Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support hospitality sector businesses in light of recent trends of rising costs for business owners.
Answered by Paul Scully
To support all businesses across the UK economy throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have provided businesses with an unprecedented support package of £400 billion, including grants, loans, business rates relief, VAT cuts and the job retention scheme. This includes a total of over £26 billion in business grants. The Government announced on 21 December that additional support will be available for businesses in recognition of the impact that the spread of the Omicron variant had on hospitality during one of their busiest months. The Government is providing one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises for businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England plus more than £100 million discretionary funding will be made available for Local Authorities to support other businesses – a lifeline for many small hospitality businesses.
In July 2021, the Department launched the first-ever hospitality strategy to support the reopening, recovery and resilience of England’s pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. We have also launched the Hospitality Sector Council to oversee the delivery of the strategy.
I and officials in the Department continues to speak regularly with the hospitality sector to understand their needs and issues, includes trading conditions and represent these across Government.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what due diligence his Department has undertaken on the Aquind project company and its owners and directors.
Answered by Greg Hands
The protection of infrastructure and critical services is a key priority for the Government, and new projects are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Foreign investment in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest level of scrutiny.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has undertaken a national security assessment in relation to the proposed Aquind energy interconnector project.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government carries out rigorous checks and assessments to ensure the protection of infrastructure and critical services through a broad range of mitigations, including legislative and regulatory powers. Foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest levels of scrutiny.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2021 to Question 904619 on financial crimes, what related due diligence his Department has undertaken specifically on (a) the proposed Aquind Interconnector Project and (b) its owners following the publication of the Pandora Papers.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department ensures protection of infrastructure and critical services through a broad range of mitigations, including legislative and regulatory powers. Foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest levels of scrutiny.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2021 to Question 904619 on financial crimes, what related due diligence his Department has undertaken specifically on (a) the proposed Aquind Interconnector Project and (b) its owners, following the publication of the Pandora Papers.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department ensures protection of infrastructure and critical services through a broad range of mitigations, including legislative and regulatory powers. Foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest levels of scrutiny.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what due diligence his Department has carried out on the proposed Aquind Interconnector project and its owners, with particular reference to illicit finance and funds reported in the Pandora Papers; and whether his Department has made an assessment of whether any of those funds were used in political donations to Government ministers.
Answered by Greg Hands
Foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest levels of scrutiny.
This Government is committed to making the UK a hostile place for illicit finance and economic crime.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timeframe is for a decision on the proposed AQUIND interconnector project.
Answered by Greg Hands
On 21 October 2021, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State extended the statutory deadline for taking the decision on the AQUIND interconnector application for development consent to 21 January 2022. A statement announcing the new deadline was made to the House of Commons and House of Lords on 21 October 2021 in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act 2008.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what criteria were used to determine that the proposed AQUIND interconnector would be made a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project.
Answered by Greg Hands
A direction under Section 35 of the Planning Act 2008 was granted for the UK elements of the proposed AQUIND Interconnector on 30 July 2018. This directed that the project should be treated as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project for which development consent is required. The Section 35 Direction sets out the reasoning for the decision. That document is publicly available on gov.uk and can be found using the following link:
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support he is providing to stakeholders to increase the UK’s green shipbuilding capabilities.
Answered by Lee Rowley
The Department is supporting the Government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, as well as a range of research and innovation programmes to develop technologies that will have spill-over benefits in various markets, including the shipbuilding sector.
The Department is also supporting several green shipping projects, including hydrogen ferry trials in Orkney and a hydrogen refuelling port on Teesside. Innovate UK is also facilitating the delivery of the Department for Transport’s £20 million Clean Maritime Demonstration Programme to bring forward green propulsion solutions for the maritime sector.
In addition, the Department is working closely with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to ensure that UK shipyards are aware of the organisation’s funded programmes and facilities, so that they have the opportunity to access these.