Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the efforts by local authorities and local economic partnerships to develop local industrial strategies; and what plans they have, if any, to replace the local industrial strategies with an alternative place-based model.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has worked with all places, through the Cities and Local Growth Unit (MHCLG/BEIS) to develop Local Industrial Strategies across England. However, we know that in the four years since the Industrial Strategy was produced, the UK's economic and business environment has changed.
Creating and supporting jobs remains the Government's central economic focus, and helping to drive growth in existing, emerging and new industries is also a priority. This is why we have transitioned the Industrial Strategy into our Plan for Growth and its related strategies. As part of this, we are encouraging places to consider key sectors, assets and clusters they want to support to foster their long-term growth ambitions, building on the brilliant work done by places on Local Industrial Strategies.
Later this year we will go further by publishing a Levelling Up White Paper setting out how bold new policy interventions will improve livelihoods across the country as we recover from the pandemic.
Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Local Government Association, Local green jobs—accelerating a sustainable economy recovery, published on 11 June, showing that at least 1.18 million low-carbon jobs need to be created in England by 2050 to meet the Government’s net zero commitment.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As we recover from COVID-19, the Government intends to deliver a UK economy which is stronger, cleaner, more sustainable, and more resilient.
In delivering the UK’s net zero target, we are looking to position the UK as a world leader in low carbon technologies, services, and systems. The UK has a strong base to grow from: there are over 460,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country and low carbon exports are already worth billions of pounds each year.
We are determined to seize the once-in-a-generation economic opportunities of the net zero transition – creating new business opportunities and up to 2 million green jobs by 2030 across all regions of the UK, and achieving this transition in a way that works for households, businesses and public finances. In doing so, we will build on the strengths we have already developed in low-carbon sectors from offshore wind to green finance.
Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy policies have been assessed against the Family Test; and whether they have published the outcome of any such assessments.
Answered by Lord Henley
The Government is committed to supporting families. In order to achieve this, in 2014 we introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure that impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised early on during the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions made by Ministers.
The majority of BEIS policy areas do not have a direct impact on the formation, make-up, or breakdown of families. However, where these impacts are relevant, the Family Test is applied to policy changes in a proportionate manner. Officials leading directly on the policy development are responsible for undertaking this analysis, and for advising Ministers on these impacts.
When applicable, analysis on family impacts is included within impact assessments, which are publically available. This analysis is usually qualitative in nature, as it is difficult to make quantitative estimates on the impacts from policy changes. Following implementation of the policy, BEIS monitors and reviews its impacts in a proportionate manner.
Asked by: Baroness Eaton (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on theatre groups and lighting designers of the proposed phasing out from 2020 of the use of tungsten halogen lamps.
Answered by Lord Henley
The current proposals from the European Commission are still open for discussion and no decisions have yet been made about the future of tungsten lighting for use in theatres. We are aware of the concerns raised by theatre groups, lighting designers and others and will as, part of our evidence gathering seek views prior to voting on the Regulation. Our initial technical advice suggests there are low energy lighting alternatives (e.g. LEDs) which use much less energy and have a longer lifetime than the tungsten lightbulbs. As a result, savings on energy bills will outweigh higher purchasing costs over the lifetime of the product. The Department also carries out a cost benefit analysis of these measures but this does not address specific sectors.