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 recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the potential closure of Burntisland Fabrications Limited.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
My Rt. Hon Friend Mr Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has recently spoken to the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary regarding the unfortunate recent developments at Burntisland Fabrications Limited.
Recognising the impact of these developments on those who are employed at the firm and their families, the UK and Scottish governments have created a joint working group, which has already met twice. While the immediate future of the busines is a matter for the administrators, the working group will position both governments to stand ready to work with potential new investors, with a view to securing a strong future for the site.
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 steps he is taking to increase the share of UK manufacturing content in renewable energy developments that are supported by the public purse.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government is eager to deliver supply chain investment and increase the share of UK manufacturing content in renewable energy projects supported by Contracts for Difference (CfD) contracts. We have confirmed our intention to align the Supply Chain Plan process with government priorities, and we are currently consulting1 on proposals to introduce consequences for non-delivery of commitments that developers put forward in their Supply Chain Plans, which are approved before they enter the CfD Allocation Round. We are also strengthening the Supply Chain Plan monitoring process to support compliance.
These measures should be seen alongside my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement on £160 million of new funding towards investment to upgrade ports and infrastructure and long-term ambitions to increase renewable energy capacity in the next CfD auction, which, together, will support new UK content, jobs and investment.
I have also convened offshore wind Industry roundtables to understand the supply chain and support investment to meet the industry’s commitment to deliver 60% UK content by 2030. The sector will explore what the future opportunities will be in high-value components for nacelle assembly, floating offshore wind and operations and maintenance and report back in March.
1 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/contracts-for-difference-cfd-changes-to-supply-chain-plans-and-the-cfd-contract - Closing date 18th January 2021
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 Steel public procurement 2020: Compliance with the steel procurement guidance (PPN 11/16), published 09 October 2020, if he will make it his policy to include figures on the share of steel produced in the UK that is used in offshore wind developments that are supported by the public purse in future editions of that publication.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Government is committed to ensuring that UK steel producers have the best possible chance of competing for and winning the contracts associated with our domestic infrastructure investment.
The publication of the annual steel pipeline on national infrastructure projects and steel data on public sector procurement is part of this commitment. This information serves both as testament to our ambitious plans for the use of UK-sourced steel within our pipeline of major public infrastructure projects, but also as an accountability mechanism, as we work in collaboration with the sector to achieve this shared aim.
In October 2020 we published data of the steel pipeline of offshore wind national infrastructure projects to enable UK steel manufacturers to better plan for these projects.
Going forward, the Government will consider whether to publish annual figures of UK steel used in past offshore wind projects, if it is in the public interest.
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 the timeframe is for the Trade Credit Reinsurance Scheme to start accepting applications from Scottish food and drink wholesale businesses.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government’s Trade Credit Reinsurance Scheme will see the majority of Trade Credit Insurance coverage maintained for businesses across the UK. The Scheme operates as a reinsurance arrangement through trade credit insurers which will enable them to continue to write and maintain cover to business throughout the COVID-19 crisis. At present, insurers serving over 80% of the market have signed up to participate in the scheme. There is no need for underlying businesses to sign up to the scheme.