Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the data-set released by the Green New Deal UK group on 19 April 2021 and based on the European Climate Foundation’s 2018 report, Unlocking the Job Potential of Zero Carbon, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that at least (a) 1580 green jobs are created within two years and (b) 4484 green jobs are created within 10 years in Birkenhead constituency.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we rebuild, we must build back better, greener, and faster. This means supporting green jobs, levelling up, accelerating our path to net zero, and creating long-term advantage for the UK.
Spanning clean energy, buildings, transport, nature and innovative technologies, the Ten Point Plan will mobilise £12 billion of government investment to unlock three times as much private sector investment by 2030. In doing so we will support a further 90,000 green jobs across the UK by 2024, and up to 250,000 by 2030. Job estimates at a constituency level are not available.
Asked by: Jacob Young (Conservative - Redcar)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the opportunities for Northern Ireland in COP26.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have attended cross-government meetings with the COP President, most recently on 22 March. I also recently met with the Chair of the Expert Panel on the Future of Energy to discuss the NI Executive’s Energy Strategy and how the UK Government can help in developing this. We continue to press for engagement with the Executive and Northern Ireland businesses in order to promote Northern Ireland’s interests.
Recent announcements of New Deal funding to support green technology in Northern Ireland and support for the production of hydrogen buses in Ballymena reflect the priority which this Government has given to decarbonisation. We all want to see Northern Ireland play a big role in the Green Industrial Revolution, and COP26 will provide us an opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland’s many advances in green technologies.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that the outcome of Crown Estate’s Round 4 Offshore Wind Leasing process is discussed with trade union representatives on the Green Jobs Taskforce.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As manager of the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, The Crown Estate is responsible for the award of leases for new and existing offshore wind projects, including the current Round 4 exercise. The Crown Estate works independently of government under the mandate set out in the Crown Estate Act 1961.
The rate of return for the shareholders of the companies who were successful in Round 4 are a matter for the companies concerned.
The Department was not involved in the leasing process. The Crown Estate published information about criteria to be assessed at the pre-qualification and the Invitation to Tender stages, which applied to all bidders.
We will agree a transformational North Sea Transition Deal to deliver new business opportunities, high-quality jobs and skills, as well as protect the wider communities most affected by the move away from oil and gas production.
Regarding the annual options fees, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer and I are both in agreement that the results are a sign of confidence both in the UK as an attractive place to invest and in our offshore wind market.
I am aware the Crown Estate will be happy meet the Green Jobs Taskforce, on which trade unions are represented.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
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 has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the annual option fees that the Crown Estate will receive from developers of six offshore wind farm sites leased in Round 4 of the Offshore Wind Leasing process.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As manager of the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, The Crown Estate is responsible for the award of leases for new and existing offshore wind projects, including the current Round 4 exercise. The Crown Estate works independently of government under the mandate set out in the Crown Estate Act 1961.
The rate of return for the shareholders of the companies who were successful in Round 4 are a matter for the companies concerned.
The Department was not involved in the leasing process. The Crown Estate published information about criteria to be assessed at the pre-qualification and the Invitation to Tender stages, which applied to all bidders.
We will agree a transformational North Sea Transition Deal to deliver new business opportunities, high-quality jobs and skills, as well as protect the wider communities most affected by the move away from oil and gas production.
Regarding the annual options fees, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer and I are both in agreement that the results are a sign of confidence both in the UK as an attractive place to invest and in our offshore wind market.
I am aware the Crown Estate will be happy meet the Green Jobs Taskforce, on which trade unions are represented.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether there are requirements in the Crown Estate offshore wind leasing process for bidders from the oil and gas sector to include workforce transition plans in their applications.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As manager of the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, The Crown Estate is responsible for the award of leases for new and existing offshore wind projects, including the current Round 4 exercise. The Crown Estate works independently of government under the mandate set out in the Crown Estate Act 1961.
The rate of return for the shareholders of the companies who were successful in Round 4 are a matter for the companies concerned.
The Department was not involved in the leasing process. The Crown Estate published information about criteria to be assessed at the pre-qualification and the Invitation to Tender stages, which applied to all bidders.
We will agree a transformational North Sea Transition Deal to deliver new business opportunities, high-quality jobs and skills, as well as protect the wider communities most affected by the move away from oil and gas production.
Regarding the annual options fees, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer and I are both in agreement that the results are a sign of confidence both in the UK as an attractive place to invest and in our offshore wind market.
I am aware the Crown Estate will be happy meet the Green Jobs Taskforce, on which trade unions are represented.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on the rate of return for shareholders in companies that were successful in Round 4 of the Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Leasing process.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As manager of the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, The Crown Estate is responsible for the award of leases for new and existing offshore wind projects, including the current Round 4 exercise. The Crown Estate works independently of government under the mandate set out in the Crown Estate Act 1961.
The rate of return for the shareholders of the companies who were successful in Round 4 are a matter for the companies concerned.
The Department was not involved in the leasing process. The Crown Estate published information about criteria to be assessed at the pre-qualification and the Invitation to Tender stages, which applied to all bidders.
We will agree a transformational North Sea Transition Deal to deliver new business opportunities, high-quality jobs and skills, as well as protect the wider communities most affected by the move away from oil and gas production.
Regarding the annual options fees, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer and I are both in agreement that the results are a sign of confidence both in the UK as an attractive place to invest and in our offshore wind market.
I am aware the Crown Estate will be happy meet the Green Jobs Taskforce, on which trade unions are represented.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on potential opportunities for Northern Ireland at COP26.
Answered by Robin Walker
We are working closely with colleagues across Government and the NI Executive to support opportunities for Northern Ireland at this important event. This Government has announced a number of initiatives to promote Northern Ireland’s potential as a leader in innovative technology, especially in green and clean technologies. This includes the £400 million investment through the New Deal for Northern Ireland.
I recently attended a meeting with the COP President and pressed for continued engagement with the Executive and NI businesses in order to promote Northern Ireland’s interests. I also met with Laura Sandys, our former Hon. Friend, to discuss her work as an adviser to NI’s energy strategy.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) long term financial support and (b) expert advice he is making available to local councils that have declared climate emergencies to enable them to act on their climate emergency plans.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Half of all English councils have committed to reducing their direct emissions to zero by 2030, enormously supporting the ambition set by the Prime Minister. Local action can accelerate deployment of new technologies and drive significant cost efficiencies through strategic coordination, including vital new energy and transport infrastructure
As we continue to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic we need to ensure that our recovery plans support our climate change response. By building back greener and better, we can achieve our climate goals, protect our biodiversity and natural capital, and sustain climate-resilient economic development, all in a fair and inclusive way
Councils are uniquely positioned to align local needs, opportunities and resources to deliver strategic interventions at all scales. We will continue to work with councils to enable them to build back greener and better locally, through an effective planning framework and devolution
A significant amount of support has been made available for councils to act on climate change, from heat networks to cycle paths to flood defences. To give a few examples:
Finally, MHCLG is supporting clean growth initiatives through existing funding pots, including the Towns Fund and Local Growth Fund, and local institutions are using strategic plans to support the UK’s net zero by 2050 commitment. My officials are working with other Departments including BEIS and DEFRA to ensure that green recovery and clean growth form a key part of our emerging local economic recovery planning.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the £170m Advanced Nuclear Modular Reactors announced in his Department's Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, published November 2020, how much of the funding was previously announced.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has announced a broad set of policy measures to drive the UK to net zero, including a new £1bn net zero innovation portfolio from 2021 to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative low-carbon technologies, systems and business models in power, buildings and industry.
The Ten Point Plan includes £170m funding commitment for R&D for Advanced Modular Reactors under the £385m Advanced Nuclear Fund. Up to £30m of existing contracts and commitments from the nuclear sector deal for the nuclear innovation programme will continue to be funded through the Advanced Nuclear Fund.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the £40m commitment to develop regulatory frameworks announced in his Department's Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, published November 2020, how much of the funding was (a) newly committed and (b) previously announced as part of the £172m nuclear sector deal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The £40m funding announced in the Ten Point Plan to develop regulatory frameworks and the UK supply chain is a new commitment.