Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people are employed in the aerospace industry in (a) each English Region, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) Scotland.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
BEIS estimates (based on 2017 ONS data) that there are currently 123,000 people employed in the UK aerospace industry. This cannot be broken down by region. On the same basis, there were 121,000 jobs in 2016. The ONS Business Registers and Employment Survey for 2016 (the latest year that data is available) does provide rounded estimates of regional employment - however owing to less complete coverage, this source reports a lower employment total of 114,000 in 2016. The breakdown of this, covering each English region, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is set out in the table below:
Employment in the Manufacture, maintenance and repair of Aircraft
Region/Country | Employment 2016 | % |
North East | 1,800 | 2% |
North West | 15,900 | 14% |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 1,500 | 1% |
East Midlands | 18,600 | 16% |
West Midlands | 6,900 | 6% |
East | 10,000 | 9% |
London | 1,800 | 2% |
South East | 11,500 | 10% |
South West | 22,500 | 20% |
Wales | 12,000 | 11% |
Scotland | 4,500 | 4% |
Northern Ireland | 7,000 | 6% |
England | 91,000 | 80% |
UK | 114,000 | 100% |
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding his Department has allocated to aerospace research and development in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
We have allocated funding £150m a year for aerospace research and development in each year from 2013 to 2018. Our competitive process for selecting and delivering projects is supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK (now part of UKRI). In addition, aerospace companies can bid for relevant industry-wide competitions and schemes run by UKRI, supported by the Department.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
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 support SMEs in Scotland to access the aerospace industry supply chain.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
We are working closely with the Scottish Government, through Scottish Enterprise, to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high-value skilled jobs in Scotland, in support of companies of all sizes, including small and medium sized enterprises. This is backed with a UK wide industry strategy which is integral to Scotland’s own industrial strategy for aerospace, defence, marine & security.
Support from the Department is provided through the £1.95billion committed to new UK aerospace research and technology, out to 2026, which is matched by industry; and the £250m Sharing in Growth intensive performance improvement programme, focussing support to SMEs. Other R&D provisions are also available, for example Innovate UK has committed £45,883,111 in core grant funding to the Advance Forming Research Centre since 1st October 2011 - and up to 31st March 2019 - through the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. On top of this core funding, AFRC has been in receipt of separate, competitively-won funding from Innovate UK by being part of consortia that have made successfully bids through our various CR&D competitions.
BEIS officials are in regular contact and meetings with officials in Scottish Enterprise responsible for supporting aerospace in Scotland to discuss aerospace priorities in Scotland and new investment opportunities.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support the Government is providing to the aerospace industry in Scotland to create more highly skilled jobs.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
We are working closely with the Scottish Government, through Scottish Enterprise, to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high-value skilled jobs in Scotland, in support of companies of all sizes, including small and medium sized enterprises. This is backed with a UK wide industry strategy which is integral to Scotland’s own industrial strategy for aerospace, defence, marine & security.
Support from the Department is provided through the £1.95billion committed to new UK aerospace research and technology, out to 2026, which is matched by industry; and the £250m Sharing in Growth intensive performance improvement programme, focussing support to SMEs. Other R&D provisions are also available, for example Innovate UK has committed £45,883,111 in core grant funding to the Advance Forming Research Centre since 1st October 2011 - and up to 31st March 2019 - through the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. On top of this core funding, AFRC has been in receipt of separate, competitively-won funding from Innovate UK by being part of consortia that have made successfully bids through our various CR&D competitions.
BEIS officials are in regular contact and meetings with officials in Scottish Enterprise responsible for supporting aerospace in Scotland to discuss aerospace priorities in Scotland and new investment opportunities.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
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 met representatives of the Scottish Government to discuss aerospace industry priorities in Scotland.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
We are working closely with the Scottish Government, through Scottish Enterprise, to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high-value skilled jobs in Scotland, in support of companies of all sizes, including small and medium sized enterprises. This is backed with a UK wide industry strategy which is integral to Scotland’s own industrial strategy for aerospace, defence, marine & security.
Support from the Department is provided through the £1.95billion committed to new UK aerospace research and technology, out to 2026, which is matched by industry; and the £250m Sharing in Growth intensive performance improvement programme, focussing support to SMEs. Other R&D provisions are also available, for example Innovate UK has committed £45,883,111 in core grant funding to the Advance Forming Research Centre since 1st October 2011 - and up to 31st March 2019 - through the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. On top of this core funding, AFRC has been in receipt of separate, competitively-won funding from Innovate UK by being part of consortia that have made successfully bids through our various CR&D competitions.
BEIS officials are in regular contact and meetings with officials in Scottish Enterprise responsible for supporting aerospace in Scotland to discuss aerospace priorities in Scotland and new investment opportunities.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether UK exporters of industrial products within the EU that currently rely on conformity assessments carried out by a UK Notified Body will (a) be required to apply for new certificates issued by an EU27 Notified Body after the UK has exited the EU and (b) be provided with UK Government support to manage the effect on their business caused by changes to conformity assessment procedures when exporting to the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
We recognise the important role that UK Notified Bodies play in ensuring that products that enter the UK and EU markets are safe and conform to relevant requirements and assessments.
We have reached agreement with the EU on the terms of an implementation period, during which market access will continue on current terms. This means that businesses will be able to operate with the same certificates as now up until the end of this period, including those issued by UK Notified Bodies.
Regarding our future partnership with the EU, we want to ensure that UK companies have the maximum freedom to trade with European markets. We continue to engage with UK stakeholders to understand and represent their concerns as we develop our negotiating position.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether it is the Government's policy for Scotland to lead the UK in research and development investment.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The Industrial Strategy shows how the government plans to invest in R&D to transform the UK economy. To do this we need to build on research and innovation excellence across the UK.
The Science and Innovation Audits (SIAs) are identifying and validating areas of potential globally competitive advantage across the UK to provide evidence to help underpin future investment decisions. Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region’s SIA on data driven innovation undertaken in wave 1 has helped to inform and evidence their Edinburgh Region City Deal which includes funding for innovation projects. Scottish SIAs in subsequent waves include the Offshore Renewable Energy SIA (North of England and Scotland) and the Enabling Technologies in Scotland’s Central Belt SIA (Published in September 2017); as well as the Maximising the Marine Economy of the Highlands and Islands SIA and the Precision Medicine in Scotland SIA (due to be published in the Summer) which are likely to be utilised in similar ways contributing to both strategy and funding decisions.
In addition, the new £115m Strength in Places Fund will support areas right across the UK to build on existing strengths in science and innovation, where proposals can demonstrate a strong impact on local productivity and enhanced collaboration.