Stephen Metcalfe

The creative industries are an economic powerhouse, and one of my priorities is to continue this growth.

My Department will publish a Creative Industries Sector Vision in the coming months, which will set out how we will work together with industry to drive the sector’s growth between now and 2030.

My Department is investing £50 million into creative businesses up and down the country to help them grow, in addition to more than £100m from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Gas generation currently forms an integral part of the UK’s electricity mix and it will continue to do so over the coming decades as we decarbonise our electricity system; it is the cleanest fossil fuel and is one of the most flexible and reliable sources of electricity.

The Department’s analysis [1] suggests significant investment in new gas plant is needed, in part to replace older coal, gas and nuclear plant as it retires.

The Gas Generation Strategy [2], published in December 2012, set out measures to support investment in new gas plant. Of particular importance is the introduction of a capacity market last year which provides all reliable capacity, including gas, with secure revenues. The Government believes the capacity market provides the necessary financial incentives to ensure new gas plant are brought forward as and when needed.

[1] Each year DECC publishes updated energy projections, analysing and projecting future energy demand and supply (including from gas generation) and greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. The latest projections are available via https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-and-emissions-projections

2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gas-generation-strategy

The Government re-committed in our manifesto that we will extend the scope of the unduly lenient sentence scheme. We will shortly be extending the scheme so that it applies to terrorism offences sentenced in the Crown Court.

While there are currently no plans to appoint a Chief Mathematical Adviser, we consult a wide range of advisers on a regular basis, including those with mathematical expertise.

The government estate is now two million square metres smaller than in 2010 with a near 20 % reduction in overall holdings. Over 1500 buildings, including over 800 freehold properties, have been exited in this Parliament generating over £1.4 billion in receipts and reducing annual running costs by £625 million. Not only are we shrinking the size of the Estate but we are also getting more efficient at utilising the space we occupy. By the end of 2015 we will be well on track to reach 10 square metres per FTE. This makes the United Kingdom one of the most efficient governments in terms of estates utilisation in the world.

The Government is working to better understand the impacts the operation of the current Voluntary Scheme and the accompanying Statutory Scheme on investments in the UK. We are therefore in direct conversations with companies to understand these impacts. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is in close discussions with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department responsible for the Voluntary Scheme and Statutory Scheme, about the business environment for life sciences and its impact on investment.

Most government departments have a Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) to provide scientific advice. A CSA is typically a distinguished scientist or engineer, recruited externally from academia or industry. Of the current cohort of CSAs, two have a purely mathematical background (FCDO CSA & MOD CSA).

However, all CSAs bring deep science and/or engineering knowledge and are able to work fluently across a range of sciences including mathematics.

All current departmental CSAs have their academic background published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/chief-scientific-advisers.

The UK is a world leader in Mathematics. British mathematicians publish a large volume of highly regarded work. When compared to international colleagues, British mathematicians have the 5th largest share of publications in the world. When looking at the top 1% of most cited publications, UK mathematicians are responsible for the third largest share.

Since January 2020, UKRI has awarded £104 million of additional funding into Mathematical Sciences, over and above EPSRC’s core Mathematical Sciences Theme budget. The additional funding has funded institutes, small and large research grants, fellowships, doctoral studentships, and postdoctoral awards.

Following the SR, BEIS will set R&D budgets through to 2024/25. Further details of how this funding will be allocated will be announced in due course.

We have committed to investing £14.9 billion in R&D in 2021/22, meaning Government R&D spending is now at its highest level in four decades.

We are working to ensure the benefits are felt nationwide, with our UK Innovation Strategy and R&D Places Strategy due to be published this summer.

We are committed to making the UK the best place to start and grow a business.

BEIS has unveiled several new measures to support business across the UK, including an £88 million boost for productivity and the publication of the SME Finance Charter.

We have also invested £591 million to South East Local Enterprise Partnership, which covers South Basildon and East Thurrock, to empower local areas to reach their potential, boosting national productivity and growth.

The BBC's funding model faces major challenges to its sustainability due to changes in the way people consume media.

We remain committed to reviewing the licence fee model ahead of the next Charter period to explore the potential for alternative ways to ensure the BBC remains appropriately funded over the long-term.

Due to its small size DCMS does not employ a Chief Scientific Adviser, using its Science Advisory Council to ensure officials have access to high level, independent, scientific and technical advice. While there is currently no plan to recruit a CSA this position is regularly reviewed.

This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the honourable member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the honourable member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

With additional teaching hours and a meaningful industry placement, we are confident that T levels will give students the knowledge and skills needed to get a skilled job, either immediately or after higher technical education (for example an appropriate level 4 apprenticeship where it is offered by an employer). The outline content for the Science T level has been developed by a panel of employers and other experts (including GlaxoSmithKline and the Royal Society of Chemistry), who have defined the skills needed to give students the best chance of progressing to a relevant job or higher level study, including a laboratory technician apprenticeship.

T levels in Science, Healthcare Science and Health will roll out from September 2021. We recently launched the expression of interest process for providers wishing to deliver T levels in 2021.

It is important that employers from all industries are supported to deliver industry placements. We believe employers will benefit from offering industry placements, but recognise that this is a big change given the scale needed. We have already worked with a number of employers, including those from the science sector, to identify the main barriers and challenges to delivering industry placements. We also learnt more about these and the type of support that employers need from the industry placements pilot evaluation. As a result, we have invested £5 million into the National Apprenticeship Service to raise awareness and promote industry placements through their employer networks. This will include creating a streamlined ‘matchmaking’ service putting employers in touch with providers in their area.

We are also considering what additional support employers require on a route by route basis to effectively plan and implement industry placements. Equally, we recognise that different placement models might be needed to accommodate different industries, students and locations. We have been carrying out extensive stakeholder engagement across different challenging industries, including employers from the science sector, to ensure industry placement policy generates placements that are meaningful, reflective of current industry practice and meet the needs of employers.

The government wants to encourage more students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and training at all stages from primary school to higher education, which will equip people with the skills needed for such roles. We are investing an additional £406 million in skills, including maths and digital. This includes the Advanced Maths Premium and an £84 million programme to improve the teaching of computing.

It is crucial we encourage more young people to consider STEM careers, including careers such as laboratory scientist technicians. We have committed to improving STEM careers advice in schools in the government’s careers strategy which ensures that STEM encounters, such as with employers and apprenticeships, are built into school career programmes by updating school and college statutory guidance.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy also funds a number of programmes that aim to inspire more young people to study science subjects, such as the STEM Ambassadors programme, and the CREST awards, which engage students in STEM-related projects.

T levels will also provide alternative routes into laboratory and science technical careers. T levels will be a new gold-standard in technical education, providing a distinctive and rigorous alternative to A levels and apprenticeships. T level panels of employers are defining the outline content for the new programmes and we recently announced that T levels in the Health and Science route, which includes Laboratory Sciences, will be taught by selected providers from 2021.

Apprenticeships are available in the sector across a range of levels including Laboratory scientist (degree); Laboratory scientist Level 5; and Laboratory technician Level 3. These standards are being developed by employer groups, including groups in the health and science sector such as Pfizer, GSK, Astra Zeneca, Sterling Pharma Solutions, 3M. A full list of standards is available on the Institute for Apprenticeships’ website at https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/.

To stimulate apprenticeships growth across all sectors, we are first and foremost ensuring that apprenticeships are a quality product recognised by individuals and employers – setting individuals on a path to a to great career and providing employers with the home-grown skills they need to grow their businesses and increase productivity.

We are also currently carrying out a review of higher technical education, looking at how level 4 and 5 classroom based technical education meets the needs of learners and employers. This forms part of our commitment to support routes to higher-earning technical roles and address the skills needs of the economy. Our ambition is to reform higher level technical education so that it delivers the skills employers and the economy need and offers attractive routes to higher earning technical roles. We also intend to establish a system of employer-led national standards for higher technical education.

Defra took early steps to support farmers, by designating them as key workers and temporarily relaxing drivers’ hours rules. We have worked with banks to help farmers access financial support measures outline by the Chancellor, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

We have supported dairy farmers by announcing a fund in England to help those affected by the loss of the food service sector. We have also temporarily relaxed competition law rules. We are working with AHDB and Diary UK, who have launched a new £1 million campaign to drive consumption of milk. A similar campaign is promoting beef. We are also ensuring that farmers and growers are able to recruit the workers that they require as we approach the busy harvest months.

We have committed to start negotiations on a new upgraded trade deal with Mexico this year. Discussions will commence later in the year and will aim to secure even more benefits for British industries and go further in areas of mutual interest such as procurement, digital trade and service.

Earlier this month I visited India to deepen trade ties and agree a pathway towards a future FTA with the world’s biggest democracy. A closer partnership with India will help us lead the world in areas like science, tech and the green economy, driving jobs and growth across the UK.

The UK Government is engaged in dialogue with the Libyan Government of National Accord in Libya on the issue of the recovery of assets and monies owed to British companies, including small to medium-sized enterprises, pre 2011. The Libyan authorities have expressed their commitment to finding a resolution to the issue and the UK government will continue to press for progress.

Officials in the Department for International trade are working with Sir Mark Walport, the Government Chief Scientific Advisor, and the Government Office for Science to provide advice on the specification for any such role.

The DVLA provides vehicle keeper information to private parking management companies only where they are members of an appropriate accredited trade association. This requirement seeks to ensure they are legitimate companies that operate within published codes of practice which promote fair treatment of the motorist. The release of this information is provided for in law and the arrangements are subject to robust safeguards to ensure that data is provided only to those with a legitimate need to request it.

The DVLA carries out its own comprehensive auditing, involving both remote and on-site audits in conjunction with the Government Internal Audit Agency. Where issues arise, action will be taken to ensure the matter is rectified, including, where appropriate, access to the information being withheld.

Typically there are in excess of 300 incidents per year resulting in partial or full closures of the Dartford Crossing. On average each incident takes approximately 27 minutes to deal with, often requiring a lane closure for safety. During this time queues build rapidly towards junctions 29 and 3 of the M25 and take a further 3 to 5 hours for the road condition to return to normal.

Highways England are continuing to explore ways of reducing incidents and improving clear up times. In the longer term, with a new crossing, there would be increased capacity to cross the river so the effect of any incident would be less extreme. If one of the tunnels were to close today, the northbound capacity of the crossing would reduce by 50%. With the new Lower Thames Crossing in place at either Dartford or Gravesend, a closure of one of the tunnels at the Dartford Crossing would still leave more capacity than exists today without an incident, so recovery times would be much improved.

The Dartford Crossing consists of two bored tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge.

There has been only one planned closure in the last 12 months where the crossing has been fully closed i.e. both the bridge and the tunnels. This was for overnight works on 15 August 2015 for the removal and installation of new gantries for the Dartcharge project.

There have also been 81 occasions when either the bridge or one of the tunnel bores have been closed for planned construction or maintenance works. These works were carried out overnight when traffic flows are such that they can be accommodated by the remaining open elements of the crossing. The 81 occasions comprise 4 bridge closures, 42 west bore closures and 35 east bore closures.

There have been 9 unplanned bridge closures; twice for high wind and 7 for broken down vehicles, collisions and police-led incidents.

There have been 5 unplanned closures of the west tunnel; 4 traffic incidents and once to repair a road defect.

There have been 12 unplanned closures of the east tunnel; 10 times for traffic incidents (4 broken down vehicles, 5 collisions and one diesel spill) and twice for road repairs.

In July 2014, the Secretary of State for Transport announced the next steps for delivering a new Lower Thames crossing. This led to Highways England launching a public consultation on its proposals that started on 26 January 2016.

I can confirm that Option A is included within the consultation and remains an option for consideration. I would encourage all local communities and businesses to provide their views before the end of the consultation on the 24 March 2016.

There are no current plans for upgrading the Dartford crossing and the A282. However, we are undertaking studies to identify options that could improve the traffic flow through the area.

Until 24 March 2016 we are holding a public consultation on the proposed Lower Thames Crossing. This scheme would provide additional capacity to the existing Dartford-Thurrock crossings between Kent and Essex. This additional route should help reduce congestion on the current Dartford crossing and surrounding area.

The Department has been consulting on a proposed update to the statutory scheme for branded medicines and the life sciences industry has been able to give evidence as part of this consultation process.

The Government remains firmly committed to the statutory and voluntary schemes for branded medicines and to working with the pharmaceutical industry to deliver on the ambitions set out in the Life Sciences Vision to create an environment that facilitates innovation for the development of medicines in the UK.

The Department of Health and Social Care commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) which, with UK Research and Innovation, has co-funded an Imperial College London study worth £580,000 looking specifically at the safety and effectiveness of two COVID-19 vaccines administered via the respiratory tract.

The study is ongoing but in later stages and results will be made public in due course and following peer review.

The NIHR is also providing infrastructure support to an Oxford University study looking at safety and effectiveness of intranasal administration of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) plans to open a three-month public consultation on the evidence for lung cancer screening in the coming weeks.

The Department will receive the UK NSC’s recommendation on lung cancer screening in individuals at an increased risk following its June meeting.

Up to £70 million of targeted funding under the National Health Service Cancer Programme’s Service Development Funding budget has been made available to support the running of Targeted Lung Health Checks (TLHC) in 2022/23. This will include the expansion of the programme to ensure a project in each Cancer Alliance.

NHS England and NHS Improvement also supports the delivery of the TLHC programme with standard protocols, expert advice, and nationally procured and coordinated quality assurance and training.

There are currently nine Cancer Alliances without a TLHC project. NHS England and NHS Improvement plan to expand the TLHC programme in 2022/23 to ensure that each of these Cancer Alliances has at least one TLHC programme. We estimate an additional eight computerised tomography (CT) scanners will be needed to facilitate this expansion.

Up to £70 million of targeted funding under the National Health Service Cancer Programme’s Service Development Funding budget has been made available to support the running of Targeted Lung Health Checks (TLHC) in 2022/23. This will include the expansion of the programme to ensure a project in each Cancer Alliance.

NHS England and NHS Improvement also supports the delivery of the TLHC programme with standard protocols, expert advice, and nationally procured and coordinated quality assurance and training.

There are currently nine Cancer Alliances without a TLHC project. NHS England and NHS Improvement plan to expand the TLHC programme in 2022/23 to ensure that each of these Cancer Alliances has at least one TLHC programme. We estimate an additional eight computerised tomography (CT) scanners will be needed to facilitate this expansion.