Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
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 number of people in the Calder Valley who will benefit from the recent increase in the national living wage.
Answered by Margot James
We have not produced estimates of the number of people in the Calder Valley who benefitted from the increase in the National Living Wage on 1 April 2017. However, in Annex C of the Government’s published Impact Assessment we estimated that, at the time of the uprating, 172,000 workers in Yorkshire and Humber would benefit from the new National Living Wage and an additional 40,000 workers would benefit from the new National Minimum Wage rates.
The Low Pay Commission has recently published sub-regional analysis. This estimates that 7.4% of employees in Calderdale, Yorkshire and Humber are covered by the new National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage rates.
The Government’s Impact Assessment is available here:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2017/42/pdfs/ukia_20170042_en.pdf
The Low Pay Commission analysis is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/low-pay-commission-april-2017-minimum-wage-rise-analysis
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
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 support rural post offices.
Answered by Margot James
The Government recognises the important role post offices play in communities across the country, especially in the more remote, rural areas. This is why in our Manifesto we committed to secure the future of 3,000 rural post offices.
Government will have provided nearly £2 billion between 2010 and 2018 to maintain modernise and protect a network of at least 11,500 post offices across the country, which includes funding to invest in rural community branches to improve the customer offer and increase their sustainability.
Through Government’s investment, there over 11,600 post offices in UK and the network is at its most stable in decades.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
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 effect of the UK leaving the EU on research funding across all disciplines in universities in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Government is committed to maintain and enhance the strength of our research base. This is why we have protected the science resource budget in real terms from its 2015/16 level of £4.7 billion for the rest of the parliament, as well as committing to invest in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale – £6.9 billion over the period 2015-2021 – including £65 million in the North East in 2014/15.
The Treasury decision to underwrite the grants of competitively bid for EU research funding will give British participants and their EU partners the assurance and certainty needed to plan ahead for projects that can run over many years. We will ensure that the UK, including Yorkshire and the Humber, continues to be a world leader in international research and innovation.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
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 for job creation in renewable energy sectors in the next five years.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The latest figures from the ONS suggest that, in 2014, 238,500 full-time equivalent employees were working directly in the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy sectors in the UK. This figure does not include additional jobs that have been created in the wider renewable energy supply chain.
The Low Carbon and Renewable Energy sectors will be at the heart of this Governments Industrial Strategy to support jobs and growth.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
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 Ministerial colleagues on producing a long-term industrial strategy for the Yorkshire and Humber region.
Answered by Nick Hurd
On 2 August, my right Hon. Friend the Prime Minister chaired the first meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Economy and Industrial Strategy, which brings together Secretaries of State of Departments across Whitehall to help to drive forward an Industrial Strategy that will aim to deliver the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘an economy that works for all’ and put the United Kingdom in a strong position for the future, promoting a diversity of industrial sectors and ensuring the benefits of growth are shared across cities and regions up and down the country, including Yorkshire and Humber.
Overall responsibility for developing and implementing an industrial strategy sits within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We will be working closely across Government and with a range of organisations – including regional representatives, businesses, trade bodies, universities, and trade unions - to deliver this, to help ensure that the economy grows strongly in all parts of the country, and to support the UK’s global competitiveness.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
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 protect employment levels in the Yorkshire and Humber region from the potential (a) immediate and (b) short to long-term effects of the UK withdrawing from the EU.
Answered by Margot James
The employment rate is at a record high. Government is committed to ensuring that UK remains open for business, and continues to grow and thrive. Our recent UK Innovation survey report confirms business innovation is growing across the UK and Yorkshire and Humber leads the way as the most innovative region. Government has awarded £1.19 billion in Growth Deals to the Local Enterprise Partnerships in the region so far which is forecast to attract £1.62 billion of co-investment and create 39,000 jobs.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support his Department provides to people in the Leeds City Region who wish to start their own business.
Answered by Margot James
The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Growth Service connects entrepreneurs and businesses to the right help for their needs. It works with public and private sector partners – for example, chambers of commerce, universities, the national Business Support Helpline and banks – to refer businesses to the appropriate expert advice and support, including Start Up loans and the Start and Grow programme. The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Growth Service is one of 39 growth hubs across the country that receives funding from my Department.
58,000 businesses were newly registered for VAT or PAYE in the Leeds City Region during 2010 to 2014.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to promote opportunities to access high growth markets abroad to businesses in the Leeds City Region.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Increasing exports, to all overseas markets, is a key factor in the Government’s long-term economic plan. Government departments are working together to support UK businesses looking to take advantage of overseas opportunities and to create a strong business environment that allows them to flourish both at home and overseas. A key part of this work is to identify export opportunities, many of which are based around the needs of high-growth and emerging markets.
This effort to drive economic growth is supported in part by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy Programme, a group of appointed parliamentarians drawn from across the political spectrum. Envoys are carefully selected for their experience, skills and knowledge of particular sectors or markets, or their knowledge of business in an effort to identify substantial trade and investment opportunities. There are now 24 Trade Envoys covering 50 high-growth and emerging markets.
In addition, UK Trade and Investment is working on a joint international trade plan with Leeds City Region and other partners which will focus on key international markets, including high growth ones.
Asked by: Craig Whittaker (Conservative - Calder Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses in areas that have recently been affected by flooding.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Following this winter’s severe flooding across northern England, including Calderdale, this Government put in place a comprehensive response and Calderdale has already received over £9.8 million in funding for business and community support.
Specifically for small and medium sized businesses there are three ways we are helping:
- giving flooded businesses business rates relief (£1.6 million for Calderdale)
- providing business recovery grants to help deal with exceptional costs borne by flooded businesses (£1.55 million paid out to businesses to date); and
- grants to incorporate greater flood resilience into any repairs undertaken by flooded businesses, helping to reduce the future impacts of flooding (£52,000 paid out to date to homes and businesses in Calderdale).
Other measures such as getting roads, bridges and rail services back working again and repairing and improving flood defences are also clearly a significant help. This includes the £5.5 m to repair Elland Bridge and to provide a temporary footbridge in the interim.