Oral Answers to Questions

Nic Dakin Excerpts
Tuesday 31st January 2017

(7 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Hurd Portrait Mr Hurd
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Yes to the event, and yes to the assurance that my hon. Friend seeks about continued support. On top of the growth deal, the city deal and the enterprise zone programme, he will be well aware of the very significant Government commitment to future contract for difference auctions worth £730 million for less mature renewable technologies, including offshore wind. I hope he welcomes that.

Nic Dakin Portrait Nic Dakin (Scunthorpe) (Lab)
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What steps are the Government taking to ensure the highest possible UK content in the steel used to build the energy infrastructure in the Humber?

Nick Hurd Portrait Mr Hurd
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That is an extremely important point, and it is part of our calculation of the return on the investment made by the British taxpayer. Good progress is being made, and analysis shows that aggregated lifetime UK content in operating windfarms is 43%, against a track target of around 50%, and the proportion is higher for the value of operations and maintenance contracts, which run at about 70% of value at the moment. This will be a key area of our focus as we go forward with the industrial strategy.