Oral Answers to Questions

Fiona Mactaggart Excerpts

Tuesday 14th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Joseph Johnson]

I am aware of the excellent work undertaken by that institution in my hon. Friend’s constituency. Agri-tech receives considerable support through our public investment in R and D, and will continue to do so.

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

The European Medicines Agency, which is based in the UK, is one reason why our pharma industry is so successful. What will happen to the agency when we crash out of the EU? What is the Science Minister doing to ensure that we have effective regulations that support our pharma industry?

[Joseph Johnson]

The right hon. Lady should wait until we have embarked upon the negotiations for our future relationship with European funding streams. We anticipate that we will continue to collaborate closely with our European partners, so that our scientists can develop institutions such as the one she mentions to the benefit of this country for years to come.

Industrial Strategy Consultation

Fiona Mactaggart Excerpts

Monday 23rd January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is one of the proposals in the Green Paper that I hope will have his support through the consultation.

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

The Green Paper rightly focuses on productivity, but there is one area of infrastructure where Britain lags enormously behind all our competitors: the cost of childcare. Childcare costs more in Britain than it does in every other OECD country apart from Switzerland—it takes up over 40% of the average wage—yet it is hardly mentioned in the Green Paper. That is the way to liberate the talent of women. What is he going to do about it?

[Greg Clark]

The Green Paper invites comments and proposals, so I look forward to seeing the right hon. Lady’s response to it. As I said earlier, the Government have taken very seriously the importance of childcare in allowing women and men to return to work in good jobs, and we have made great progress. I will be interested to read her response to the consultation.

Oral Answers to Questions

Fiona Mactaggart Excerpts

Tuesday 13th September 2016 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

The passion with which my hon. Friend makes his point attests to the opportunities within our approach to industrial strategy to ensure that there is growth across the United Kingdom, including in Yorkshire. He will know that I have taken a great interest in that in my previous roles, and he can be absolutely assured that that interest will not diminish in the months ahead.

[Fiona Mactaggart (Slough) (Lab)]

T2. The current review of network charging for small embedded generators such as Slough Heat and Power will mean huge increases in costs for them. Is the Department determined to make energy generation the preserve of big businesses only?

[The Minister for Climate Change and Industry (Mr Nick Hurd)]

No, I categorically rebut that. We must strike a balance between driving down the costs of all sources of low-carbon generation and ensuring that we deliver best value for consumers and taxpayers, and that occasionally requires reviews of tariffs.