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Written Question
Manufacturing Industries: Energy
Thursday 5th September 2019

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps she is taking to establish an industrial energy efficiency scheme.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund was announced in October 2018. We are providing £315m for this fund to support industrial energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects. This will help to bring down energy costs and reduce carbon emissions for vital industries, including energy intensive industries. We have sought stakeholder views through our informal consultation as well as a market intelligence exercise, helping to inform the design of the fund. We will publish a consultation setting out our preferred fund design and invite stakeholders to comment shortly.

The IETF will complement existing schemes such as the Industrial Heat Recovery Scheme and the Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator.


Written Question
Medical Treatments: Innovation
Tuesday 11th September 2018

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what involvement his Department has had in the establishment of the new accelerated access pathway.

Answered by Sam Gyimah

The establishment of the pathway has been led by the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC), working with industry and patients. The establishment of the AAC has been supported by the Office for Life Sciences, which is a joint unit between both the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). A member of the BEIS departmental board sits on the AAC.


Written Question
Office for Nuclear Regulation
Wednesday 11th July 2018

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

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 ability of the Office for Nuclear Regulation to take over the (a) inspection and (b) oversight of responsibilities from Euratom on (i) 30 March 2019 and (b) 1 January 2021.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

We continue to work closely with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) as they take on the role and responsibilities required to enable the UK’s domestic nuclear safeguards regime to meet international nuclear safeguards and nuclear non-proliferation obligations when Euratom safeguards arrangements no longer apply in the UK.

Based on current progress, the ONR will be in a position to deliver a regime that will discharge the commitments set out in the UK’s new safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency by 29 March 2019.

The ONR will move to deliver Euratom equivalence as soon as possible. The speed with which the ONR is able to apply a system offering equivalent effectiveness and coverage as that provided by the Euratom regime is dependent on a wide variety of factors. These factors include negotiations on future cooperation with Euratom and technical discussions between Euratom and the ONR.


Written Question
Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors: Decommissioning
Tuesday 10th July 2018

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

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 the adequacy of generating capacity after the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors are decommissioned in 2023.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

The Capacity Market is securing the capacity required to meet peak electricity demand through auctions held four and one year ahead of delivery. It supports technically reliable existing plant to remain in the market and, as coal and other ageing plant retire, it strengthens incentives for new plant to be financed and built.

The Capacity Market has already secured over 5.4GW of new build capacity for delivery between 2018/19 and 2021/22. Alongside traditional gas generation, significant levels of alternative, innovative new capacity, such as demand-side response (DSR) and battery storage, has been brought forward. This wide range of new resources is helping deliver the security, reliability and flexibility that the country needs.

Other measures being taken to ensure the security of electricity supply include the broadening of the UK’s generation base through the deployment of new nuclear generation, with Hinkley Point C under construction, and offshore wind.


Written Question
EURATOM Supply Agency: Contracts
Tuesday 10th July 2018

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

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 UK leaving the EU on contracts held by UK businesses under the Euratom Supply Agency.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

Under Euratom Treaty arrangements, businesses based in Euratom Member States are required to seek approval from the Euratom Supply Agency to conclude contracts for the supply of nuclear materials. When the UK leaves the Euratom Community, UK businesses will only be subject to these arrangements for supply contracts involving businesses in a Euratom Member State. The EU position is that, in a “no deal” scenario, these contracts would require re-approval once the UK is no longer part of the Euratom Community, as set out in the EU’s Notice to Stakeholders published on 28 March 2018[1].

The UK has raised this as a priority issue with the European Commission, as set out in the UK’s position paper on Nuclear materials and safeguards issues, published on 13 July 2017[2]. This remains an issue of concern to the nuclear industry in both the UK and in the wider EU. There are positive signs that the Commission are seeking ways to address the problem, and the UK will continue to press for a solution that does not lead to any additional costs or inconvenience to industry.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/euratom_en

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-materials-and-safeguards-issues-position-paper


Written Question
Galileo System
Monday 25th June 2018

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether any non-EU member states that participate in Galileo have companies that have access to contracts in the Galileo satellite programme.

Answered by Sam Gyimah

Third countries currently participate in the Galileo programme via Cooperation Agreements. Both Norway and Switzerland are participants and contributors in the Galileo and EGNOS programmes and may bid for certain contracts. For example, Switzerland supplies on-board clock technology for the Galileo satellites and Norway hosts parts of the system infrastructure on its territory. However, their industries are restricted from bidding for contracts that include sensitive elements.


Written Question
Research: EU Grants and Loans
Tuesday 23rd January 2018

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the amount of funding for research has been allocated by the EU to UK institutions in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16, and (c) 2016-17.

Answered by Sam Gyimah

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly publish statistics on UK participations in Horizon 2020, the main EU programme for research and innovation funding. As part of Horizon 2020, between 2014 and 2017 UK organisations have been allocated €4.0 billion research funding. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uks-participation-in-horizon-2020-september-2017.

The European Commission publishes data on the 2014-20 European Structural and Investment Funds programmes. Over €1.6bn has been allocated for research and innovation to the UK. Further information can be found at: https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/countries/UK# .


Written Question
New Businesses: Stafford
Thursday 14th September 2017

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many new companies were started in Stafford constituency in each of the last three years.

Answered by Margot James

The Office for National Statistics has published user requested statistics regarding the number of enterprise “births” in UK Parliamentary Constituencies. A “birth” occurs when a business appears on the Inter-Departmental Business Register, following registration for either VAT or PAYE.

The following table gives “births” in the Stafford Parliamentary Constituency for the most recent three years available.

Stafford Parliamentary Constituency

2013 - 405

2014 - 415

2015 - 380


Written Question
Manufacturing Advisory Service: Stafford
Tuesday 12th September 2017

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many businesses the Manufacturing Advisory Service has assisted in Stafford constituency since May 2015.

Answered by Claire Perry

A study carried out by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills found that 13% of all projects funded by the government’s Manufacturing Advisory Service between (2012 - 2016) were located in the West Midlands, however the service was closed in (March) 2016. However, figures are not broken down to specific areas or towns.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Stafford
Thursday 7th September 2017

Asked by: Jeremy Lefroy (Conservative - Stafford)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses in Stafford constituency.

Answered by Margot James

We are working hard to support businesses and entrepreneurs across the UK to ensure they can access finance and wider support to grow and the right conditions are in place for companies to invest for the long-term.

Small businesses in Stoke and Staffordshire can access support through GOV.UK and the Business Support Helpline. The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub also acts as the first port of call for local businesses seeking advice or support. Since its launch in May 2014, the Stoke and Staffordshire Growth Hub has engaged and supported 4340 businesses and it has helped 385 individuals to start up a new business.

Since November 2014, British Business Bank programmes have facilitated over £4.3m* to 87 businesses in the constituency of Stafford. This includes 54 Start-up Loans at a value of £415,957.

Stafford constituency is also part of the Midlands Engine. A key part of the Government’s strategy for fuelling growth in the region is the £250m Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), which is a result of close collaboration between the British Business Bank, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Communities and Local Government and 10 Midlands Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). It aims to transform the finance landscape for smaller businesses in the Midlands, accelerate economic growth and promote job creation. The Fund launched its first wave, £120m of Debt and Small Business funds, at the end of August.

*This does not include ENABLE funding data as this is not available at a constituency level.