Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many location bids were (a) invited and (b) received prior to the awarding of the investment to develop the Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre; and which sites were shortlisted for that Centre.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The competition for the Vaccines Manufacture and Innovation Centre (VMIC) took place in 2018 as part of Wave 1 of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Medicines Manufacturing portfolio. This was an open competition call, with no limit on the number of bids. Two sites were shortlisted, the site in Oxfordshire and a site in the North East of England.
The Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre will sit within the Harwell HealthTec Cluster, comprising 1,000 people across 40 organisations, it will form part of a well-established and proven life sciences community where it will grow to become a vital component of the UK’s national scientific infrastructure.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of the potential economic effect on the green technology sector of the withdrawal of research funding for innovative low-carbon technology programmes under the EU emissions trading system after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) does not provide research funding. The terms of the Withdrawal Agreement mean that the UK will continue to participate in EU Programmes financed by the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework until their closure.
The UK is the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050. The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy sets out how we want to make sure that the UK continues to reap the benefits from the transition to a low carbon economy.
The Government has been investing over £3 billion to support low carbon innovation in the UK over the period 2015 and 2021, to ensure that the UK continues to grasp the economic opportunities of the global shift to a low carbon future, and have committed to raise total research and development investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.
This is already benefiting clean growth innovation – for example the £505 million BEIS Energy Innovation Programme, which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the loss of research funding from the EU emissions trading system on the UK's green technology sector after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) does not provide research funding. The terms of the Withdrawal Agreement mean that the UK will continue to participate in EU Programmes financed by the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework until their closure.
The UK is the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050. The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy sets out how we want to make sure that the UK continues to reap the benefits from the transition to a low carbon economy.
The Government is investing over £3 billion to support low carbon innovation in the UK between 2015 and 2021, to ensure that the UK continues to grasp the economic opportunities of the global shift to a low carbon future, and have committed to raise total research and development investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.
This is already benefiting clean growth innovation – for example the £505 million BEIS Energy Innovation Programme, which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the Brexit Readiness Fund has been allocated to Chester.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Business Readiness Fund was set up to help to prepare businesses for leaving the EU on 31 October. £10.6M has been approved across 139 successful bids, with just under £10.2M already paid to Business Representative Organisations. Applications have spanned a wide range of sectors, with organisations delivering activity across all regions of the UK. A list of all successful organisations will be released in due course.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect on average household energy bills of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government recognises the importance to businesses and households of having access to an affordable, secure and sustainable supply of energy. The UK’s exit from the EU will not alter the fact that our energy system is resilient and secure and drawn from a number of sources.
Many factors impact energy prices including fuel prices, exchange rates and generation mix. Great Britain will remain physically linked to the EU post-exit through electricity and gas interconnectors. We expect that any change in electricity prices in Great Britain as a result of changes to interconnector trading arrangements would fall within the normal range of market volatility. For gas markets, the mechanisms of cross-border trade are not expected to fundamentally change after exit. The UK gas market is one of the world’s most developed and provides security through supply diversity, most of which is not dependent on the EU.
Energy regulators in Ireland and Northern Ireland have set out that the Single Electricity Market (SEM) will continue to operate immediately after Brexit, including in a No Deal scenario. The SEM is designed to put downward pressure on consumer electricity prices, facilitate the integration of renewables and provide continued security of supply. The UK is committed to seeking to maintain the SEM in any scenario and will therefore take all possible measures to do so.
The Government has taken steps to enable electricity and gas trade to continue and maintain the effectiveness of domestic regulation, providing legal clarity for industry on the future operations of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s energy markets.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans she has to ensure that all cross-departmental climate change commitments are upheld in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges we face today and this Government is committed to tackling it
Our ambitious domestic emissions reduction targets, enshrined in UK law, will not be affected by Brexit. These commitments, including our net zero 2050 target, go beyond our emissions reduction commitments in EU law.
The Environment Bill – laid on the 15th October - will establish a new, world-leading independent regulator that will enforce our climate commitments, working closely alongside our independent advisers, the Committee on Climate Change.
Brexit will not affect our international climate commitments. The UK is a party to the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement in our own right and we are bound by all the obligations of these agreements under international law. This includes the requirement to prepare, communicate and maintain successive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. We have committed to publishing an enhanced UK NDC by February next year.
In addition to these commitments, we have recently announced that we are setting up a new climate change cabinet committee, chaired by the Prime Minister. This committee will galvanise efforts to tackle environmental challenges and become the cleanest, greenest society on earth, inspiring countries around the world to follow our lead.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings his Department has had with counterparts in the Department for Transport on the forthcoming aviation strategy.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Department held extensive discussions with the Department for Transport prior to the release of the Aviation 2050 consultation paper. Officials remain closely engaged, including with industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, the joint government and industry sector council, as the consultation process continues.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to respond to the Freedom of Information Request relating to PEDL 189 submitted by Mr Ben Dean on 21 March 2018.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not received a Freedom of Information Request relating to PEDL 189 submitted by Mr Ben Dean on 21 March 2018. The Department understands that Mr Dean has approached the Oil and Gas Authority on this matter and that they will respond to Mr Dean as appropriate.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to vary the work commitments under Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence 189.
Answered by Claire Perry
The responsibility for onshore oil and gas licensing, including responsibility for variations in work commitments, was transferred to the independent Oil and Gas Authority in 2016. Consequently any decisions relating to variations of a PEDL will be made by the OGA.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to issue a third extension to Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence 189; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
The responsibility for onshore oil and gas licensing, including responsibility for extending a PEDL was transferred to the independent Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) in 2016. Consequently any decisions relating to variations to licences will be made by the OGA.