more than 3,000 of
LEVC’s Coventry-made electric taxis are in London is a fantastic
milestone. I also agree that the Government’s plug-in taxi grant
is vital to the uptake and roll-out of these vehicles.
(Newport
East) (Lab)
Wind turbines, electrifying our railways and electric vehicles
all need steel. What are the Government doing to help our steel
industry at this challenging time?
The hon. Lady will be pleased to hear that we have a strategy,
and she is right. Decarbonising industry in general is vital, but
we remain committed to UK steel and steel production in this
country, and that is something the Department is very concerned
with.
(Bexleyheath and
Crayford) (Con)
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s comments on this important
issue. Does he agree that this country has an amazing potential
to continue to grow our economy dramatically by supporting new
green industries?
My right hon. Friend is right. As I have mentioned before at the
Dispatch Box, it is remarkable that we have managed to reduce our
carbon emissions by 40% in the past 30 years while growing our
economy by two thirds. That is living proof of the remarkable
fact that that we can decarbonise, grow and promote economic
expansion at the same time. This is something in which we in this
country are world leaders.
(Southampton, Test) (Lab)
I am sure that the Minister agrees that there is a wealth of
skills and transferrable jobs in existing energy industries that
may well be supplanted by low-carbon energy industries in the not
too distant future. What steps is he taking to capture those
skills and transfer those jobs to low-carbon industries in the
future?
The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that we have sector
deals handling exactly that problem, for example in the oil and
gas sector. We are making a successful transition from old
industries to the new low-carbon-emitting, greener industries of
the future. Offshore wind, of which there are a number of
examples—I believe that there is a supply chain near the hon.
Gentleman’s constituency—is a great success: we have 35% of
global capacity. That is part of the transformation of the
economy that we are talking about.
Space Industry
(Wyre Forest)
(Con)
9. What steps she is taking to support the space industry in the
UK. [900283]
The Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation
()
The UK space sector employs 42,000 highly skilled people,
generating more than £300 billion for the wider economy. We
recently committed ourselves to investing £374 million a year—a
record 15% increase—with the European Space Agency over the next
five years, and our national space council and space strategy
will help us to lead the way in the evolution of this
high-technology sector.
Following the welcome announcements in the Queen’s Speech about
investment in the UK space sector, will my hon. Friend tell us
the status of funding for innovation in the sector and of plans
for the proposed UK space strategy?
I thank my hon. Friend for his work as vice-chairman of a newly
formed all-party parliamentary group, the parliamentary space
committee. I know that he plans to fly to the United States next
month to attend the launch of the European Space Agency’s solar
orbiter, which was built in Stevenage. It is a fantastic piece of
UK science engineering and was funded by the Government to the
tune of £216 million.
I understand that the space industry has proposed a space
innovation fund, and I am interested in working with the industry
on that. The national space council will consider how we can
build on existing commitments through a comprehensive UK space
strategy, which will help to create thousands of jobs across the
country.
(Strangford)
(DUP)
It is good to hear what the Minister says about the space sector,
but may I ask him specifically how all the regions of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will benefit from
that potential, and, in particular, how Northern Ireland will
benefit?
Last year, during a fantastic trip to the Belfast region, I had
an opportunity to meet representatives of Thales Alenia Space,
which is working on some of the capsules that encase satellite
technology. The hon. Gentleman was absolutely right to ask that
question. Our national space strategy constitutes a one nation
approach that will involve every part of the UK, from a
horizontal launch site down in Newquay in Cornwall to a vertical
launch site up in Sutherland in Scotland—we are also thinking
about establishing a spaceport in Wales. Every part of the UK
will be involved in space, and rightly so.
(Tunbridge Wells) (Con)
We have a growing share of one of the fastest-growing markets in
the world—the market for satellites—but no country in Europe has
the ability to launch satellites into space, and there is a race
to be the first to do so. Will my hon. Friend update the House on
when we expect the Sutherland site to be ready for the launch of
the first UK satellite?
I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend for his hard work on space
when he was Business Secretary. He was responsible for working on
the Satellite Applications Catapult increase, and for the £99
million satellite testing facility at Harwell, which will mean
that satellites can be tested here rather than our having to go
abroad. He also set out our mission to be the first country in
Europe to have both horizontal and vertical launch. As for
Sutherland, I am working closely with the highlands and islands
authorities to ensure that we can achieve our vertical launch,
and that we work with Lockheed and other partners to do so as
soon as possible.
National Living Wage
(Kingston upon Hull West
and Hessle) (Lab)
10. What recent assessment she has made of the level of
compliance of businesses with payment of the national living
wage. [900284]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy ()
The vast majority of jobs that are eligible to receive the
national living wage are in compliance with the law, with only
1.5% of eligible jobs paid below in April 2019. Anyone entitled
to be paid the national minimum wage should receive it. Last
year, we ordered employers to pay a record £24.4 million in
arrears and issued £17 million in penalties to non-compliant
employers.
I thank the Minister for her answer but, as she is aware, the
enforcement system is not working effectively at the moment, and
hundreds of well-known companies are still getting away with not
paying their workers the national living wage. I welcome the
steps that the Government have already taken, but I hope that the
Minister will respond by setting out additional actions that the
Government will take to ensure that nobody gets away with paying
their workers less than they are owed.
I want to make it clear to the hon. Lady that this Government
will enforce the national minimum wage and make sure that
employers that are meant to be paying it do so. I think that is
shown by the penalties and arrears that were recovered last year.
We have doubled the enforcement budget. I remain committed to
making sure that employers are able to easily comply with the
law, but where there is any sign of breach, we are enforcing and
making sure that people get the pay they are entitled to.
(North West
Leicestershire) (Con)
Will the Minister agree to meet me to discuss the situation in
Leicester, where I believe that approximately 10,000 people in
the clothing industry are being paid £3 to £4 an hour in
conditions of modern slavery?
I thank my hon. Friend for raising the subject; yes, I would be
very happy to meet him. The sector has been the subject of focus.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, which is responsible for
enforcing the national living wage, and cross-border agencies
have been doing extensive work, but any details that my hon.
Friend may supply would be helpful.
(Leeds West)
(Lab)
18. We hear warm words from the Minister, but the truth is that
in the last 10 years, just nine firms have been prosecuted and
fined for non-payment of the minimum wage. When those fines are
levied, they are at only half the level that they could be. Why
is that the case if this is such an important area for the
Government? [900292]
I note the hon. Lady’s interest in this area, but I would just
correct her: there have actually been 14 prosecutions for
non-payment of the national minimum wage. I would also make it
clear to the House that there are ways other than just bringing
prosecutions to ensure that employers pay. Ultimately, we should
focus on ensuring that businesses understand their obligations to
their employees, that they pay the minimum wage, and that when
they do not, we enforce correctly. I am determined to make sure
that that continues to happen.
(Preseli Pembrokeshire)
(Con)
Pembrokeshire is one of those parts of the country where the
substantial increases to the minimum wage have had a
transformative impact on people with low incomes. Will the
Minister join me in saluting the great many small businesses and
microbusinesses across the county of Pembrokeshire that choose to
do the right thing, because they support the aim of the policy,
by implementing and enforcing the minimum wage?
Absolutely. I thank my right hon. Friend for his comments and I
very much recognise the role of the SME market in ensuring that
some of the lowest paid workers get the minimum wage, and in
happily sometimes paying higher than that. As the small business
Minister, my priority is to ensure not only that we enforce the
national minimum wage, but that we create the right environment
in which SMEs can thrive so that they continue to meet pay
requirements.
(York
Central) (Lab/Co-op)
It is simply not good enough: a decade—a decade, Mr Speaker—of
workers being exploited under this Government’s watch. So why has
the Minister let the 87% of firms that break the law and fail to
pay the minimum wage get away with it? What is she going to do
about it and by when? One thing is clear: we, the Labour party,
are the only party that will ever stand up for working people.
I would thank the hon. Lady for her comments, but I wonder
whether she is living in a land of fiction. It is the
Conservative party that is standing up for workers. It is this
party that has given the largest increase in the national minimum
wage, rising to £8.72—an increase of 6.2%. As I have already
outlined, our enforcement has doubled. We remain committed to
enforcement, and it is a complete misrepresentation to say that
in the past 10 years this Government have not enforced the
national minimum wage. We remain committed to doing so, and for
all the time that I am responsible, we will continue to do so.
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk: Business Support
(Berwickshire, Roxburgh
and Selkirk) (Con)
11. What recent steps she has taken to support businesses in
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency. [900285]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy ()
The Government are committed to spreading prosperity to all parts
of the United Kingdom. We are investing £565 million through the
borderlands growth deal and the Edinburgh and south-east Scotland
city region deal, demonstrating our commitment to supporting
growth and prosperity in the Scottish borders.
The Minister will know about the borders’ fine, famous tradition
of producing Scottish textiles, but this industry is being
hammered by the US-EU trade war, whereby many businesses face a
25% tariff on their exports to the United States. What are the
Government doing to support those businesses and, in particular,
compensate them for these tariff charges?
Scottish textiles are, as my hon. Friend rightly points out, an
important part of the Scottish economy, our overall economy and
our heritage. We will do everything we can to protect this
micro-economy. The Government are working closely with the EU and
the United States to support a negotiated settlement to the
Airbus-Boeing dispute, and the Secretary of State continues to
raise this personally with the United States Administration and
is meeting the Trade Secretary later today.
Topical Questions
Mr Speaker
Question 1, . Not here.
(Ealing Central and Acton)
(Lab)
T2. They have a combined annual turnover of £60 million and there
are 100,000 of them, but this Government seem to have a bit of a
blind spot when it comes to social enterprises. When will that
change? Will they start by redirecting all questions on social
enterprise away from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media
and Sport, where they seem to have been shunted, and into the
heart of this Department? They would then send a powerful message
that profit-making can be socially responsible. [900299]
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy ()
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will first talk about my
departmental priorities.
As we enter an exciting new decade, we are building a stronger,
greener United Kingdom. To achieve that, my Department is
focusing on three priorities. First, we are leading the world on
tackling climate change, not just because it is the right thing
to do but because it will create millions of new jobs and skills
right across the UK. Secondly, we are solving the grand
challenges facing our society—from life sciences to space,
artificial intelligence and robotics—and improving lives across
the world. Thirdly, we are quite simply making the UK the best
place in the world to work and to grow a business.
Social enterprises are a thriving part of the UK’s economy. When
I was a Back-Bench MP, and before I went into politics, I was
closely involved in setting up and running a number of charities.
She is absolutely right that we need to continue focusing on them
as a key part of the economy.
I am always happy to hear lobbying from colleagues on both sides
of the House about machinery of government changes, and perhaps
we can meet another time to talk about that.
(Basingstoke)
(Con)
T4. Employers like the Sovereign Housing Association and our
community furniture project are giving young people with learning
disabilities in Basingstoke the opportunity to get work
experience through the Government-supported internship programme
run by the Basingstoke College of Technology in my constituency.
Will my right hon. Friend join me in encouraging even more
employers to come forward, not only in Basingstoke but across the
country, to help more disabled people with learning disabilities
to reach their potential at work? [900301]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy ()
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this. The Government encourage
businesses to be a force for good in our society. I warmly
welcome the commitment from firms in her constituency to offer
placements that connect these young people with the world of
work, helping to identify their future roles.
(Kingston
upon Hull North) (Lab)
T3. Does the Secretary of State agree that local enterprise
partnerships should be led by the business community in the area
they serve? [900300]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy ()
Yes, she does.
(South
Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)
T5. Will my right hon. Friend update the House on what plans the
Government have to secure the number of scientists, researchers
and engineers we will require to reach the 2.4% GDP spend on
research and development? [900302]
The Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation
()
I start by thanking my hon. Friend for all the hard work he is
putting in as the Government’s envoy for the “Engineering: Take a
Closer Look” campaign, which is encouraging young people to
consider science, technology, engineering and maths as a future
career.
Our new fast-track immigration scheme, including a global talent
visa and the removal of the cap on tier 1 visas, will enable a
wider pool of scientific and research talent to come to the
United Kingdom. We are also investing in the number of
researchers we need for the future, including £170 million for
bioscience doctoral students and £100 million for artificial
intelligence doctoral training centres.
(Oxford East) (Lab/Co-op)
T7. Community energy is crucial in the transition to a local,
smart, zero-carbon energy system. Will the responsible Minister
meet me and sector representatives to map out a way forward that
enables community energy to play that crucial part? [900304]
The Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth ()
I would be delighted to meet the hon. Lady to discuss these
crucial matters. She is right to raise this question, and we
should be having a cross-party dialogue to pursue this agenda.
(North Cornwall) (Con)
T6. As many of the big banks withdraw their support for rural
areas, the post office network is becoming increasingly relevant
to communities such as mine. I know the Minister cares
passionately about the rural post office network, so will she do
all she can to ensure that it is supported in constituencies?
[900303]
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The Government recognise
the importance of postal offices in rural communities, both
throughout the UK and in his constituency. There are more than
11,600 post offices nationwide. Access to branches exceeds the
national standard that the Government set, with 99% of rural
populations living within 3 miles of a post office. The Post
Office is currently delivering further investment in rural
branches, through the community branch development scheme, to
underpin the long-term viability of our post offices, and I am
keen to work with it to continue to support that.
(East
Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow) (SNP)
T9. [900306] As chair of the all-party group on disability, I
have become increasingly concerned that entrepreneurs with
disabilities are facing additional challenges in starting
businesses, such as on access to business loans. Will the
Minister meet our group and ensure that we have a truly inclusive
economy? [R]
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. I note her interest, her
role and the work she has done on this issue, and I will be more
than happy to meet her. It is important that everyone in the
United Kingdom, no matter who they are, is able to access support
from government. We want all entrepreneurs to thrive and I will
be happy to work with her to be able to achieve that.
(North East
Bedfordshire) (Con)
T8. Will the Government consider introducing a small business
equivalent of the personal allowance, exempting small businesses
from all taxes other than VAT and assisting small businesses such
as Maynard’s ice cream in my constituency in meeting the
challenge of increases in the living wage? [900305]
I thank my hon .Friend for his question and very much welcome him
back to this place, as an extremely valued member of the Select
Committee on Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on which
he served with me—I am pleased to have him back. He raises an
interesting idea. The UK has a highly competitive tax
environment, and we need to do more to support our small
businesses with the cost of doing business. That is why the
Government have committed to launching a fundamental review of
business rates, and Treasury colleagues will be giving more
details on that in due course.
(Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough) (Lab)
Sub-postmasters across the country offer valuable services to
many of our communities. The case they brought against the Post
Office has now concluded and the courts have found that the Post
Office was at fault for its aggressive prosecutions of
sub-postmasters for errors in the Horizon IT system. These
prosecutions saw some sub-postmasters unlawfully jailed, and many
losing their homes, livelihoods and reputations. What support are
the Government giving to those affected? What has been done to
ensure that a scandal such as this is never allowed to happen
again? Will the Government launch a full inquiry into the
circumstances that led to this tragedy, and a full review of the
governance and management of the Post Office—the judge was highly
critical of that—and of the impact this will have on the post
office network?
The hon. Lady is correct; on 11 December, Post Office Ltd reached
a settlement in the group litigation claim brought by 555
postmasters or former postmasters. This has culminated in a
successful mediation, and a settlement of £57.7 million was
reached, funded by the Post Office. The Government welcome the
agreement by the parties to settle this long-running litigation.
It is true to say that many have suffered through litigation, and
Post Office Ltd has apologised for that. One key point is that
this mediation occurred under the new chief executive officer,
who is making sure that the recommendations made by the judge,
and culture change and changes within the Post Office, happen.
(Stoke-on-Trent South) (Con)
Ceramic Valley enterprise zone has transformed a number of
brownfield sites and created thousands of jobs in Stoke-on-Trent.
Will my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State support our
proposals to extend the zone, and its continuation in
Stoke-on-Trent?
Since it launched in April 2016, Ceramic Valley enterprise zone
has been a fantastic success: it has attracted private sector
investment and has already secured 1,000 new jobs in Stoke. The
Government are prioritising levelling up, as the Prime Minister
continuously reminds us. We will want to reflect on those things,
such as Ceramic Valley enterprise zone, that have worked and see
how we can support them further.
(Cardiff
West) (Lab)
One interesting statistic in the figures released today by the
Office for National Statistics figures is that for the first time
more than 5 million people in the UK are self-employed. Will the
Minister responsible for small business undertake urgently to
push forward the work she has been doing on shared parental leave
for freelancers and the self-employed? That will be particularly
helpful to women in the workforce.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for highlighting the self-employment
market. We committed in our manifesto not only to look at
self-employment but to make sure that the UK is the best place to
work, and we will make sure that that includes flexibility. He
will know that we are bringing forward an employment Bill. We are
determined to make the UK the best place to work, and that
includes shared parental leave and working with families to make
it easier for women to get back into work.
(Newcastle-under-Lyme)
(Con)
As the new Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme, I am
supporting the town centre by opening a shop there. I welcome
what the Minister said about business rates, but will she also
look into the taper on small business rates relief? If someone
has a property worth £12,000, they pay no business rates, but if
it is valued at £15,000 they pay £7,500 a year, which has made it
difficult for the council to let units at the top end of that
scale. Will the Department look into the issue?
There will be a fundamental review of business rates, which many
retailers will welcome. It will be a wide review and I am sure
the issue my hon. Friend highlights will be looked into. I should
highlight that we have managed to take a number of small
retailers—I believe it is more than 685,000—out of paying any
rates at all.
(East
Antrim) (DUP)
This week, thousands of climate hypocrites will zoom into Davos
in hundreds of private jets to lecture the world about stopping
the consumption of fossil fuels, oblivious to their own
hypocritical behaviour. Will the Secretary of State assure us
that she will not heed any of the calls for policies that would
cost jobs in our energy-intensive industries, add costs to the
fuel prices of the millions in fuel poverty, or add green burdens
to consumers, farmers and motorists?
The right hon. Gentleman makes a vital point. It is not enough
that we just look at our own behaviour here in the United
Kingdom, where we are determined to meet our net-zero ambitions;
we should also do all we can to lead the world in tackling the
climate emergency. In our plans in the run-up to COP26, we have
set out some really ambitious ideas for how we can not only work
at home to decarbonise but help the rest of the world in their
efforts to solve their own problems and behave better in the way
they travel.
(Harlow)
(Con)
Hard-working Harlow binmen and women have been harassed and
bullied in a pretty shocking way by Veolia management over many
months. Will my hon. Friend launch an inquiry into what has been
going on and ensure that guidance is given to local councils
throughout the country to stop any new contracts with Veolia
until it stops bullying and harassing its workforce?
I thank my right hon. Friend for his question. I am happy to meet
him to hear more details on that matter.
(Croydon Central)
(Lab)
Westfield is set to open a fabulous new shopping centre in
Croydon, but the French owner of Westfield, Unibail-Rodamco, is
worried about business rates, the state of retail and the impact
of Brexit. Will the Secretary of State please meet
representatives of Westfield and Unibail-Rodamco to talk about
some of those concerns?
Yes, I am happy to do so.
(South Cambridgeshire)
(Con)
My constituency of South Cambridgeshire is no less than the life
sciences capital of the world. We have the global headquarters of
AstraZeneca, 20,000 people working in the biomedical campus
around Addenbrooke’s Hospital and dozens of industrial parks and
small businesses developing new therapies, helping people to live
longer and healthier. Many of those companies are dependent on
research grants, some of which come from the EU. Will my hon.
Friend tell me what work the Government are doing to ensure that
South Cambridge remains the biomedical and life sciences capital
of the world, and that companies have continuity of funding once
we leave the EU?
I welcome my hon. Friend to his place. He represents an area that
is the life sciences crucible of Europe and, as science Minister,
I am determined to ensure that that continues. I will meet the
vice-chancellor, Stephen Toope, shortly to talk about Cambridge’s
own plans for investment for the future.
On European investment, I want to make it perfectly clear to the
House that when it comes to Horizon 2020, including European
Research Council grants and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, the
withdrawal agreement ensures that we can continue within that
framework. When it comes to looking at Horizon Europe, its
successor scheme, we want to explore an association that is as
full as possible. We may be leaving the EU, but we will not be
leaving our European research partnerships.
