Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what financial incentives the Government is offering to increase the uptake of electric vehicles.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are investing nearly £1.5bn between April 2015 and March 2021 to support the market for Ultra Low Emission cars, vans, HGVs, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes and workplaces, and on residential streets. This funding also includes grants for research to support the development and deployment of ultra low emission technologies. Government grants for plug-in vehicles will be available until at least 2020, reducing the upfront purchase price of electric vehicles We stated in our Road to Zero strategy that consumer incentives in some form will continue to play a role beyond 2020.Purchasers of ultra-low emission vehicles also receive other benefits, including: lower tax rates, and grants towards the installation of chargepoints. HMT recently announced plans to accelerate the shift to zero emission cars by removing company car tax in 2020-21, 1% in 2021-22 before returning to the planned 2% rate in 2022-23 – a significant tax saving for employees and employers. A number of local authorities also provide additional incentives such as free parking or exemption from the congestion charge. We have also supported the uptake of ultra low emission buses through the Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on establishing a campaign similar to the 2018 Year of Engineering to encourage young people into careers in STEM subjects.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
We are committed to encouraging young people to consider STEM careers and wish to explore how we can build on the success of the 2018 Year of Engineering campaign. Current BEIS programmes to inspire young people to take up STEM study or go into STEM careers include STEM Ambassadors and the CREST Awards.
STEM Ambassadors has a UK-wide network of over 30,000 volunteers (40% of whom are women) from a wide range of employers who engage with young people to increase their interest in STEM studies and careers. CREST Awards are the UK’s largest national award scheme for project work in STEM subjects. Evaluation has shown participation has a positive effect on STEM GCSE results. Over 30,000 young people aged 11 to 18 receive a CREST Award each year.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
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 potential merits of using local enterprise (a) zones and (b) partnerships to help support the UK's space launch industry.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The UK Space Agency is leading on the development of new commercial markets for small satellite launch and sub-orbital flight in the UK. As part of this it is working with Enterprise Zones (EZs) and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across the UK to support growth in their local space economies
In addition the UK Space Agency has commissioned the UK Knowledge Transfer Network to provide an independent assessment of the current and potential strengths of UK companies that could supply space launch related goods and services. It is also supporting a Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy sponsored science and innovation audit which will include an assessment of current UK space launch industry capabilities and the potential to develop the new capabilities required to play a leading role in this emerging market.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has had with National Grid on its superfast charging network; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Provision of rapid charging infrastructure at Motorway Service Areas will be an important part of the future electric vehicle charging network. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles has met with National Grid on three occasions in recent months as one of a number of stakeholders that we talk to regularly to ensure our electricity system is prepared for the rollout of electric vehicles.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the adequacy of motorway electric vehicle infrastructure.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Across the UK, almost all Motorway Service Areas already have at least one rapid chargepoint, and some have several. The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill currently going through Parliament contains new regulatory powers to require the installation of chargepoints at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers if there are insufficient levels of infrastructure at these locations to support growing numbers of electric vehicles. Highways England has committed £15m to ensure there are chargepoints (rapid where possible) every 20 miles on 95% of the Strategic Road Network by 2020.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on ensuring that the new Northern Forest ameliorates the aesthetic effect of national infrastructure.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Ministers from this Department have had no discussions with Ministers from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this topic.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government is taking steps to attract the asteroid mining industry to the UK.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The UK Space Agency is supporting the British Space Sector including exciting new commercial ideas such as the robotic assembly and servicing of satellites in space and aligning UK leadership in small satellite manufacture with our ambition to enable commercial small satellite launch from UK spaceports.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
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 (a) encourage domestic investment and (b) raise productivity in the manufacturing sector.
Answered by Claire Perry
Through our Industrial Strategy, we will make sure that we are using all the tools we have to boost local growth, encouraging domestic investment and productivity.
We need credible long-term strategies to help local economies, which is what local industrial strategies will do. Based on rigorous analysis, they will identify local strengths, future opportunities and the action needed in each area to boost productivity and competiveness.
We will increase the National Productivity Investment Fund from £8 billion to £31billion and extending it to 2022-23. We are launching an action plan to unlock over £20 billion of patient capital investment to finance growth in innovative firms over 10 years. As part of this, we will establish a new £2.5 billion Investment Fund in the British Business Bank. We are increasing R&D tax credits for large businesses from 11% to 12% from January 2018, as part of the drive to increase R&D investment to 2.4% by 2027.
We will invest a further £725m in a second wave of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund across the UK to respond to some of the greatest global challenges and opportunities and support sector productivity. We are also continuing to support the High Value Manufacturing Catapults, which we have invested £300 million over the past 5 years, to support commercialisation of the innovation of new technologies that will be crucial to UK manufacturing success.
The new Industrial Strategy Council will be tasked with taking a long term view and will be responsible for putting the right evaluation and reporting structures in place to assess the progress of our Industrial Strategy.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Government has made on meeting the 2020 target for the roll out of smart meters.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government is committed to the roll-out of smart meters being delivered by the end of 2020. It is a vital upgrade to national infrastructure that will make the energy market work better for consumers, taking £300m off domestic energy bills in 2020 alone and provide the platform for a smart energy system.
As of 30 September 2017, there are over 8.6 million smart and advanced meters operating in households and small businesses and around 350,000 are being installed every month, helping people to save money and take control of their energy use.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
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 stop the sale of fake branded electronics which may cause fires.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Government works in partnership with industry and law enforcement to reduce the supply to consumers of all forms of counterfeit goods.
The Intellectual Property Office’s intelligence hub supports intellectual property (IP) enforcement activity undertaken by regional Trading Standards teams, the Police IP Crime Unit and Border Force. Recent work has focussed on tackling the supply of illicit streaming devices, which are known to present a substantial fire and electrical shock risk.