Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Whether capital projects under the Ceramics Industry Support Scheme that depend on a grid connection upgrade will remain eligible where the network operator's connection date falls after the scheme's deadline for spending, and what that deadline is.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Ceramics Industry Support Scheme will offer grant funding to support Capital Investment in decarbonisation and efficiency. Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade officials are working at pace to publish final eligibility and application guidance. Further details will be brought forward by the end of the year.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Whether the £60 million for operating costs under the Ceramics Industry Support Scheme can be used to meet the higher energy costs that manufacturers incur when they replace gas-fired kilns with electric kilns.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Ceramics Industry Support Scheme will offer grant funding to support Capital Investment in decarbonisation and efficiency. Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade officials are working at pace to publish final eligibility and application guidance. Further details will be brought forward by the end of the year.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, What assessment the Department has made of the effect on household ceramics manufacturers (SIC 23.41) that electrify their kilns of their exclusion from the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, and whether household ceramics will be considered when that scheme's eligibility is next reviewed.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
BICS is a targeted scheme designed to support a defined group of sectors where electricity cost relief is expected to have the greatest impact on growth within its agreed cost envelope. This includes focusing on the highest growth potential sectors targeted by the Industrial Strategy and industries within their supply chains. While household ceramics are not in scope of BICS, the department will continue to work with the sector to consider what further support may be appropriate.
Earlier this year, the government also announced a £120 million support package for the ceramics sector, further details will be published later this year.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, On what date the Department will publish the eligibility criteria and application guidance for the Ceramics Industry Support Scheme, and on what date applications will open.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Ceramics Industry Support Scheme will offer grant funding to support Capital Investment in decarbonisation and efficiency. Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade officials are working at pace to publish final eligibility and application guidance. Further details will be brought forward by the end of the year.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with HS2 Ltd on the potential merits of taking preventative action on surface water from land owned by HS2 Ltd flooding the highway in the Ingestre and Tixall area during periods of heavy rainfall; and what steps she is taking to ensure HS2 Ltd implements an adequate drainage solution, including the proposed new ditch shown on drawing CT-06-212.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As the organisation set up by the Department to construct HS2, HS2 Ltd is responsible for mitigating the effects of the new railway on the local environment, including in relation to drainage. That said, the flooding of the highway experienced in the Ingestre and Tixall area is not a result of HS2 construction. It is in fact on a part of the route that is not being built, having been cancelled by the previous Government.
Although the flooding is not a result of HS2, it is believed to be caused by an inadequately sized pipe on land, some of which is owned by the Secretary of State and managed by HS2 Ltd. On behalf of the SoS, as a responsible landowner, HS2 Ltd has therefore asked its contractors to explore options for resolving the issue and is working with relevant local stakeholders to achieve a solution.