Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding to which industries in the North East the Government plans to provide (a) over the next three years; and if he will estimate how many jobs will be created by that finding.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Industrial Strategy is a critical part of the Government’s ambition to build an economy that works for everyone. Government funding for business support across England is awarded to local areas via Growth Deals agreed with Local Enterprise Partnerships.
The Growth Deal agreed with the North East’s Local Enterprise Partnership will see nearly £330m invested in the North East economy between 2016 and 2021. This investment in innovation, skills, business support, transport, and economic assets will drive economic growth in the North East. Over the lifetime of the Deal the Local Enterprise Partnership estimates that up to 5,000 new jobs could be created and up to £130m additional public and private investment.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how he plans to support industries located in the North East that receive funding in the event of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Margot James
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring regions and organisations have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the European Union. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in October that funding for European Structural and Investment Fund projects signed before or after the Autumn Statement, and which continue after we have left the EU, will be honoured by the Treasury if they provide strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.
Leaving the EU means we will be able to take our own decisions about how we deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding. Over the coming months we will consult closely with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes, thereby ensuring that all funding commitments serve the UK’s national interest.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people are classified as fuel poor in (a) Wansbeck constituency, (b) North East England and (c) the UK.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The number of households classed as fuel poor in 2014 in (a) Wansbeck constituency, (b) North East England and (c) England can be found in the following table. We do not publish the number of households classed as fuel poor in the UK.
| Number of households classed as fuel poor |
Wansbeck constituency | 4,259 |
North East England | 139,490 |
England | 2,379,357 |
The fuel poverty sub-regional statistics can be found here.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much he plans to financially invest in the steel industry in the UK in the next three years; and what plans he has to support steel workers.
Answered by Nick Hurd
We continue to work closely with all UK steel producers together with wider stakeholders, including with Trade Unions, fabricators and stockists, to explore actions industry and government can take to further support the UK steel sector. I have challenged the sector to produce a clear vision for UK steel in the context of our industrial strategy, as the best future for steel workers will be one based on sustainable long term investment by the steel companies.
The Department is fully assisting the sector with the development of its vision and we have commissioned research into future market opportunities for UK Steel and the capabilities it will need to capitalise on these. The research project is overseen by a joint project of my officials and sector representatives.
The Government has so far provided £126m to UK steel firms in compensation for energy costs. It has also taken action to prevent steel dumping within the EU. There are now over 40 trade defence instruments which will protect steel producers from unfair trade practices.
Furthermore on December 13, we published details of upcoming steel requirements for infrastructure projects, with data on government plans to use three million tonnes of steel to 2020. Together with our revised public procurement guidance, this will give the UK steel sector the confidence and certainty to invest for the future.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people are registered as using a pre-payment meter to access their electricity and other utilities in (a) Wansbeck constituency, (b) the North East and (c) nationally.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy collects data, including customers’ tariff information, from the energy companies as part of the domestic fuels inquiry This data is collected by region and not by constituency.
In the second quarter of 2016, 14 % of domestic standard electricity customers and 15% of domestic gas customers in the North East paid for their energy by pre-payment meter. By comparison 15% of domestic standard electricity customers and 14% of domestic gas customers in England and Wales combined paid for their energy by pre-payment meter. This data is published within our Quarterly Energy Prices publication and can be found in Tables 2.4.2 and 2.5.2 which is available here: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/quarterly-domestic-energy-price-statics
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans the Government has in place to protect the UK from widespread electricity failure.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
DECC works collaboratively with industry and other government partners to develop contingency plans to a range of risks that can impact the electricity sector. These plans are set out in the National Emergency Plan – Downstream Gas and Electricity, available at:
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many officials of her Department are working on contingency plans for widespread electricity failure.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
There are seven officials who work on contingency and risk planning for widespread disruptions to energy supply, including electricity supply, for example due to flooding, pandemic flu, malicious threats such as terrorism, and severe weather.