Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps he has taken to encourage the further development of the offshore wind turbine industry; and if he will make a statement.

The UK is at the forefront of offshore wind deployment. The last Contracts for Difference auction (announced 11 September 2017) will bring forward 3.2GW of new offshore wind capacity to be built by 2024.

In the Clean Growth Strategy, published on 12 October 2017, the Government reaffirmed our future support for offshore wind stating that we would improve the route to market for renewable technologies such as offshore wind through:

• Up to £557 million for further Pot 2 Contract for Difference auctions with the next one planned for spring 2019;
• Working with industry as they develop an ambitious Sector Deal for offshore wind which could result in 10 gigawatts of new capacity, with the opportunity for additional deployment if this is cost effective, built in the 2020s.