Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 effect of plans to leave Euratom on UK nuclear capacity, research and business plans.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Withdrawal from the Euratom Treaty will not diminish the UK’s nuclear ambitions for its new build nuclear programme, and the Government remains committed to delivering a world leading nuclear programme in close collaboration with international counterparts. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has had detailed discussions with the nuclear industry since the Referendum and will continue to work closely with industry the negotiations progress.
As for research, the UK is a world leader in nuclear R&D and there is no intention to reduce ambition in this area.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) discussions and (b) meetings each Minister named as part of the UK Trade and Investment Strategic Relations programme overseen by his Department has had with their paired businesses listed in that scheme since 7 May 2015.
Answered by Anna Soubry
The UK Trade and Investment Strategic Relations (SRM) programme has a coordination role across government to encourage better communication between the various departments in government and businesses. More information, including a list of the 86 companies involved and contact Ministers can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/ukti-strategic-relations-team
Details of Ministerial meetings, including with SRM companies, are published quarterly on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=ministerial+meetings&publication_filter_option=transparency-data&topics%5B%5D=all&departments%5B%5D=all&official_document_status=all&world_locations%5B%5D=all&from_date=&to_date=
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what investment the Government is making in innovation in order to safeguard sovereign capability in materials for the defence and nuclear industries.
Answered by George Freeman
Through Innovate UK we are investing £300m to support high potential opportunities in advanced materials and manufacturing. This investment is delivered through the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, including the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the National Composites Centre.
We are working with industry through the Defence Growth Partnership to stimulate innovation and improve competitiveness across the UK defence sector.