Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the presence and scope of existing commercial assets when considering new public funding for research and development and innovation.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
All potential major capital projects are assessed against the additional value they add, including an evaluation of whether the research or innovation activity is already being undertaken elsewhere. The majority of decisions about which research investments to undertake are taken directly by Research Councils, based on rigorous criteria including peer review.
In respect of the establishment of Innovate UK’s 11 Catapult Centres, all candidate areas have undergone a robust evaluation by Innovate UK’s Senior Innovation Leads who have relevant domain expertise. In addition, facilitated workshops, with leading figures in the relevant industries - including business, academic and representatives from the public sector, are held to ascertain whether Innovate UK’s analysis of the market opportunities in this area is correct. Each candidate area is evaluated according to an agreed process to assess the size of the global market opportunity and the demand for a Catapult to help business build on their capabilities to commercialise innovation and realise this potential in the UK.
In setting up new Catapult centres Innovate UK take into account the option of working within or alongside existing physical centres in the UK either to avoid duplication or to achieve quicker delivery.
At a local level, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are responsible for identifying, assessing and approving Local Growth Funded projects. They do this in accordance with their strategic economic objectives and Local Assurance Frameworks which have to comply with the LEP National Assurance Framework. The National Assurance Framework covers value for money and states that methodology should be proportionate to the funding allocated and in line with established Government guidance including the HM Treasury Green Book.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what checks his Department and its agencies undertake to ensure public funding for new innovation facilities does not result in a duplication of existing commercial assets.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
All potential major capital projects are assessed against the additional value they add, including an evaluation of whether the research or innovation activity is already being undertaken elsewhere. The majority of decisions about which research investments to undertake are taken directly by Research Councils, based on rigorous criteria including peer review.
In respect of the establishment of Innovate UK’s 11 Catapult Centres, all candidate areas have undergone a robust evaluation by Innovate UK’s Senior Innovation Leads who have relevant domain expertise. In addition, facilitated workshops, with leading figures in the relevant industries - including business, academic and representatives from the public sector, are held to ascertain whether Innovate UK’s analysis of the market opportunities in this area is correct. Each candidate area is evaluated according to an agreed process to assess the size of the global market opportunity and the demand for a Catapult to help business build on their capabilities to commercialise innovation and realise this potential in the UK.
In setting up new Catapult centres Innovate UK take into account the option of working within or alongside existing physical centres in the UK either to avoid duplication or to achieve quicker delivery.
At a local level, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are responsible for identifying, assessing and approving Local Growth Funded projects. They do this in accordance with their strategic economic objectives and Local Assurance Frameworks which have to comply with the LEP National Assurance Framework. The National Assurance Framework covers value for money and states that methodology should be proportionate to the funding allocated and in line with established Government guidance including the HM Treasury Green Book.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to negotiate a financial settlement with those banks in Thailand which have a controlling interest in the former SSI UK site to ensure redevelopment in a timely manner for the benefit of the local community.
Answered by Nick Hurd
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State and I are committed to the future of the Redcar area following the closure of the SSI steelworks. I am pleased that we have recently had the opportunity to discuss this in depth with the hon Member for Redcar and the leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, Sue Jeffrey.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the official receiver on the future of the former SSI UK site in Redcar since July 2016.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is in regular contact with the Official Receiver regarding the continuing safety and security of the former SSI UK site, and are providing regular updates to My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State and other Ministers.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that unspent financial resources from the Redcar Taskforce are spent in the local community.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government has provided £50 million to the Redcar Task Force to support individuals directly affected by the SSI liquidation and to boost economic development across Tees Valley. £43 million of that funding has already been approved, with more than £30 million paid out to accountable local authorities and colleges. Task Force members continue to work closely with officials in the Department in delivering the remainder of the support package.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's responsibilities are on developing and implementing an industrial strategy.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Responsibility for developing and implementing an industrial strategy clearly sits within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We will be working closely across Government and with a range of organisations – including regional representatives, businesses, trade and research bodies, universities, and trade unions - to deliver this, to help ensure that the economy grows strongly in all parts of the country, and to support the UK’s global competitiveness.
We will be engaging with all sectors, including the steel industry through the Steel Council, to understand issues common to multiple sectors, and where Government needs to focus its effort to support UK businesses.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's policy is on including the steel industry in its industrial strategy.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Responsibility for developing and implementing an industrial strategy clearly sits within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We will be working closely across Government and with a range of organisations – including regional representatives, businesses, trade and research bodies, universities, and trade unions - to deliver this, to help ensure that the economy grows strongly in all parts of the country, and to support the UK’s global competitiveness.
We will be engaging with all sectors, including the steel industry through the Steel Council, to understand issues common to multiple sectors, and where Government needs to focus its effort to support UK businesses.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which official engagements he has undertaken in Redcar since May 2015.
Answered by Margot James
My Rt hon Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid) visited Redcar on 2 October 2015 following the announcement of the liquidation of Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK (SSI).
The then Secretary of State announced a support package worth up to £80 million for former employees affected by the closure. He was accompanied by the then Minister for Small Businesses, Industry and Enterprise, Anna Soubry.
The Minister for Small Businesses, Industry and Enterprise then attended the Redcar taskforce on 21 March 2016.
In his previous role as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my Rt hon Friend met the Mayor and Leaders of the five Tees Valley authorities on the following dates: 15 July 2015 (a joint meeting with James Wharton), 23 March 2016, 7 June 2016 (to launch Lord Heseltine’s report Tees Valley: opportunity unlimited) and 12 July 2016. These were regular catch-up meetings, which took place in Westminster.
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much electricity has been generated by Teesside Wind Farm in each year since it opened.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Teesside Offshore Wind farm has generated the following amounts of electricity in each year since it opened;
2013 (July to December): | 79,405 MWh |
2014 | 121,808 MWh |
2015 | 210,057 MWh |
2016 (January to March) | 57,729 MWh |
This information is publically available on the Ofgem website at:
Asked by: Anna Turley (Labour (Co-op) - Redcar)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the performance of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The uptake and implementation of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund (GDHIF) has been assessed as part of the wider Green Deal evaluation programme. This information can be found via the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/green-deal-and-eco-evaluation
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/green-deal-assessments-research
By the end of February 2016, 35,330 GDHIF vouchers had been paid, following the installation of 41,263 measures. Around three quarters of the measures installed were solid wall insulation (74 per cent of measures installed). These and other latest statistics which include those relating to GDHIF are to be found via this link: