Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made on updating procurement strategies for the Advanced Research and Invention Agency prior to projects beginning.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is expected to commission and support others to conduct research in pursuit of its highly ambitious goals, bringing together parties from public and private spheres. This may involve procuring R&D services and equipment to support research goals.
The Bill exempts ARIA from the Public Contracts Regulations, to enable ARIA to procure services, equipment and works relating to its research goals at speed, in a similar way to the private sector.
In addition to the statutory requirement for ARIA’s statement of accounts and annual report to be provided to my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and laid before Parliament, ARIA will report publicly on its procurement activities.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Post Office’s internal prosecutorial function was excluded from the 2020 inquiry into the Horizon Post Office scandal.
Answered by Paul Scully
The terms of reference for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-office-horizon-it-inquiry-2020/terms-of-reference.
The terms of reference explain that ‘Post Office Ltd’s prosecution function, matters of criminal law, the Horizon group damages settlement, the conduct of current or future litigation relating to Horizon and/or the engagement or findings of any other supervisory or complaints mechanisms, including in the public sector, are outside the Inquiry’s scope’. However, Sir Wyn Williams has explained to Ministers that – although the Inquiry will not discuss matters of substantive criminal law that should properly be decided by the criminal courts – he and his team will receive and consider information from affected postmasters as they give an account of their experiences including incidents relating to investigation, their prosecution and conviction or to look into and comment on aspects of this function as part of the organisation’s governance, leadership and culture.
The Government will continue to discuss the progress and approach to the Inquiry with Sir Wyn Williams.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to establish a judicial inquiry into the Horizon Post Office scandal.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, chaired by retired High Court judge, Sir Wyn Williams FLSW was set up to get the answers the affected postmasters are looking for in a timely manner. A non-statutory Inquiry should be as thorough and robust as a statutory Inquiry but giving the Chair greater flexibility to determine how it is run. Post Office, Fujitsu, UK Government Investment (UKGI), and BEIS are all cooperating fully with the Inquiry, but all options regarding the Inquiry remain on the table, as I said in the House of Commons on 27 April.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to establish a judicial inquiry into the Horizon Post Office scandal.
Answered by Paul Scully
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2021 to Question 130796 on Wind Power: Seas and Oceans, when the review of UK content measurement and reporting methodology will be completed.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The sector is leading the review of the UK content methodology and is responsible for the timelines associated for the review.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2020 to Question 13544, on Wind Power: Seas and Oceans, for what reason the update to the estimates of UK content in offshore wind developments referred to in that Answer has not been published.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The methodology used to measure the domestic content of offshore wind projects was set out in 2012. The Offshore Wind Sector Deal, which was announced in March 2019, included new commitments on measuring and reporting UK content, with the sector committing to updating its UK content methodology as well as a longer-term move towards increased transparency. As part of the update, the sector plans to develop a more holistic approach by reporting UK content and UK exports. The methodology is currently undergoing review, and the sector will resume publication of the estimates of UK content once the review is complete.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Offshore wind manufacturing investment support: request for information from potential manufacturing sites, published 02 October 2020, whether existing offshore wind manufacturing sites are eligible for support under the offshore wind manufacturing investment support scheme.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
Any site, including expansions to existing sites, are eligible to apply for support under the scheme providing they meet the criteria set out in the scheme’s Guidance documentation.