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Written Question
Newport Wafer Fab
Thursday 26th January 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will meet with the hon. Member for Newport West to discuss the issues relating to the future of Newport Wafer Fab.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are always happy to meet colleagues to discuss important issues. If she would like to have a meeting, she is always welcome to reach out to our offices through the usual communication channels.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Newport West
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many small and medium sized businesses have received Government funding for support in Newport West constituency during the cost of living crisis in the last 12 months.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses, including those in Newport West.

Businesses in Newport West will have benefitted from the Government’s reversal of the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs on average £4,200, cut fuel duty for 12 months and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, to protect SMEs from high energy costs over the winter. The Employment Allowance was increased to £5,000 from April and we have continued to provide business rate relief worth over £7bn, freezing the business rates multiplier for a further year.

The Government is providing financial support - 161 SMEs in Newport West have received Start Up Loans to the value of £1,612,340 as of November 2022.


Written Question
Business: Newport West
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with the Welsh Government on the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on businesses in Newport West constituency.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Ministers regularly engage with business leaders and networks, including those in Newport West, to better understand the challenges and explore ways to mitigate the impact rising prices are having on their businesses.

The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs £4,200 on average, cut fuel duty for 12 months and raised the Employment Allowance to £5000. In addition, we have brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is shielding businesses across the country from soaring energy prices, saving some around half of their wholesale energy costs.

We have also announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.


Written Question
Business: Newport West
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) businesses and (b) businesses representatives in Newport West constituency on the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on those businesses.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses, including those in Newport West, and is engaging with businesses across the UK to understand these challenges and explore ways to mitigate them.

The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs £4,200 on average; cut fuel duty for 12 months; raised the Employment Allowance to £5,000 and introduced the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which is shielding businesses across the country from soaring energy prices, saving some around half of their wholesale energy costs.

We have also announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.


Written Question
Energy Bill Relief Scheme: Newport West
Thursday 12th January 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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 ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are receiving the correct level of support from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme in Newport West constituency.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme is set out in legislation and will be applied in a uniform way by all licensed suppliers. The regulations include a robust compliance and enforcement regime to ensure requirements are being met. Suppliers are also required to inform customers about the details of support, including the amount of the discount and discounted supply price.


Written Question
Business: EU Law
Friday 16th December 2022

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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 potential risk to (a) businesses and (b) investors of the revocation or amendment of retained EU law under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

We have published an impact assessment for the Bill which is available on GOV.UK.

Going forwards, departments will identify how they will reform their REUL using the powers in the Bill. In doing so they will conduct proportionate analysis of any impacts on business and investors (where relevant) as well as other stakeholders, and produce impact assessments in the usual way.

The Government remains committed to engaging with stakeholders to ensure policy decisions are well informed and result in benefits for our people and our businesses.


Written Question
Newport Wafer Fab: Nexperia
Thursday 15th December 2022

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what process his Department followed to prepare the national security assessment prior to the Newport Wafer Fab divestment decision; and what evidence his Department received as part of that process.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy takes decisions under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 in a quasi-judicial capacity. The Investment Security Unit coordinates expertise from across Government so that the Secretary of State may make decisions based on the evidence. It would not be appropriate to comment on the detail of national security assessments.


Written Question
Newport Wafer Fab: Nexperia
Wednesday 14th December 2022

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he considered evidence (a) that the UK and Welsh Governments (i) were aware in advance of and (ii) raised no objections to the acquisition of Newport Wafer Fab by Nexperia and (b) of the level of investment by Nexperia into the Water Fab since its acquisition when making his decision on divestment.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

The National Security and Investment Act was not in force when the original acquisition took place in 2021. The Secretary of State used retrospective powers to call-in and assess the acquisition under the Act. The Secretary of State takes decisions under the Act in a quasi-judicial capacity, based on the facts and evidence presented to him. The Act only allows the Secretary of State to make a Final Order to prevent, remedy or mitigate risks to national security, and not for wider political or economic reasons. As you’d expect, I’m unable to comment on the details of national security assessments.


Written Question
Newport Wafer Fab: Nexperia
Wednesday 14th December 2022

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his officials visited the Newport Wafer Fab prior to the announcement of the divestment decision.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

On 9 May 2022, Government officials with expertise in the semiconductor sector visited the facility and met representatives of Nexperia. The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy called in the acquisition and began the assessment process on 25 May 2022. As is required under the National Security and Investment Act, the Secretary of State considered all representations made by the company when making the Final Order.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Energy
Wednesday 23rd November 2022

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

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 impact of the rising cost of (a) fuel and (b) energy on small businesses in Newport West constituency; and what steps he is taking to help tackle those impacts.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme came into force on the 1 November and will provide a discount on energy bills for all eligible non-domestic customers, including small businesses on non-domestic tariffs and businesses running tourist attractions, whose current gas and electricity prices have been significantly inflated in light of global energy prices. Small businesses that are on domestic tariffs will receive support through the domestic Energy Price Guarantee scheme.

The schemes will initially run for 6 months covering energy use from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 and will help support growth, prevent unnecessary insolvencies and protect jobs.