Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 the skills training and reskilling of workers to play an active role in the UK's green economy.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
BEIS and DfE jointly convened the independent Green Jobs Taskforce formed of business, unions and skills providers, to advise on how we can develop plans for new, long-term, good quality green jobs, and support industries and their employees as they transition to net zero. The Taskforce has assessed how the UK jobs market and the skills sector will need to adapt to support net zero, developing ideas and solutions for how the UK can deliver the green jobs of the future.
In addition to the anticipated report from the Taskforce (published today), we have the programmes in place now – including Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, Traineeships, T Levels, and the forthcoming National Skills Fund - to help us grow future talent pipelines and deliver the skilled individuals we will need. The Lifetime Skills Guarantee announced by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister will help people train and retrain at any stage of their lives and so develop the skills most valued by employers.
The Government will consider the Taskforce’s rich evidence base and comprehensive recommendations ahead of setting out, later in the year, our Net Zero Strategy and future skills policy.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 (a) has had and (b) is planning to have with Ministerial colleagues in the (i) Department for Education and (ii) Department for Work and Pensions to support people with skills and training for employment in the green economy in (A) Leicestershire and (B) the UK.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Climate Action Strategy Committee, chaired by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister, and the Climate Action Implementation Committee provide two important ministerial forums for discussion on climate, including skills and training for the green economy.
We are determined to seize the once-in-a-generation economic opportunities of the net zero transition by creating new business opportunities and, by one estimate, supporting up to 2 million green jobs by 2030 across all regions of the UK. For example, the policies set out in the Ten Point Plan, support 90,000 green collar jobs across the UK by 2024, and up to 250,000 by 2030.
In order to ensure we have the skilled workforce to deliver net zero and our Ten Point Plan, my Hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills and I convened the Green Jobs Taskforce, to help us develop plans for new long-term good quality, green jobs by 2030 and advise what support is needed for people in transitioning industries. The Taskforce is currently preparing its report and independent recommendations for the Government, industry and the skills sector, which will feed into the development of our Net Zero Strategy to be published later in the year.
In Leicester and the surrounding area, Leicester and Leicestershire’s Growth Hub (Biz Gateway) is working to support businesses to become greener through workshops, including sustainable packaging, renewable energy and behavioural change. For instance, green recovery is one of four key priorities running through the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Skills Report.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress the Government has made on tackling the availability of counterfeit electrical goods on online platforms.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The Government takes the issue of IP infringement seriously, including counterfeit electrical goods. The Intellectual Property Office works closely with law enforcement and government partners such as Trading Standards and Border Force to prevent counterfeit electrical goods from being sold in the UK. Industry initiatives such as the Real Deal have also reduced the availability of counterfeit electrical goods at local markets and online marketplaces.
The Police IP Crime Unit, launched in September 2013, has had a significant impact having investigated intellectual property crime worth more than £100 million and suspended over 30,000 internet domains. Ongoing enforcement initiatives include Operation Beorma tacking counterfeits and organised crime groups, and work by National Trading Standards and the Intellectual Property Office to deal with the risks posed by sellers who use self-storage units to distribute counterfeit items.
BEIS officials have also met online retailers to discuss the availability of counterfeits on their platforms and to help co-ordinate law enforcement action against sellers.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
What steps his Department is taking to help facilitate the smooth opening of high street businesses under Step Two of the Government's roadmap for the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Paul Scully
We have established a weekly ‘Reopening Retail Working Group’ to bring together businesses, Local Authorities, PHE, the police and relevant Departments to discuss the operational challenges of reopening and to agree practical steps that can be taken to support this.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 develop a road map to support the wedding sector to open up in a safe and controlled manner following the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.
Answered by Paul Scully
On 22 February, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister published the Government’s COVID-19 Response-Spring 2021. The roadmap is a step-by-step plan to ease restrictions in England gradually, starting with education. Across the four steps, the roadmap sets out the sequencing and indicative timing for easing restrictions, including those on the wedding sector.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made in holding discussions with the wedding sector to respond to its needs during the covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Paul Scully
I meet regularly with the industry-led Weddings Taskforce to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and jobs in the sector.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Hinckley and Bosworth)
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 merits of requiring British manufacturers to clearly market the origin of their product on their items to assist buyers to consider buying British brands.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, traders are banned from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products. Aside from certain specified products such as food there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin.